July 27, 2017 — There is good news when it comes to the heart’s sinoatrial node (SAN), the body’s natural pacemaker. Scientists at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center have shown the human SAN is hardwired with a backup system — three diverse regions of pacemakers acting as batteries and up to five conduction pathways that act as wires to connect the signal to the atria.

The Spectranetics Corp. announced receipt of U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) pre-market approval (PMA) of the Stellarex drug-coated balloon (DCB). The device is designed to restore and maintain blood flow to the superficial femoral and popliteal arteries in patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD).

Intact Vascular Inc. recently announced that its Tack Optimized Balloon Angioplasty II Below the Knee (TOBA II BTK) clinical trial has commenced enrollment in Europe. The first patient was treated by Professor Dr. Marianne Brodmann and Dr. Peter Reif at Medical University Graz, Austria.

Siemens Healthineers has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Epocal Inc., a subsidiary of Alere Inc. Epocal Inc. develops and provides point-of-care blood diagnostic systems for healthcare enterprises, including the epoc Blood Analysis System, a handheld, wireless testing solution. Financial details of the transaction are not being disclosed. The transaction is subject to the completion of Abbott’s acquisition of Alere, as well as antitrust approvals and other customary closing conditions.

July 26, 2017 — The U.S. Senate voted Monday, with a tiebreaking vote from Vice President Mike Pence, to begin debate on the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA), the legislation drafted by Senate Republicans to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell immediately called a vote on the first version of the bill, which was defeated 57-43.

Heart Valve Summit (ACC-AATS)

July 25, 2017 — In five years, Kaleida Health’s Stroke Care Center (SCC) at the Gates Vascular Institute in Buffalo, N.Y., has realized more than $5.4 million in cost savings by using the Aquilion One computed tomography (CT) system from Toshiba Medical, a Canon Group company, to diagnose acute stroke.

July 25, 2017 — A study by researchers at the University of Birmingham has shown that general practitioners (GPs) are prescribing anticoagulants to patients with an irregular heartbeat against official safety advice.

Wearable monitors create patient generated health data, PGHD, that can help prevent acute care episodes in heart failure.
CDC Heart Failure U.S. death rate map

Despite their best efforts, many patients tend to develop heart failure after an acute event (e.g., a heart attack or a viral cardiomyopathy). Upon hospitalization, their condition can advance with possibly irreversible and progressive organ damage. Heart failure (HF) is associated with a high level of disability, healthcare costs and mortality – about 50 percent of patients will die within five years from diagnosis.
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