Using marijuana raises the risk of stroke and heart failure even after accounting for demographic factors, other health conditions and lifestyle risk factors such as smoking and alcohol use, according to new research. The study is scheduled for presentation at the American College of Cardiology’s 66th Annual Scientific Session, March 17-19 in Washington, D.C.

The Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) presented its highest honor, the SIR Gold Medal, to three individuals during its 2017 Annual Scientific Meeting, March 4-9 in Washington, D.C. These awards acknowledge distinguished and extraordinary service to SIR or to the discipline of interventional radiology.

Noninvasive computed tomography (CT) angiography and stress tests can help predict which patients are likely to suffer a heart attack or other adverse cardiovascular event, according to a new study appearing online in the journal Radiology.

Climbing above 4,000 meters can provoke abnormal heart rhythms in otherwise healthy mountaineers, with the abnormalities increasing with altitude, new research has shown.

Researchers supported by the National Institutes of Health have revealed the ability of wearable biosensors, similar to the Apple Watch or Fitbit, to detect physiological changes that may indicate illness, even before symptoms appear. The findings, published Jan. 12, 2017, in PLoS Biology, may open the door to new ways to manage and monitor health, especially for those with limited access to doctors or clinics.

More than 80 percent of stroke patients with a history of atrial fibrillation either received not enough or no anticoagulation therapy prior to having a stroke, according to a Duke Clinical Research Institute study. This revelation comes despite the drugs’ proven record of reducing stroke risk.

March 14, 2017 — The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has expanded use of the Medtronic Melody Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve (TPV) for implantation in patients whose surgical bioprosthetic pulmonary heart valves have failed. Designed specifically for the pulmonic position, Melody TPV is the first transcatheter pulmonary valve to receive this approval in the U.S.


March 14, 2017 — Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) for aortic stenosis continues to evolve with the adoption of methods intended to maximize efficacy, safety and patient recovery. Researchers at the Valve Science Center at Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation recently conducted quality improvement review to examine the impact of the use of minimal anesthesia with conscious sedation (CS) in patients with severe, symptomatic aortic stenosis (AS) undergoing TAVR.
 


Stratasys Ltd. announced last week enrollment is now open for 3DHEART, an investigator-initiated trial. 3DHEART, which stands for 3D Hearts Enabling A Randomized Trial, is a randomized, single-blind clinical trial to study the use of patient-specific 3-D-printed models in pre-operative planning for pediatric heart surgery. Stratasys is providing in-kind support with printing of the models to be used in the trial.

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