Medtronic plc announced that the In.Pact Admiral Drug-Coated Balloon (DCB) received approval from the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) for the treatment of peripheral artery disease (PAD) in the upper leg — specifically, in the superficial femoral arteries (SFA) and popliteal arteries. Before Medtronic can begin commercialization, it must partner with Japanese MHLW to gain reimbursement to ensure broader access to the therapy.

Contracting shingles, a reactivation of the chickenpox virus, increases a person’s risk of stroke and heart attack, according to a research letter published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

September 12, 2017 — Inclisiran lowers low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or “bad”) cholesterol for up to one year in ...

September 12, 2017 — The IL-1β inhibitor canakinumab lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease and lung cancer risk by ...

Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian recently became the first hospital in Orange County, Calif., to install the Siemens Somatom Force computed tomography (CT) scanner. The Somatom Force allows radiologists to obtain higher-quality images faster, more efficiently and with less radiation than older-generation CT scanners.

September 12, 2017 – The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress 2017 includes several Hot Line Late-breaking ...

Merck and researchers in the Clinical Trial Service Unit at the University of Oxford announced the publication and presentation of results from the REVEAL outcomes study of anacetrapib, Merck’s investigational cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) inhibitor. In the study of 30,449 patients with atherosclerotic vascular disease receiving LDL-C lowering treatment with atorvastatin, anacetrapib significantly reduced the risk of major coronary events (composite of coronary death, myocardial infarction or coronary revascularization) by 9 percent relative to placebo (10.8% vs. 11.8%, respectively; P=0.004). The safety of anacetrapib was generally consistent with data from earlier trials of the drug. However, a sub-study also showed that anacetrapib accumulates in adipose tissue with prolonged dosing.