In August, the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) and EP Europace journal announced the release of the supplement to its ninth annual EHRA White Book, developed in partnership with Biotronik. The supplement was released just ahead of the 2016 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress, Aug. 27-31 in Rome.

Nearly 2 out of 5 people with diabetes who could benefit from statin therapy to lower their risk of future heart attack, stroke and related death were not prescribed one, according to a research letter published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. The analysis also showed wide variation in statin use across cardiology practices included in the study.

Smartphone communication among medical teams at different hospitals can significantly reduce the time it takes for heart attack patients to get lifesaving treatment after a hospital transfer, according to a research letter published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Technology advances coupled with increased use of social media and personal devices could offer new possibilities for treating patients and improving outcomes, but new approaches must be rigorously evaluated, according to U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Robert M. Califf, M.D., MACC. Califf’s comments appeared in a column published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

4Tech Inc. announced that its TriCinch device has been used in the world’s first-ever successful transcatheter tricuspid valve repair without the use of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) or general anesthesia to successfully treat tricuspid regurgitation (TR). The TriCinch implant took less than one hour and allowed substantial reduction of TR.

Claret Medical announced its filing of a marketing application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for clearance of the Sentinel Cerebral Protection System (CPS). The Sentinel CPS is designed to protect the brain by capturing and removing debris dislodged during transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) that enters cerebral circulation and carries the potential for stroke. There are currently no cerebral embolic protection technologies available in the United States to protect TAVR patients from cerebral embolic events, according to Claret Medical.