Strokes kill nearly 130,000 Americans every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Because approximately 30 percent of strokes are caused by blockages in the carotid arteries — the blood vessels that supply blood to the brain— successful treatment of carotid disease could save thousands of them, according to the Society for Vascular Surgery, members of which will discuss and debate treatment options for carotid disease at the 2014 Vascular Annual Meeting, taking place June 4-7 at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston.

St. Jude Medical announced the completion of its acquisition of the privately held CardioMEMS Inc., developer of the CardioMEMS heart failure (HF) management system. The acquisition was completed on May 30, 2014.

New research has found that bariatric surgery is an effective way to control weight in morbidly obese patients who are at risk for developing atrial fibrillation (AF). Bariatric or weight loss surgery is an operation on the stomach that limits food intake and is typically recommended for patients who are unable to lose weight on their own through diet and exercise.