The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Abbott’s Supera Peripheral Stent System to treat people with blocked blood vessels in the upper leg caused by peripheral artery disease (PAD).

March 31, 2014 — Biotronik announced new results from a sub-analysis of the TRUST trial, published in the European Heart Journal. This analysis examined recommended ICD (implantable cardioverter defibrillator) follow-up methods by comparing patient adherence in two groups: those who were given remote follow-ups with Biotronik Home Monitoring and those who had calendar-based, in-person follow-ups. Over the 15-month follow-up period, patient adherence was found to be 25 percent higher in the Home Monitoring group.

Medtronic, Inc. announced the first patients were enrolled in the Improve SCA Clinical Study, a first-of-its-kind study that will identify patients in developing countries at high risk for sudden cardiac arrest (SCA)–an abrupt loss of heart function that can lead to death in minutes–who have not previously experienced a life threatening arrhythmia (primary prevention patients). The first patients were enrolled at West China Hospital and Fuwai Hospital in China.