Cardiologists at ACC.13 learned that patients with coronary artery disease who received a Resolute drug-eluting stent from Medtronic Inc. as participants in one of several clinical studies and interrupted or discontinued their dual antiplatelet therapy after one month of the implant procedure showed no increased safety risk through one year of follow-up.

A new test that detects asymptomatic individuals who may be at risk for cardiovascular disease is being launched in Europe at the Healthcare Innovation Expo 2013. The device, known as AngioDefender, was developed by Everist Genomics Inc. of Ann Arbor, Mich., in collaboration with scientists at Rutgers University, New Jersey. The developers claim that the test will lower the cost of detecting and treating cardiovascular problems and improve patient outcomes.

The Heart Failure 2013 LA meeting will include a showcase of several startup companies offering innovative new approaches to address heart and cardiovascular disease.

March 26, 2013 — According to two different reports from Millennium Research Group (MRG), the overall European market for peripheral vascular devices will grow strongly, reaching $1.3 billion by 2017. Increases in endovascular procedures, along with innovations such as drug-coated balloons (DCB), aortic stent grafts and chronic total occlusion (CTO) crossing devices, will support revenue growth.

March 26, 2013 — A multicenter analysis, led by Weill Cornell Medical College and published in the Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology, shows the use of temporary "fully covered self-expanding metal stents" (FCSEMS) can effectively fix a painful and potentially life-threatening benign biliary stricture.

In addition to improving life quality and diminishing pain, total hip replacement (THR) is associated with reduced mortality, heart failure, depression and diabetes rates in Medicare patients with osteoarthritis, according to a new study presented at the 2013 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS). The procedure also is cost effective with the seven-year costs of THR only $6,366 higher than the cost of treating an osteoarthritis patient for hip pain without THR.