September 20, 2011 — A new study published in the Sept. 27 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology reveals heart failure (HF) patients with Medicaid, Medicare or no insurance have longer hospital stays than those with private/HMO insurance. The under-insured are less likely to receive some of the recommended, evidence-based therapies for HF; they are also 22 percent more likely to die in-hospital.

September 20, 2011 — The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), with several key initial partners, launched Million Hearts, an initiative aiming to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes over the next five years.

September 15, 2011 – The Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF) has announced the late breaking trials and first report investigations that will be presented at the Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) 2011 scientific symposium. Presented in partnership with the American College of Cardiology (ACC), TCT 2011 is the world’s leading educational meeting specializing in interventional cardiovascular medicine and will take place Nov. 7-11, 2011 in San Francisco.

September 16, 2011 – During RSNA 2011, McKesson will highlight Horizon Cardiology, which enables users to improve quality of care, boost efficiencies and reduce costs while increasing physician and staff satisfaction in the cardiovascular department. It is the only cardiovascular information system (CVIS) with a single database that includes support for all cardiovascular images, waveforms and information, including cardiac and peripheral catheterization, hemodynamics monitoring, echocardiography, vascular ultrasound, nuclear cardiology, and electrocardiogram (ECG) management. This unique architecture improves the accuracy and efficiency of the department by eliminating duplicate data entry and supporting parallel workflows.

September 16, 2011 — Researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine have for the first time used several imaging techniques to prove the efficacy of a promising new treatment for atherosclerosis. The disease causes build-up of plaque in artery walls that can lead to a heart attack.

September 15, 2011 — Very positive results were reported in the first account of a clinical study evaluating the effectiveness of angioplasty with drug-eluting balloons for critical limb ischemia (CLI) below the knee. It is the most severe form of peripheral artery disease (PAD). The data appeared in Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC) Sept. 6.