September 8, 2011 – Intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) counterpulsation prior to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (MI) does not reduce infarct size as measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), according to results from the Counterpulsation Reduces Infarct Size Acute Myocardial Infarction (CRISP AMI) trial. The results were discussed during the recent European Society of Cardiology (ESC) meeting in Paris, France.

September 6, 2011 — The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) released the latest version of its guidelines for managing patients presenting without persistent ST-segment elevation. This version replaces earlier editions of 2000, 2002 and 2007. The new guidelines also incorporate the findings of very recent studies.

September 6, 2011 — Mesoblast Ltd. announced it received clearance from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to begin a 225-patient multi-center Phase 2 European clinical trial for Revascor, its lead cardiovascular product. The study is being conducted in conjunction with angioplasty and stent procedures to gauge ability to prevent heart failure after a major heart attack.

September 1, 2011 – Results from CREDO-Kyoto PCI/CABG Registry Cohort-2 show that percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) was associated with significantly higher risk for serious adverse events in patients with triple vessel disease than coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). The protective effect of CABG for myocardial infarction was described as "especially remarkable." In view of these results, said investigator Hiroki Shiomi, M.D., from Kyoto University Hospital in Japan, "CABG would still remain the standard treatment option in patients with triple vessel disease, particularly when their SYNTAX scores are high.”

September 1, 2011 – The HIMSS Electronic Health Record Association (EHR Association), a collaboration of 42 EHR supplier companies, in responding to the Center for Medicare and Medicare Services (CMS) proposed rules for the Medicare physician fee schedule (MPFS) and the hospital outpatient prospective payment system for 2012, asked CMS administrator Donald M. Berwick, M.D., to reconsider its proposal to require the submission of patient-level data as it pilots electronic submissions of clinical quality measures (CQMs) based on the burden it would impose on provider organizations and other considerations.

August 31, 2011 — Results of a recent randomized controlled study show the drug-eluting stent Xience V performs well in patients having primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). It also has a better safety profile than that of bare metal stents.