FDA Clears Coronary Intravascular Lithotripsy to Breakup Calcified Lesions With Sound Waves
Shockwave Medical s transformative technology now available for calcified coronary plaque
A comparison showing angiography and optical coherence tomography (OCT) views of an undilated mid right coronary artery calcified lesion, post dilation with the Shockwave intravascular lithotripsy system, and the final result after stenting. The technology allows calcified lesions to be broken up without the need for vessel trauma caused by high pressure balloons or atherectomy.
February 17, 2021 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared Shockwave Medical s Intravascular Lithotripsy (IVL) system to treat severely calcified coronary artery disease.
Controlling cardiovascular disease risk factors early in life may protect against later dementia
Employing cardiovascular disease prevention strategies in mid-life may delay or stop the brain alterations that can lead to dementia later in life, according to a study in the
Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Atherosclerosis, or buildup of fats, cholesterol and other substances in and on artery walls, is the underlying cause of most cardiovascular diseases, which is the leading cause of death around the world. Dementia is also among the top causes of death and disability around the world, with 50 million people currently living with dementia. The presence of atherosclerosis has been linked to cognitive impairment in advanced stages of the disease, but little is known about how they influence each other, especially since both can be asymptomatic for long periods of time earlier in life.
Employing cardiovascular disease prevention strategies in mid-life may delay or stop the brain alterations that can lead to dementia in later life, a new study suggests.The study, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, .
Existing heart failure drug may be effective in treating postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome
In a new study out of University of California San Diego School of Medicine, researchers found a drug used for heart failure improves symptoms associated with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, otherwise known as POTS. This complex, debilitating disorder affects the body s autonomic nervous system, causing a high heart rate, usually when standing.
Writing in the February 15, 2021 online issue of the
Journal of the American College of Cardiology, study authors investigated the drug ivabradine and its effects on heart rate, quality of life and plasma norepinephrine levels in persons living with POTS. Norepinephrine is a stress hormone and neurotransmitter. In blood plasma, it is used as a measure of sympathetic nervous system activity. Trial participants experienced a reduction in heart rate, improvement in their symptoms and overall quality of life one month after taking the
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The last decade saw middle-income countries enjoying improved access to cardiovascular medications, but they remain far from closing the considerable gap with richer countries.
Cardiovascular drug sales grew about 10 times faster from 2008 to 2018 in middle-income countries than in high-income countries (annual growth rate 9.96% vs 0.98%), according to a large pharmaceutical sales database probed by Esther Chan, PhD, of the University of Hong Kong, and colleagues.
As a result, the 15-fold gap in total cardiovascular medicine sales between the two country types in 2008 (27.69 vs 410.54 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day) shrank to a six-fold gap in 2018 (71.57 vs 452.52 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day), reported Chan s group in the February 23 issue of the