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With improved diagnostic techniques, the etiologic spectrum of downbeat nystagmus can be further refined.
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Postmortem examination of Alzheimer brains shows that PiB tracer selectively binds to insoluble A-beta amyloid plaques, but not neurofibrillary tangles.
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Boston Scientific (Natick, Massachusetts) reported a new clinical science initiative, Altitude, which will analyze data from the Latitude patient management system.
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Medtronic (Minneapolis) last month recalled some of its disposable heart surgery products because of concerns about a coating of contaminated heparin. Included in the recall were disposable products with the Carmeda BioActive surface that are used during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) for heart surgeries. The company termed it a "voluntary and precautionary recall."
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Researchers at the University of Florida (UF; Gainesville) says they have identified a drug compound that they say "dramatically" works to lower blood pressure (BP), improves heart function and prevents damage to the heart and kidneys in rats with persistent hypertension.The latter of these findings they term "remarkable."
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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services last month issued a decision granting positive National Coverage Determination (NCD) status for artificial hearts. This decision marks the first positive coverage position that CMS has taken since a non-coverage determination for artificial hearts issued by the agency a little more than two decades ago.
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Last month's approval of the advanced generation ventricular assist device (VAD) from Thoratec (Pleasanton, California) the HeartMate II Left Ventricular Assist System (LVAS) is leading the way in heart pump devices that are smaller, and touted as more efficient, and thus more available for implantation in smaller bodies: women, smaller men and younger people.
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Proteus Biomedical (Redwood City, California) certainly is not the only company looking at how to improve the measurement of cardiac performance in heart failure patients. But, according to Andrew Thompson, CEO and co-founder of Proteus, "everybody else" has come up with a new lead and/or a new procedure."
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CoreValve; HeartWare Limited; Medtronic; Tryton Medical
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Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine (Philadelphia) have concluded that the cost of implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) for prevention of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) and death in elderly patients, though considerable, nonetheless provides "real value" to the U.S. healthcare system.
