Air pollution, especially from diesel, has again been linked to heart risk, which left researchers suggesting people stay as far from the curb as possible when walking on the sidewalk. (Evening Standard)
Is a diagonal ear lobe crease a signal of stroke risk, or just a surrogate for age? (Daily Mail)
Mechanical thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke from intracranial occlusion works at least as well for patients with extracranial carotid disease "and it should not be withheld in these complex patients with acute ischemic stroke," MR CLEAN researchers concluded in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
A faster, cheaper protocol for noninvasive cardiac MRI with contrast tested for use in developing nations appeared feasible and impacted clinical management in 33% of patients, a study reported at EuroCMR in Prague. (EurekAlert press release)
Men may actually suffer more cardiomyopathy from chemotherapy than do women, according to other news from EuroCMR. (Cardiovascular Business)
The HeartMate II heart pump has another controller problem, with a recall following 70 incidents of malfunction when patients attempted to change out the controller on their own, including 26 deaths. Thoratec is shipping new controllers with updated software and hardware, but Mass Device reports that the key thing is for physicians to bring patients into the clinic for controller exchanges.
One lot of ticagrelor (Brilinta) physician samples bottles is being recalled after finding one with an additional medication inside (lesinurad, Zurampic) that could harm the kidneys when taken alone. (FDA MedWatch)
A new orodispersible formulation of ticagrelor (Brilinta, Brilique in Europe) was cleared by European regulators for patients who are intubated or have trouble swallowing conventional tablets. (European Pharmaceutical Review)
A novel robotic arm brace that translates tiny amounts of muscle activity into movement can help patients perform daily activities independently after a stroke, researchers report in the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
The FDA posted notice of recall of a health supplement (Al-Er-G Capsules from MusclMasster) found to contain the banned substance ephedra, which poses risk of heart attack, stroke, and death.
Normalization of testosterone levels with testosterone replacement therapy was associated with less atrial fibrillation, according to a VA database study in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
A helical transendocardial infusion catheter for cardiac stem cell delivery appeared better for cell retention in a pig model. (International Heart Journal)
Adding chronic kidney disease, measures of systolic blood pressure variability, lupus, and a few other factors to the already extensive list of factors in the QRISK2 algorithm yielded good calibration for 10-year cardiovascular disease risk assessment, but performed about the same as the prior iteration. (BMJ)
Another 15 genes associated with risk for coronary artery disease were described in Nature Genetics.