SORT OUT III Data Presented at American College of Cardiology reported the long-term follow-up of the largest randomized comparison between the CYPHER(R) Sirolimus-eluting Coronary Stent and Medtronic’s Endeavor(R) Stent highlighting significant and sustained clinical differences.

The findings report that the CYPHER(R) Stent was associated with significantly lower rates of death, myocardial infarction, and repeat procedures than the Endeavor(R) Stent out to 18 months. This information was also published in the Lancet Journal.

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AF Stat™, a group of healthcare leaders and organizations working to improve the health and well-being of people affected by atrial fibrillation (AFib) has recently unveiled the “AFib Educator,” a smartphone app and desktop widget to help healthcare providers explain AFib to patients, their families and caregivers.

According to AFStat, although AFib is common, costly, progressive and often debilitating, healthcare professionals struggle to create a sense of urgency among their patients in treating the disease. They also believe that a  lack of knowledge and understanding of the disease is preventing the disease from being managed properly.

In addition, surveys indicate that healthcare providers don’t feel they have enough tools to explain the disease to their patients. Therefore, AFStat feels this new app will be of great value.

To learn more about the new app, click here.

iData Research has released a series of global reports that claim the U.S. market for vascular access devices and accessories was valued at just over $3 billion in 2009 and projects an estimated growth to $4.6 billion by the year 2016.

The report also states that due to new antimicrobial technology, the antimicrobial CVC market is exceeding that of the conventional market by almost double.

The report shows that the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act has helped to increase the sales of the more expensive safety devices, especially with the introduction of needleless connectors. Also, changes in Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement has been a major factor driving growth in the overall vascular access market.

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A Food and Drug Administration panel unanimously voted for broader use of Boston Scientific’s cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillators, or CRT-Ds, for patients with heart failure who have no symptoms or only mild symptoms.

CRT-Ds are approved now for treating the most advanced stages of heart failure, but a Boston Scientific study showed they could also benefit healthier patients.

However, the panel said that the use of the devices should only pertain to patients who have a heart problem that causes the left ventricle to contract later than the right ventricle.

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