New cooling device used for first time to terminate AFib | CCTA shows colchicine’s impact | Heart health in US getting worse

Patients often develop AFib during cardiac surgery, leading to longer hospital stays, additional healthcare costs and a higher risk of mortality. Cooling the oblique sinus of the patient’s heart as soon as AFib starts to develop may represent a new way to stop the problem in its tracks. 

This two-year analysis of the FISH&CHIPS study found that using advanced AI from Heartflow to evaluate cardiac CT is safe, effective and limits the use of unnecessary follow-up tests.

Matthew Budoff, MD, detailed new data highlighting CCTA’s value when it comes to tracking the progression of coronary atherosclerosis.

As time goes on, the gaps between the healthiest states and the least healthy states are only getting wider and wider. “Our findings highlight the urgent need for targeted strategies to reduce state-based inequities in cardiometabolic risk factors,” researchers wrote. 

The approval of certain TAVR valves to be used in asymptomatic patients is expected to make a significant impact on patient care going forward. 

Researchers evaluated data from more than 273,000 patients with a history of ASCVD, noting that higher Lp(a) levels are consistently linked to worse cardiovascular outcomes.

The devices are being recalled and discontinued after the FDA shared a series of concerns. This is a Class I recall, meaning using this system could result in serious injuries or death.

The world is in the throes of an AFib pandemic, one that could potentially get worse in the years ahead due to population growth, economic hardships and rigid resource limitations. According to the Heart Rhythm Society, one way to effectively combat this issue is the development of more AFib Centers of Excellence.

Reviewing data from more than 6,000 patients, researchers found little evidence of the “obesity paradox” observed elsewhere. Underweight TAVR patients, however, may face some significant long-term risks.

“This legislation imposes new and costly insurance mandates on private health plans that will ultimately raise insurance premiums for working families and small businesses,” said Gov. J. Kevin Stitt. 

Bloomberg writes about a company, Quick Health, run by a former comedy writer, who through a loophole in the law is accused of “hiring” members for fake jobs to enroll them in junk insurance policies.