The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has recommended updating product information for the anticoagulant dabigatran (Pradaxa, Boehringer Ingelheim) to provide clearer guidance to doctors and patients on how to reduce and manage the risk of bleeding associated with the medicine in patients with atrial fibrillation.

Cardiovascular disease mortality dropped 40 percent for diabetic patients, according to findings from the National Health Interview Survey that were released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health. These reductions may be due to improvements in the care and treatments for diabetic patients.

Three-dimensional (3D) digital subtraction angiography (DSA) provides superior detection and delineation of intracranial aneurysms while exposing patients to less radiation, using less contrast and shortening overall procedure time, according to a study published in the June issue of Academic Radiology.

On May 17, the FDA approved generic versions of the blood thinning drug clopidogrel (Plavix, Bristol-Myers Squibb/Sanofi-Aventis), which helps reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Source: Temple UniversityThe line between physical examinations and imaging may be blurring thanks to a tactile imaging sensor prototype which emulates human sensation from a hands-on exam, but also uses LED lights and a camera to quantify the data. Developed by a team of researchers led by Chang-Hee Won, PhD, of Temple University in Philadelphia, the device could help doctors who feel a breast lump during a physical exam, and determine the probability of the lesion being malignant or benign.

Medtronic has announced that the Resolute Integrity coronary drug-eluting stent (DES) system has received European regulatory approval for several new indications.

The FDA has completed its evaluation of a report of a patient who died after the first dose of a multiple sclerosis drug, fingolimod (Gilenya, Novartis), and determined that the drug is now contraindicated in patients with certain pre-existing or recent (within the last six months) heart conditions or stroke, or who are taking certain anti-arrhythmic medications.

Boston Scientific has gained CE Mark for its Innova self-expanding bare-metal stent system, which is designed to treat peripheral vascular lesions in arteries above the knee, specifically the superficial femoral artery and proximal popliteal artery.