Statin therapy reduced the risk of cardiac death and coronary revascularization in patients with acute MI who had baseline low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels below 70 mg/dl, researchers reported in the Oct. 11 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. The study had serious shortcomings, according to an accompanying editorial, but the findings support conducting a placebo-controlled clinical trial.

Over the next decade, the population of cancer survivors over 65 years of age will increase by approximately 42 percent, according to a report published in the October issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

Post-treatment imaging with PET scans has shown promise in predicting which patients with stage II and III inoperable non-small cell lung cancer have aggressive tumors and need additional treatment, according to the preliminary study results reported at the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Annual Meeting in Miami.

Brainlab, a medical technology developer based in Munich, launched its Curve Image Guided Surgery system at the Congress of Neurological Surgeons Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., Oct. 1-6.

Stephen J. Ubl, president and CEO of the Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed), issued a statement Oct. 4 urging Congress to pass legislation to implement a U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement (FTA) as quickly as possible. The bill, now before Congress, contains a specific section on medical devices and projects increased exports to South Korea after reduction and elimination of a number of tariffs.

Striving to improve patient care is the primary goal for providers and hospital administrators, but doing so while still maintaining a revenue stream remains an acute pain point, particularly in an era of healthcare reform. How can hospitals effectively provide patients correct care without raising expenses? One way may be to start looking at unnecessary testing.

The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) has issued a plan that would move the healthcare system away from a fee-for-service model to a patient-centered model. However, the Medical Imaging and Technology Alliance and Access to Medical Imaging Coalition have called on Congress to reject the BCBSA proposal that would call on Medicare to use prior authorization for advanced imaging services.

As of next February, the Joint Commission and the American Heart Association (AHA) will expand their collaboration to provide special designations to organizations giving next generation stroke or heart failure care.