More HVAD Trouble; Staggering Statin Avoidance; Hope for Weed Smokers?

FDA warns of pump malfunctions in Medtronic’s Heartware Ventricular Assist Device, but does not recommend preemptive device removal.

Heart transplant recipients had better COVID-19 outcomes if they were vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2, one center found. (JAMA Cardiology)

Insurance data suggest that half of U.S. patients with established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease were not on statins in 2019. (Journal of the American College of Cardiology)

Unlike statins, aspirin appeared to be of no help in non-obstructive coronary artery disease identified on coronary CT angiography, a registry study found. (Radiology: Cardiothoracic Imaging)

CDC documents the rising prevalence of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy among delivery hospitalizations — from about 13% in 2017 to 16% in 2019.

Opioid use after cardiac implantable electronic device procedures reached a high in 2016 and has come down slightly since then. (Circulation)

U.S. heart failure patients have an “unacceptably high” prevalence of uncontrolled blood pressure and HbA1c. (Circulation: Heart Failure)

The SherpaPak Cardiac Transport System was associated with improved survival and reduced severe primary graft dysfunction at 1 year after heart transplant, Paragonix Technologies said.

Left ventricular (LV) conduction disease is preventable after all, as observed in people who underwent aggressive blood pressure control, according to research presented at the annual Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) conference.

Also from HRS, a report that artificial intelligence was able to detect LV dysfunction using Apple Watch ECGs.

Vektor Medical boasted of its vMap’s high cardiac mapping accuracy in finding arrhythmia sources anywhere in the heart.

In a large single-center analysis of transcatheter aortic valve replacement with the CoreValve bioprosthesis, permanent pacemaker implants reached 4.8% at 30 days when operators employed the cusp overlap technique. (JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions)

Could the link between child abuse and hyperlipidemia as an adult be mitigated by growing up in a well-organized household? (Journal of the American Heart Association)

A good referral network eliminated the weekend effect for acute type A aortic dissection admissions. (JACC: Asia)

Although marijuana users are more prone to developing cardiovascular disease, a CB1 antagonist was found to mitigate THC-induced atherosclerosis in mice. (Cell)

Morton Mower, MD, a cardiologist and co-inventor of the automatic implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, died at age 89. (Baltimore Sun)