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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services last month issued a decision granting positive National Coverage Determination (NCD) status for artificial hearts. This decision marks the first positive coverage position that CMS has taken since a non-coverage determination for artificial hearts issued by the agency a little more than two decades ago.
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Researchers at the University of Florida (UF; Gainesville) says they have identified a drug compound that they say "dramatically" works to lower blood pressure (BP), improves heart function and prevents damage to the heart and kidneys in rats with persistent hypertension.The latter of these findings they term "remarkable."
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Medtronic (Minneapolis) last month recalled some of its disposable heart surgery products because of concerns about a coating of contaminated heparin. Included in the recall were disposable products with the Carmeda BioActive surface that are used during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) for heart surgeries. The company termed it a "voluntary and precautionary recall."
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Boston Scientific (Natick, Massachusetts) reported a new clinical science initiative, Altitude, which will analyze data from the Latitude patient management system.
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Postmortem examination of Alzheimer brains shows that PiB tracer selectively binds to insoluble A-beta amyloid plaques, but not neurofibrillary tangles.
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With improved diagnostic techniques, the etiologic spectrum of downbeat nystagmus can be further refined.
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Tolosa-Hunt syndrome can be diagnosed only after elimination of all other causes for unilateral painful ophthalmoparesis.
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Shingles vaccine added to CDC list of vaccines for adults 60 and older; CDC recommends Tdap for postpartum women; new study suggests sequential therapy with antibiotics for H. pylori may be more effective than standard therapy; FDA Actions.
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CABG does not increase the risk of long-term cognitive decline.
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The distribution of Na+/K+ ATPase along the internodal axolemma is reduced in chronic demyelinated lesions and can be non-invasively assessed using magnetization transfer ratios (MTR) and T1 contrast ratios during MR imaging.
