The Handoff: Your Week in Cardiology News – 11/11/16

The Handoff is a weekly roundup of cardiology news covering various developments in subspecialties, as well as pharmaceutical industry, association, and society news.

• The Inventra HF-T, an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) to treat patients with heart failure, is now available in the United States. The device, manufactured by Biotronik, delivers 42 joules in a single shock to correct arrhythmias.
• An egg a day keeps the doctor away? Research published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests just that. A systematic review and meta-analysis of 33 years of studies compared cardiovascular disease rates and stroke incidence in both high and low egg consumption.
• In other food news, officials at the University of California, San Francisco may soon know the effect of their campus-wide ban on sugar-sweetened beverages. Early data show promising results linked to “major metabolic changes” in employees who lowered their soda intake.
• Novartis has partnered with prominent US health advocacy organizations to launch Together in HF, a social network targeted at patients with heart failure and their caregivers. The network provides support, resources, and stories from others living with the condition.
• A viewpoint article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) is pushing for cooperation between the FDA and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) when determining the approval of, coverage of, and payment for medical devices and prescription drugs.
• Worried about your health? New research published in BMJ has found a link between health anxiety and heart disease. Over the 12-year study period, the study investigators found that participants with health anxiety were more likely to develop heart disease than their non-anxious counterparts—even after adjustment for pre-existing risk factors.
• Cardiology Advisor‘s coverage of the American Heart Association 2016 Scientific Sessions kicks off this Saturday, November 12th. Clinical trial highlights include presentations from PRECISION and HOPE-3 studies on Sunday, November 13, among many others.
• The American College of Cardiology has developed a Cardiosmart Heart Forum program on the management of congenital heart defects in adults. Learn more below: