FDA Advisors’ COIs; Ongoing Ukraine Heart Transplants; N.J. Cardiologist’s $2M Fraud

It turns out the FDA advisory committee charged with reviewing the TriClip G4 had multiple financial ties to Abbott, the device manufacturer, creating a question of potential conflicts of interest (COI). (KFF Health News)

FDA advises that the HeartMate II and HeartMate 3 left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are under Class I recall due to long-term buildup causing obstructions on the outflow graft. There have been 14 reports of death related to this issue.

In a small trial of selected stable HeartMate 3 LVAD recipients, the switch from warfarin to apixaban (Eliquis) after 3 months appeared promising for either bridge to transplantation or destination therapy patients. (Circulation)

Intravascular micro-axial LVAD manufacturer payments to cardiologists were associated with more use of these LVADs by interventional cardiologists. (JAMA)

European regulators said the evidence does not support semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) and other GLP-1 receptor agonists being associated with a risk of suicide and self-injury. (CNBC)

Amid war, a Ukrainian heart transplant center continues to operate out of Kyiv, according to a report from the International Society for Heart & Lung Transplantation.

Cardiovascular MRI reference ranges for healthy adult hearts were released by an international collaborative. (JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging)

Female sex has not been a predictor of ischemic stroke in atrial fibrillation (Afib) in a decade and longer, Finnish data suggest. (European Heart Journal)

Orally inhaled flecainide passed muster for the conversion of Afib to sinus rhythm, a phase II trial showed. (JACC: Clinical Electrophysiology)

Certain types of clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential were linked to an increased risk of Afib. (JAMA Cardiology)

The cardiovascular benefits of physical activity may be mediated by changes in stress-related neural activity. (Journal of the American College of Cardiology)

Microplastics were identified and analyzed from clots taken during various thrombectomy procedures. (eBioMedicine)

Models suggest a decrease in population-wide diet-related disease if people substitute forage fish — herring, sardines, and anchovies, for example — for red meat. (BMJ Global Health)

Smoking-attributed cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality fell from 1990 to 2019 around the world, though progress lagged in poorer countries. (European Journal of Preventive Cardiology)

A New Jersey cardiologist admitted to $1.9 million in healthcare fraud through false claims submitted by his private practice, the Department of Justice announced.

Most U.S. cardiovascular fellowship directors reported dissatisfaction with the palliative care education that is provided, a survey showed. (Journal of Cardiac Failure)

A Dallas anesthesiologist was convicted for injecting bags of intravenous fluid with various drugs, which resulted in patients suffering cardiac emergencies during routine medical procedures and a coworker’s death. (AP)

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