March 12, 2013: Major Bleeds After Heart Procedures May Raise Death Risk: Study
But strategies exist to modify this risk, researchers say

March 11, 2013: Angioplasty Safe in Hospitals Without On-Site Heart Surgery Services
Outcomes for non-emergency coronary procedure were similar among hospitals in Massachusetts study

March 07, 2013: Skipping Aspirin Before Artery Procedure May Boost Death Rates
Recommended pre-op therapy neglected in 7 percent of angioplasty patients, study finds

February 06, 2013: Heart Attack Patients Do Better if They Had Chest Pain First
Study found this holds true even with latest cardiac procedures

December 18, 2012: Giving Plavix Before Angioplasty May Cut Heart Attack Risk: Study
Review of the data does not show increase in overall survival, however

December 17, 2012: New Guidelines Seek to Streamline Care for Worst Heart Attacks
Time is of the essence to avoid brain damage and save lives, experts say

October 18, 2012: Nationwide Study Examines Common Heart Procedures
Patients undergoing angioplasty, stent placement more likely to be overweight, smoke, have high blood pressure

August 20, 2012: Stroke Risk Higher After Bypass Than Angioplasty: Analysis
About 1 in 80 surgery patients, 1 in 300 angioplasty patients have stroke complication, new review shows

July 09, 2012: Expensive, Drug-Emitting Stents May Be Overused: Study
More selective use of devices that keep arteries open could save U.S. $200 million a year

June 05, 2012: Statewide Program Improved Heart-Attack Survival: Study
North Carolina patients were transferred more quickly to hospitals that perform lifesaving procedure

May 23, 2012: Regional Systems to Treat Severe Heart Attack Increasing
These systems coordinate emergency medical services and hospitals to speed patient care

May 09, 2012: Angioplasty May Be Risky for Those With Poor Leg Circulation
Procedure to open heart arteries linked to raised death rate in people with peripheral artery disease

March 29, 2012: First Bedside Gene Test Shows Promise
Study found it spotted which heart patients should not take blood thinner Plavix

March 27, 2012: Bypass Surgery May Be Better Than Angioplasty for Seniors
Study found those with multi-vessel heart disease showed reduced risk of dying four years later

March 26, 2012: Clot-buster Drug Injection Might Help Some Heart Attack Patients
Study found that it saved more cardiac muscle than clot extraction technique

March 26, 2012: Both Too Little and Too Much Sleep Bad for the Heart: Study
Research finds too little sleep may increase risk of stroke, heart attack; too much may cause coronary artery disease

December 13, 2011: Angioplasty Safe at Hospitals Without On-Site Surgery: Review
In-hospital death, emergency bypass no more likely in non-specialty centers, researchers say

November 28, 2011: Angioplasty Patients May Be at Risk for Rehospitalization
Studies found one in 10 readmitted in first 30 days, risk remains three years later

November 28, 2011: Lengthy Hospital Transfers May Hamper Heart Attack Care
Recommended time is seldom met in switching patients to angioplasty or stent facility, study finds

November 08, 2011: Heart Stress Test Likelier When Doctor Owns Equipment: Study
But unnecessary procedures might have dropped with recent guidelines, expert said

November 01, 2011: Women No More Likely to Die After Angioplasty
But study finds they have more risk factors for heart disease than men

October 04, 2011: Overnight Stay May Not Be Necessary for Stenting: Study
Researchers say doing artery-opening procedure on outpatient basis saves money, is just as safe

September 19, 2011: One-Third of Severe Heart Attack Patients Have Treatment Delays
Often, slowdown comes during patient transfers to another hospital, study finds

August 30, 2011: Heart Attack Damage Not Reduced by Adding Balloon Pump to Angioplasty
But some patients with rapid deterioration might still benefit from it, researchers say

August 15, 2011: Study Supports Selective Use of Drug-Coated Stents
U.S. costs would drop about $400 million a year with no harm to patients, researchers say

August 08, 2011: Hospitals Vary Widely in Rate of Heart Procedures: Study
Rate of finding blockage that requires action stretches from 23% to 100%

July 05, 2011: Study Finds Most Urgent Angioplasties Warranted
But only half of non-emergency artery-opening procedures were deemed appropriate

June 28, 2011: Program Shrinks Time-to-Treatment for Heart Attack: Study
In North Carolina, statewide coordination sped up lifesaving hospital transfers, researchers say

June 09, 2011: Vytorin Lowers Heart Disease Risk in Large Study of Kidney Patients
Cardiovascular trouble reduced as much as 25 percent by cholesterol drug in this high-risk group

June 03, 2011: Mental Illness Linked to Greater Risk of Death After Heart Attack
Study found patients are also less likely to receive lifesaving treatments

May 10, 2011: Drug Therapy for Artery Disease Underused, Study Says
Before receiving heart stent, fewer than half of patients found to be on recommended medications

May 03, 2011: Women Often Deprived of Life-Saving Heart Procedures: Study
Doctors more likely to perform angioplasty, heart surgery on men, researchers say

December 31, 2010: Health Tip: Ask Questions After Angioplasty
To help you recover

October 26, 2010: Gene Mutations May Blunt Plavix's Effectiveness, Study Finds
Variants can jeopardize success of stent placement procedures, researchers say

September 14, 2010: 'Type D' Personality Linked to Increased Risk for Heart Problems
Negative traits including pessimism, social inhibition appear to threaten long-term health, study finds

August 24, 2010: Pump Placed in Aorta Doesn't Improve Angioplasty Outcomes: Study
Procedure used in high-risk cases made little difference, researchers say

July 27, 2010: Rush Victims of Deadliest Heart Attacks to Specialty Centers: Study
Researchers estimate this will save twice as many lives and be far less expensive as expanding specialized treatment

June 08, 2010: 40-Year-Old Gout Drug Shows Promise Against Angina
Could be a less expensive treatment for the painful heart condition, study says

April 20, 2010: Many Don't Take Blood Thinner After Getting Stents
Serious risks double by waiting even a day after discharge, study finds

March 15, 2010: Aspirin Alone Works Best to Prevent Clots a Year After Stenting
Adding Plavix didn't boost outcomes after 12 months, new study finds

March 15, 2010: Psoriasis Tied to Raised Heart Risk
Skin ailment boosts odds for heart attack, stroke, and inflammation may be key, researchers say

February 23, 2010: Tests to Measure Safety of Anti-Clotting Drugs of Limited Value
Can't predict which patients are at risk for excessive bleeding during surgery, study finds

December 08, 2009: Many Dialysis Patients Get Wrong Blood Thinners for Angioplasty
Some docs not following FDA directive urging against use of Lovenox, Integrilin, study shows

December 02, 2009: Heart Attack Treatment Speeds Up Nationwide
More get lifesaving angioplasty within 90 minutes of hospital arrival, study finds

November 18, 2009: New Heart Attack Treatment Guidelines Stress Coordination
Getting patients to the right hospitals quickly is critical, experts say

November 16, 2009: Medical Tests Hit Heart Patients With High Doses of Radiation
Average amount more than five times higher than annual exposure outside hospital, study shows

November 16, 2009: Elderly Treated Less Aggressively for Heart Attack
Hospitals less likely to follow guidelines for patients 80 and older, study finds

October 16, 2009: Docs May Be Overdoing Some Invasive Procedures
For certain patients with renal artery stenosis, medication may be enough, researchers say

October 01, 2009: Clot-Busting Therapy Under Review
Cardiologists looking at new generation of drugs as Plavix trial shows double dosage best for angioplasty

September 01, 2009: Sometimes Angioplasty Can Wait
Artery-opening procedure can be done up to 21 hours later with milder heart attacks, study shows