After Dr. Caitlin Hicks and her team revealed that some doctors appeared to be overusing lucrative vascular procedures, performing them on patients who may not have needed them, they received hostile pushback from across the profession.
Thousands of patients may be undergoing vascular procedures too soon or unnecessarily
A new analysis of Medicare claims by ProPublica and CareSet found that atherectomies, a procedure to treat vascular disease, were performed on about 30,000 patients who had questionable need for them.
Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide aces another cardio study, reduces heart failure
Novo’s findings, presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress and published in the New England Journal of Medicine simultaneously, showed semaglutide resulted in greater weight loss in adults with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction and obesity.
Novo’s semaglutide reduces risk of heart issues by 20% in recent trial
The trial results point to the possibility of Novo’s semaglutide not only cutting weight for patients but also slashing the risk of heart disease and MACEs, too.
The American Heart Association is building a nation of lifesavers
A ProPublica investigation found that some doctors overuse invasive treatments for peripheral artery disease. So we talked to experts to learn what vascular patients should know when seeking care.
Cardiovascular disease is primed to kill more older adults, especially Blacks and Hispanics
Cardiovascular disease is poised to become more prevalent in the years ahead, disproportionately affecting Black and Hispanic communities and exacting an enormous toll on the health and quality of life of older Americans.
In the ‘Wild West’ of outpatient vascular care, doctors can reap huge payments as patients risk life and limb
To move vascular procedures out of expensive hospitals, the government turbocharged payments to doctors’ offices. Instead of saving money, it started a boom that is making doctors rich and putting patients in danger.
Steak dinners, sales reps and risky procedures: Inside the big business of clogged arteries
Text messages, a whistleblower lawsuit and an internal investigation reveal the lengths to which Medtronic, the world’s largest medical device company, allegedly “groomed” doctors to overuse its vascular products in patients at a veterans’ hospital.
FDA panel votes against approving Cytokinetics’ heart failure drug