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Abbott (NYSE: ABT) announced two-year data from 30 patients in its ABSORB clinical trial, demonstrating that its bioabsorbable drug eluting stent successfully treated coronary artery disease and was absorbed into the walls of treated arteries within two years, leaving behind blood vessels that appeared to move and function similar to unstented arteries.

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of medicine have identified a critical metabolic "switch" in fruit flies that helps oxygen-deprived cells survive. Hypoxia-induced injury occurs in the case of heart attack, stroke or other neurological or respiratory conditions which diminish the supply of oxygen to vital tissues and organs.

A team of researchers from Intrinsic Bioprobes Inc. has reported on a novel quantitative mass spectrometry immunoassay for the detection of bioactive B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), in an article published online on Oct. 14 in the journal of Circulation: Heart Failure. In collaboration with colleagues from Scios Inc. in Fremont, Christ hospital in Cincinnati, and Medivation Inc.

Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT) announced today the target lesion revascularization (TLR) rate for the company's Endeavor®drug-eluting stent in the real-world Danish trial, SORT OUT III, was 4.0 percent. This result at nine months is consistent with the ENDEAVOR-Five real-world study, which reported an overall TLR of 4.5 percent at 12 months. The rates of myocardial infarction in the SORT OUT III study were very low for both the Endeavor (1.4 percent) and Cypher (0.5 percent) stents.

WASHINGTON DC- Bivalirudin (AngiomaxR) is more effective than conventional therapy involving heparin plus a platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor (GPI) in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), according to updated results of the Harmonizing Outcomes with Revascularization and Stents in Acute Myocardial Infarction (HORIZONS-AMI) trial.

Title: Cholesterol Drugs SlideshowCategory: SlideshowsCreated: 10/16/2008Last Editorial review: 10/17/2008

Title: Aspirin Doesn't Prevent First Heart Attack, StrokeCategory: health newscreated: 10/17/2008 2:00:00 amlast Editorial review: 10/17/2008