Top in cardiology: Drones, statin initiation

Recent reports of how drone delivery of automated external defibrillators for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest was feasible in simulations for faster CPR initiation was the top story in cardiology last week.

Another top story was about how statin initiation lowered mortality risk in older U.S. veterans without atherosclerotic CVD at baseline.

Read these and more top stories below.

Drone delivery of AED for cardiac arrest may result in earlier CPR

Delivery by drones of automated external defibrillators for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest was feasible and, in simulations, resulted in faster initiation of CPR, researchers reported. Read more.

Statin initiation may lower mortality risk in older veterans

Statin initiation in older U.S. veterans free from atherosclerotic CVD at baseline reduced the risk for CV and all-cause mortality, researchers found in a retrospective cohort study. Read more.

FDA approves Bluetooth-capable ICD, CRT-D for continuous remote monitoring

Abbott announced that the FDA approved its next-generation Bluetooth-capable implantable cardioverter defibrillator and cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator devices. Read more.

Stroke risk higher in COVID-19 vs. influenza

Patients who visited the ED or were hospitalized for COVID-19 had a higher risk for ischemic stroke compared with those with ED visits or hospitalizations for influenza, researchers found. Read more.

New algorithm effectively diagnoses acute MI in left bundle branch block

Researchers in Spain reported they validated the diagnostic accuracy of the BARCELONA algorithm for acute myocardial infarction among patients with suspected myocardial infarction and left bundle branch block who were referred for primary percutaneous coronary intervention. Read more.