Endologix, Inc. announced that it received CE Mark approval to market its expanded offering of Powerlink® stent graft products and PowerFit™ Aortic Extensions in the European Union. The Company expects to launch the products in a limited market release in Europe during the fourth quarter of 2010, followed by a full product launch in 2011. Endologix recently received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for these new products and they are currently in a limited market release in the U.S., with a full market release in the U.S. planned for the fourth quarter of 2010.

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A new portable system may improve survival following cardiac arrest compared with standard care procedures, particularly when CPR and cooling are initiated early. Results from a recent study showed that the RhinoChill™ Intra-Nasal Cooling System enabled brain temperature to reach target several hours earlier than patients cooled in the emergency room. It is widely recognized that the sooner brain temperature can be reduced, the better the chances of minimizing long-term damage.

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Medtronic, Inc. announced the enrollment of the first patient in the Medtronic Dissection Trial, which is evaluating the clinical performance of the Valiant Thoracic Stent Graft with the Captivia Delivery System for the treatment of acute, complicated Type B aortic dissection – a serious cardiovascular condition associated with high morbidity and mortality. The study is being conducted under an Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) in the United States.

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The Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center opened the country’s most advanced hybrid, robotic operating room. The new suite integrates advanced robotics, imaging and navigation with surgery to offer patients the least invasive and safest surgical and interventional treatments for cardiovascular disease. As medicine becomes less invasive for the patient, the new hybrid, robotic OR blurs the lines between an operating room and a catheterization lab.

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A new research project at the University of Leicester is set to play a vital role in continuing research into viable alternatives to invasive autopsies, which many families find to be unpleasant. The research team at the University of Leicester’s East Midlands Forensic Pathology Unit has won a substantive award by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) to investigate and develop the use of cardiac angiography in relation to near virtual autopsies.

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Cardiac Science Corporation has introduced the remaining versions of software required for the recall. The software will enhance the automated external defibrillator’s (AEDs) self-test capabilities and improve detection of a rare component-related issue in certain AEDs. The company announced a recall on these AEDs on November 13, 2009. The software update is a mandatory step for customers possessing these affected devices. Customers with affected AEDs will be notified by letter regarding the update.

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UCLA researchers have discovered that a specific type of medication used to treat cardiovascular conditions such as hypertension, angina and abnormal heart rhythms may also decrease the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. Researchers found that a specific sub-class of dihydropyridine cardiovascular medications was associated with a 26 to 30 percent decrease in the risk of Parkinson’s. The findings appear in an upcoming print edition of the journal Annals of Neurology and are currently available online.

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Testing a patient’s cardiac respiratory stress response (RSR) can quickly and accurately detect the presence of significant coronary artery disease (S-CAD), according to new research published in the current issue of Cardiovascular Revascularization Medicine. The results found patients with S-CAD had a significantly lower RSR compared to patients without (6.7% vs. 17.4%, respectively) suggesting RSR is a strong indicator for the disease.

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A Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) study has found that relatively young men with longstanding HIV infection and minimal cardiac risk factors had significantly more coronary atherosclerotic plaques – some involving serious arterial blockage – than did uninfected men with similar cardiovascular risk. The investigation appearing in the January 2010 issue of the journal AIDS is the first to use CT angiography to identify coronary artery plaques in HIV-infected participants.

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Abbott has announced that both the XIENCE PRIME(TM)Everolimus Eluting Coronary Stent System(1) and the XIENCE V(R) Everolimus Eluting Coronary Stent System have received additional new CE Markings covering the treatment of patients with diabetes. Receiving these new indications among the European Union Member States validates the use of XIENCE PRIME and XIENCE V to treat patients with diabetes. Coronary artery disease is one of the most common cardiovascular complications of diabetes.