TCTMD’s Top 10 Most Popular Stories for February 2025

Novel drugs and cardiac devices, both old and new, made headlines this month on TCTMD. In policy news, the FDA issued an alert for a peripheral atherectomy device, enthusiasts made the case for intravascular imaging to be a performance metric in PCI, and cardiologists of every stripe kept a wary eye on the CV research impacts of the new Trump administration in the United States. 

1. Even on Tafamidis, ATTR-CM Patients Face High Mortality Over Time

While researchers are grateful they can offer patients one of the two approved stabilizers, better therapeutics are still needed.

2. Olpasiran Cuts Lp(a) but Not Inflammatory Markers: OCEAN(a)-DOSE

The “head-scratching” findings put more pressure on the eagerly awaited outcomes studies, says Karol Watson.

3. Aortic Stenosis Slowed by SGLT2 Inhibitors in Observational Study

If validated prospectively, the findings could be “transformative” for patients with no current medical options.

4. STS 2025 Surgery Outdoes Percutaneous Treatment for Patients With CAD, Aortic Stenosis

The Medicare data contradict results from the TCW randomized trial but better represent real-world practice, say authors.

5. Intravascular Imaging During PCI Should Be a Performance Metric, Researchers Say

Not everyone agrees with these conclusions, with one expert telling TCTMD that it would be more helpful to consider imaging as a quality measure at the local level.

6. FDA Issues Early Alert About Risks of Peripheral Atherectomy Device

Fractures and breakages of the helix on the Rotarex system has led to 30 serious injuries, four deaths, and 115 interventions.

7. STS 2025 Amid Declining Use, Mechanical SAVR Valves Beat Bioprosthetic for Survival

These latest data reinforce years of smaller studies, but whether they should change practice is a matter of debate.

8. Early Actions by Trump Administration Sow Uncertainty for CV Research

The immediate impact for the medical sciences is unclear, but the symbolism is “very chilling,” one commentator says.

See Also: Wayne Batchelor Reflects on the State of Medical Research Early in the Second Trump Term, for Off Script

9. Intermediate Disease May Be the ‘Sweet Spot’ for T-TEER Survival Benefit

The data are observational but intuitive, say experts. Further work might define where T-TEER’s greatest benefit lies.

10. Cath Lab Behavioral Changes Halved Patient Radiation Over 12 Years

Insight from almost 100,000 cases at a single institution show physician practice can make a difference, even without new tech.

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For all news and slides from the THT 2025 meeting, check out our conference page and or tune in to the Heart Sounds podcast for a snippet of that experience. In a feature story this month, TCTMD asks: what proportion of elementary and high schools in Canada and the United States have AEDs on site? The answer might surprise you.