Anonymous5 days ago
The CHAMPION-AF trial, published in the New England Journal of Medicine on March 28, 2026, found that the Watchman FLX device for left atrial appendage closure was noninferior to DOACs for preventing stroke and cardiovascular death in AFib patients — but ischemic stroke rates were 46% higher in the device arm, the trial was funded entirely by device maker Boston Scientific, and a competing European trial found the opposite result. The findings have ignited a debate among cardiologists over whether a $25,000–$45,000 one-time procedure should be offered as a first-line alternative to daily pills that cost a fraction of the price, and who stands to benefit most.