Boston Scientific Corp. (BSX)’s Watchman device, designed to help prevent strokes in patients with an erratic heartbeat, was safer than previously thought in a second study requested by U.S. regulators, researchers said…The procedure itself triggered strokes, clots or major complications in 2.2 percent of patients within a week, an acceptable risk in return for helping patients avoid the need for daily blood thinners, said lead researcher David Holmes, a cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. “This takes care of the safety issues,” and there was great concern about its safety, Holmes said in an interview yesterday. “By virtue of the fact that it confirms the efficacy, I think it’s a real step forward,” he said, declining to predict how U.S. regulators will rule on the device.

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Bloomberg by Michelle Cortez

Tags: Bloomberg, Boston Scientific Corp, Cardiology, Dr. David Holmes, erratic heartbeat, Mayo Clinic Rochester, Research, safety issues, stroke, Technology, Watchman device