Rate-activated tethers that stretch when in use could make braces and other orthoses more comfortable and reduce injuries, according to researchers at the DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory, which is leading the project.

Injecting patients with diabetic foot ulcers with stem cells removed from their own fat could hasten healing and prevent amputations, according to a study published in the journal STEM CELLS Translational Medicine. The injections could be the first successful treatment of non-healing diabetic foot ulcers, researchers said.

The American Heart Association is aiming for a 20% reduction in lower-limb amputations due to peripheral artery disease by 2030, according to a policy statement from the organization. The AHA is encouraging clinicians to screen for PAD.

Data on more than 16,000 patients with type 2 diabetes showed the leading cause of death in the group was cardiovascular disease, with 66.3% of deaths linked to one of five CV conditions, researchers reported in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. The most common CV event was sudden cardiac death, which accounted for 30.1% of total cases.

Patients with coronary artery disease have about three times greater odds of having diabetes compared with the general population, according to a study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. The findings, based on data from 32,694 patients with chronic coronary syndromes, also revealed that among patients with stable coronary heart disease, those who also had diabetes had a 38% higher mortality rate and a 28% greater risk for the combined outcome of stroke, heart attack or death from a cardiovascular cause, compared with those without diabetes.

A Life Image survey conducted in March found that 70% of health care organizations were aware of the implementation of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT's interoperability and information blocking rules, which took effect Monday, but almost half of respondents admitted engaging in practices that violate the rules. Results from the poll, which involved almost 4,000 insurers, health care providers, information technology and other health care leaders, indicate "general confusion" about the rule's requirements and the measures necessary to avoid being penalized.

Abigail Wells lost her leg after she was diagnosed with the bone cancer osteosarcoma and is back on the track again with the help of a prosthetic leg. Wells credited her family's support for her return to running.

Small-business audits by the IRS will jump 50% this year, the agency says. Financial firm founder Giuseppe Salamone shares five tips to avoid an audit, such as on-time filing, paying close attention to independent contractors, and triple-checking calculations.