Ties between doctors and stent makers queried

Lawmakers Charles E. Grassley of Iowa and Herb Kohl of Wisconsin have sent a letter asking the nonprofit group that sponsors the Cardiovascular Research Foundation conference for information about its financial relationships with device manufacturers and drug producers. The letter is part of a recent wave of inquiries by Senators Grassley and Kohl into potential conflicts of interests between medical researchers and drug and device companies. The lawmakers are also among those sponsoring legislation that would require the industry to more fully disclose such financial ties.