theheart.org - Arrhythmia/EP

US judge upholds FDA approval of generic enoxaparin

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:30:13 EST

Sanofi-Aventis had sued the agency in 2010, saying it had failed to follow its own rules and had not appropriately established that a generic drug made by a rival company included the same active ingredient as Lovenox.

Over 1300 deaths in Mediator scandal in France

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:30:48 EST

The number of deaths attributable to heart-valve insufficiency as a result of the use of benfluorex in France is likely more than double that previously thought, a new investigation finds.

Referring MDs fall short on ICD-indication guidelines

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:15:12 EST

A lot of generalists and some cardiologists apparently don't know some of the fundamental criteria for indication of a primary-prevention device and so may not be referring all patients who might benefit, a survey suggests.

Apixaban superior for AF patients with previous stroke, TIA

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:15:24 EST

Substudies of the ARISTOTLE and AVERROES trials find apixaban is safe and effective for patients with previous events vs warfarin and aspirin respectively.

Like father, like son: Y-chromosome variant may explain CAD

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:30:00 EST

New genetic work has unveiled an association between some lineages of the relatively empty male Y chromosome and coronary artery disease. The hypothesis, while "intriguing," requires more research to confirm, says one expert.

More bleeding, thromboembolic events with dabigatran in AF ablation

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:45:00 EST

Dabigatran was stopped the morning of the procedure; its long half-life combined with the use of unfractionated heparin during the procedure likely explains the increased risk of bleeding.

ICDs charged with sex discrimination: Women get fewer shocks

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:00:00 EST

Differences in appropriate-therapy and device-related complication rates in a prospective study question (once again) whether women and men should have the same ICD-eligibility criteria.

MI-shock proposal is cold comfort: Hypothermia might boost survival

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:00:00 EST

Some data suggest therapeutic hypothermia might reduce the currently high mortality from cardiogenic shock; let's do the necessary clinical studies to see whether it might be true, urges a published viewpoint.

Cardiac telemetry identifies AF in cryptogenic stroke

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:00:00 EST

Outpatient monitoring for 21 days detected atrial fibrillation in 17% of patients, and this could change management.

The flap over flavonoids

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:15:40 EST

The field of flavonoids and polyphenols continues to attract a massive amount of interest, from researchers and the public alike. But can health really be improved by eating chocolate and drinking red wine?

Women do better after TAVI, hints small study

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:00:00 EST

The first foray into possible gender differences in presentation and outcome among patients undergoing TAVI for severe aortic stenosis hints that women may fare better than men after this procedure.

Don't routinely replace spent ICDs: Proposal

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 17:00:00 EST

It may have little to offer and it might not be what the patient wants, argues a perspective in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Riata Summit insights: Vigilance key to following functional but "recalled" ICD leads

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:00:32 EST

UPDATED // Most attending the recent Riata ICD lead summit felt that fluoroscopic screening of Riata recipients was a reasonable thing to do, at odds with some recommendations; remote monitoring has its limits here, say VA data.

Cardiologists flagging woeful patient care say they paid with their jobs

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:30:00 EST

An echocardiographer and cardiac surgeon who say their jobs were axed in retaliation after they lodged numerous complaints of substandard patient care at a county hospital in Santa Clara are suing some of their former bosses, including two other cardiologists. The plaintiffs also claim they suffered severe harassment as a result of expressing their concerns. The defendants' attorney says the case "is hotly disputed."

Pay for SGR repeal with war savings, say medical groups

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:45:34 EST

A letter to Rep Dave Camp from 110 medical societies admits that war savings from military pullbacks are a "budget gimmick" but says they could retire SGR debt, another budget gimmick.

"Recalled" Riata ICD leads: Brainstorming conference aims for guidance

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 13:30:08 EST

The lead failures can take years to manifest with inappropriate shocks or a variety of other issues, or they may not cause problems at all. There could be more agreement on how to manage the patients after today's Minnesota Heart Institute Riata ICD Lead Summit.

Pillow talk: First AHA advice on sex and CVD

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 16:00:00 EST

The first-ever guidance on sexual activity and cardiovascular disease from the AHA encourages doctors, patients, and their partners to discuss the subject during consultations. The majority of those with heart disease can safely engage in sex, which is important to quality of life, it concludes.

New AF ablation programs need time, money, and data

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 15:00:06 EST

Starting up an atrial fibrillation ablation program takes more than just a couple of skilled electrophysiologists, Dr Rodney Horton explained at the Boston Atrial Fibrillation Symposium.

Dronedarone gets another chance to prove itself in ranolazine combo trial

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 18:00:00 EST

Researchers of the beleaguered antiarrhythmic dronedarone believe the drug may still have a role to play in AF therapy for some patients and are testing it as a low-dose complement to another newer antiarrhythmic drug, ranolazine.

New AF ablation consensus doc previewed at Boston AF symposium

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 19:30:00 EST

A group of 45 AF experts from North America and Europe will soon publish a major update to the 2007 international clinical consensus statement for the use of catheter and surgical ablation for the treatment of AF.

Resveratrol scientists react to Das fraud scandal: "Research will continue"

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 17:20:01 EST

As the controversy over the research fraud allegations against Dr Dipak Das enters its third day, researchers told heartwire what the news means for the field of resveratrol research and, more pressingly, an upcoming scientific meeting.

Yoga therapy for AF yields insight into brain-heart axis

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 11:10:43 EST

Yoga has shown to help some patients manage atrial fibrillation, so researchers are moving forward with investigations of yoga's influence on cardiac autonomics to better understand the biology of meditative practice.

FDA: CardioGen-82 problems site-specific

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:15:04 EST

The generators, used in cardiac nuclear scans, were recalled by the manufacturer last summer, and the FDA previously found fault with manufacturing processes. Now the FDA says the excessive radiation cases appear to have occurred only at specific clinical sites and were unrelated to any manufacturing deficiencies.

Red-wine researcher charged with photo-editing fraud

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 09:30:31 EST

A University of Connecticut investigation found Dr Dipak K Das guilty of falsifying and fabricating images that appeared in published research.

US bleeding ADRs higher with dabigatran than warfarin

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 15:40:19 EST

There is particular concern over use of dabigatran in the elderly, in whom there has been a high number of bleeds, including intracranial hemorrhages, reported to the FDA.

Silent atrial fibrillation increases stroke risk

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 08:15:50 EST

A new study finds device-detected atrial tachyarrhythmias occur frequently and are associated with a significant increase in risk for stroke and systemic embolism.

Very low risk of cardiac arrest and sudden death in long-distance running events

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:00:00 EST

Despite the high-profile deaths of seemingly healthy runners at marathons in the past few years, new data show that the risk of cardiac arrest and sudden death during marathon and half-marathon running races is actually quite low.

Serum potassium targets in acute MI need rethink, analysis suggests

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:00:00 EST

Recommendations to routinely raise serum potassium levels when ventricular arrhythmias are a concern may be based on outmoded data, according to authors of one of the largest analyses of its kind.

New guidelines suggest blood glucose testing for all inpatients

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 09:30:37 EST

New clinical-practice guidelines from the Endocrine Society say all patients should have a glucose test on admission to the hospital and describe optimal management of hyperglycemia in patients who do not require intensive care.

Aortic stenosis grading system misses rare, high-risk group

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 17:00:00 EST

A new study has examined the clinical outcomes of asymptomatic aortic-stenosis patients classified by valve area plus flow-gradient patterns instead of the older, inherently inconsistent system based on separate area, gradient, and flow measurements.

Bereavement triggers MI, new study finds

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:00:00 EST

Bereaved people are 21 times more likely to suffer an MI the day after the death of a significant other, and this heightened risk remains for as long as a month afterward, new research finds. Healthcare providers, the bereaved themselves, and their family and friends need to recognize this heightened risk, say the authors.

UK's NICE wants more data on rivaroxaban in AF

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 10:50:00 EST

The UK drugs cost-efficacy watchdog, NICE, has asked for more data from Bayer before it will sanction use of rivaroxaban for stroke prevention in atrial-fibrillation patients.

Complications, rehospitalizations not uncommon post-AF ablation

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 17:15:45 EST

Little is known about the complication rates for atrial fibrillation outside of academic hospitals and Medicare data, so researchers in California analyzed data from a state database to estimate the complication risk of AF ablation in the contemporary community setting.

Congress postpones Medicare pay cut

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 09:30:15 EST

UPDATED // After the Senate had overwhelmingly approved the plan and a tumultuous few days among House Republicans, this morning Congress voted to put off a steep cut in Medicare physician reimbursements that was to take effect on January 1, 2012.

European CRT survey bolsters support for CRT-D over CRT-P

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 15:30:39 EST

The survey of contemporary European cardiac resynchronization therapy practices provides lots of information on patients not well represented in clinical trials, including those with major comorbidities and women.

FDA puts new warnings on dronedarone

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 17:00:31 EST

CORRECTED // The FDA is warning atrial-fibrillation patients taking dronedarone about the risks of the drug in patients with permanent AF.

RECOVER II confirms benefit of dabigatran in treatment of VTE

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 16:45:08 EST

The new study adds another 2500 patients tested with dabigatran in the setting of VTE, confirming the results observed in the first RECOVER study.

Support for edoxaban for VTE prevention

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 13:00:17 EST

The benefit of edoxaban over enoxaparin for the prevention of VTE following hip and knee surgery did not appear to come at a cost, according to investigators, as there was no statistically significant increased risk in bleeding in the overall cohort or in any subgroups.

Rivaroxaban approved in Europe for AF and DVT treatment

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 10:45:19 EST

The factor Xa oral anticoagulant rivaroxaban has been approved in the European Union for the prevention of nonvalvular AF-related stroke and systemic embolism and for the treatment of DVT.

Combining wireless sensors and genomics for CVD prevention?

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 10:00:31 EST

Monitoring an individual's risk for MI in the future would ideally first take into account his or her genome sequence or other biomarkers and then might use an implanted nanosensor smaller than a grain of sand. In an excerpt from his new book, The Creative Destruction of Medicine, theheart.org's editor in chief offers a glimpse of what that might look like.

FDA approves AtriCure AF ablation system

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 15:15:00 EST

The FDA has approved the AtriCure Synergy Ablation System for the treatment of AF in patients undergoing open concomitant CABG surgery and/or valve replacement or repair.

Another Maryland doc charged with overstenting

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 11:45:00 EST

A member of the Maryland Health Care Commission committee, tasked with helping to prevent a repeat of the Dr Mark Midei case, is accused of the same type of inappropriate practice.

Riata ICD lead "alert" is now a class I recall

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 09:30:00 EST

The US FDA has designated a recent physician advisory letter relating to St Jude Medical's Riata family of ICD leads as a class I recall, the most serious. The letter, issued last month, warned doctors that more leads than it first thought were affected by a problem related to insulation failure.

AHA Statistics: New year, same trends

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 16:00:12 EST

The new annual update on the state of America's heart health is out and provides some encouraging news about outcomes while underscoring the severity of the country's problems with obesity and poor fitness.

AF following TAVI associated with higher risk of stroke

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 16:00:00 EST

A small study indicates that even a very short episode of AF following TAVI might be associated with an increased risk of stroke. The findings have implications for antithrombotic therapy after TAVI, say the authors and accompanying editorialists.

Chewing khat increases risk in cardiac patients

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 16:00:00 EST

Researchers in the Middle East are warning doctors about the practice of chewing khat leaves, previously described as a "smokeless gun," which they have shown results in worse outcomes among ACS patients. Far from being benign, this plant contains constituents similar to amphetamines, but neither physicians nor users understand the risks, they say.

Bleeding risk scores provide mixed results, especially in intermediate-risk patients

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 15:00:13 EST

Overall, the bleeding risk scores were able to identify patients at high risk for bleeding but had limited ability to identify patients at intermediate risk, report investigators.