The Watchman wait may be over. An analysis of long-term data found the Watchman left atrial appendage closure device to be superior to warfarin for primary efficacy and mortality.

Patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) were less likely to receive guideline recommended anticoagulation therapy compared with persistent AF patients. The analysis presented May 8 at the Heart Rhythm Society scientific sessions in Denver included registry data on more than 62,000 patients.

Anne M. Gillis, MD, president of the Heart Rhythm Society and a professor at the University of Calgary, will co-chair a joint session on clinical registries on May 9 at Heart Rhythm 2013 in Denver. In a Q&A with Cardiovascular Business, she discussed the evolution of joint sessions and other program details.

Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) will offer new sessions as well as topics that were well received at previous meetings for its 2013 scientific sessions scheduled May 8-11 in Denver.

Global electrophysiology devices market forecasts to reach at US$4.4 billion by 2015 at a CAGR of 9.7% during the analysis period 2009-2015. The North American segment accounts for nearly 35% of the global value while Europe claims approximately 30% of the market. Asia-Pacific is the fastest growing region with a CAGR of 10.8% driving a market value of US$1.1 billion by 2015.

Cath/EP and interventional lab professionals wondering if their pay is competitive are being offered an objective measuring stick from a new research poll, Phoenix-based Springboard Healthcare announced.

The global electrophysiology device market, valued at $1.1 billion in 2010, is set to expand 6 percent, to reach $1.6 billion by 2017, according to an October report released by GlobalData, an industry analysis firm. The company said that the growing number of patients diagnosed with arrhythmias and the adoption of newer, robotic and magnetic navigation systems and drugs to treat atrial fibrillation will likely be the driver of this market growth.

New for Heart Rhythm 2011, the Networked EP Lab will prepare electrophysiologists for the future of health information technology (HIT). Visitors will discover new processes and technologies to integrate into the EP Lab to optimize patient safety, outcomes and improve procedural management and outcomes.