Heart Rhythm

Hearts should have normal rhythm to their beats, but when these beats are out of synch, it causes inefficient pumping of blood. Irregular heart arrhythmias occur when the electrical signals that coordinate the heart's beats do not work properly. This can cause beats that are too fast (tachycardia), or too slow (bradycardia). Tachycardias include atrial fibrillation (AFib), supraventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation, and ventricular tachycardia (VT). Bradycardias include sick sinus syndrome and conduction block. Electrophysiology arrhythmia treatments include medications, life style changes, and the EP lab interventions of catheter ablation, and implantable pacemakers or defibrillators.

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Low serum calcium levels associated with sudden cardiac arrest

Patients with lower levels of calcium in the blood are more likely to experience sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), according to a study in Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

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Watching an intense hockey game could double your heart rate

Hockey fans with cardiac disease might want to watch their heart rate a little more closely this winter, a team of Canadian researchers advises.

Drug reactions with NOACs in AFib patients could result in major bleeding problems

Patients prescribed non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants (NOACs) to manage symptoms of atrial fibrillation (AFib) could be at increased risk for major bleeding if they are taking certain common medications at the same time, a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association states.

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Contraindication for blood thinners common in AFib patients, associated with high stroke risk

Roughly 12 percent of patients with medical claims for atrial fibrillation (AFib) are contraindicated for blood thinning treatment and remain at a high risk for stroke, a new study found.

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An alternative to pacemakers? Ablation method treats sinus bradycardia

A new approach to treating symptomatic sinus bradycardia (SB) led to increased heart rate and improved quality of life in a single-center study of 62 patients, particularly those under the age of 50.

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Could the Apple Watch change the way we look at heart health?

The Apple Watch has been a fitness-minded gadget from its conception, but the new Series 3 addition will be able to track heart rate and possibly even alert users to abnormalities in their heart patterns.

Catheter-guided shocks can treat horses with AFib

Veterinarians at Cornell University are reviving a procedure to treat horses with atrial fibrillation (AFib).

Research finds Kardia Mobile an effective at-home EKG

A handful of independent studies have reportedly proven the efficacy of AliveCor’s Kardia Mobile device, a cell phone-compatible gadget that serves as a personal electrocardiograph, for individuals with atrial fibrillation (AFib).

Around the web

Ron Blankstein, MD, professor of radiology, Harvard Medical School, explains the use of artificial intelligence to detect heart disease in non-cardiac CT exams.

Eleven medical societies have signed on to a consensus statement aimed at standardizing imaging for suspected cardiovascular infections.