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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CMS plans on finalizing proposal to cover leadless pacemakers

After CMS received public comments, the agency announced on Jan. 18 that it is finalizing its proposal to cover leadless pacemakers.

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80% of older adults survive more than two years after ICD implantation

Nearly 80 percent of older adults who received an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) survived at least two years, according to a registry analysis of Medicare beneficiaries.

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Alcohol abuse may increase risk for atrial fibrillation, MI, congestive heart failure

After adjusting for multiple variables, adults who abused alcohol had increased risks of atrial fibrillation, MI and congestive heart failure, according to a longitudinal analysis. The relative risk for those outcomes were highest in adults who had no established cardiovascular risk factors.

Level of evidence in atrial fibrillation guidelines remains consistent from 2001 to 2014

Although the number of randomized trials evaluating atrial fibrillation increased by more than 200 percent from 2001 to 2014, there was no significant increase in the use of level A evidence used in guidelines.

FDA approves St. Jude Medical’s cardiac mapping system

The FDA cleared the EnSite Precision cardiac mapping system and the Advisor FL circular mapping catheter for patients with cardiac arrhythmias.

Improper dosing of NOACs may increase risk of mortality, cardiac hospitalization

Nearly 13 percent of patients with atrial fibrillation did not receive the correct dose of non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs), according to a registry analysis.

Patients receiving dabigatran have high adherence rates, low risk of stroke, bleeding

A registry analysis found that patients with newly diagnosed non-valvular atrial fibrillation who received dabigatran (Pradaxa) had a 76.6 percent probability of remaining on treatment at one year and a 69.2 percent probability of remaining on treatment at two years.

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Alcohol remains major risk factor for atrial fibrillation

Studies have shown that small amounts of alcohol could reduce the incidence of coronary disease. However, a recent review found that the benefits of alcohol do not apply to atrial fibrillation. In fact, the researchers noted that alcohol was a risk factor for atrial fibrillation, also known as an irregular heartbeat.

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