Australias Therapeutic Goods Administration approved dabigatran (Pradaxa, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals) in April for the indications to prevent stroke and other blood clots in atrial fibrillation patients; however, on Oct. 5, the department put out a safety advisory due to an increased risk of bleeding linked to the drug.

In September, rivaroxaban (Xarelto, Bayer/Johnson & Johnson) received a thumbs up at the FDAs Cardiovascular and Renal Drug Committee meeting, recommending the drug's approval for the prevention of stroke and systemic embolism in non-valvular atrial fibrillation patients. In a New England Journal of Medicine perspective Oct. 5, two editorialists evaluated the FDA committees decision.

Apparent diffusion coefficient histograms derived from quantitative diffusion-weighted MRI helped predict chemotherapy response in patients with metastatic ovarian or primary peritoneal cancer, according to a study published in this month's issue of Radiology.

To add to the slew of information regarding anticoagulants, a study published online Sept. 28 in the Journal of Cardiovascular Electrophysiology found that dabigatran (Pradaxa, Boehringer Ingelheim) may be safe and well tolerated in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients after ablation. Dabigatran also was safe in terms of bleeding complications and thromboembolic events, leaving the authors to conclude that the drug may be a good alternative to warfarin.

Biotronik has released an online Quick View report to provide physicians with information on patients using the company's home monitoring technology.

Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) are standard treatment for patients at risk for life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias, but what happens when these patients are delivered high-energy, painful electric shocks, particularly during end of life? While device deactivation is an option, no standard protocols are in place to address this issue. Policies must be developed to help guide providers on best practices during end-of-life care, according to a research published in this month's American Journal of Nursing.

Despite the fact that one in four atrial fibrillation (AF) patients named stroke as a major health concern, only 50 percent understand that their disease burden, AF, puts them at a heightened risk for stroke, according to a survey put forth by the American Heart Association (AHA), and prepared by Synovate.

As rivaroxaban (Xarelto, Bayer/Johnson & Johnson) waits to take center stage at the FDAs Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee meeting Thursday, Sept. 8, the FDA has stated that it will argue against approval for the oral factor Xa inhibitor due to concerns about lacking data. Briefing documents outlined the FDAs concerns, which centered on the fact that data surrounding rivaroxaban may be insufficient in terms of the proposed labelingto prevent stroke in nonvalvular atrial fibrillation patients.