Registries and ongoing research have broadened our understanding of abnormal heart rhythms. Today, much more is known about the etiology of arrhythmias, as well as options for best therapies. Cardiovascular Business spoke with the incoming and outgoing presidents of the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) about advances in our knowledge of these disease states.

NEW ORLEANSCatheter ablation is superior to antiarrhythmic drug treatment and should be the method of choice after atrial fibrillation (AF) patients fail antiarrhythmic drug treatment, said Karl-Heinz Kuck, MD, of the Asklepios Klinik St Georg in Hamburg, Germany, during a presentation at the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology (ACC).

NEW ORLEANSThe management of atrial fibrillation (AF) patients in a specialized AF-clinic improves outcomes compared with usual care, but it is difficult to pinpoint nurses, guidelines or dedicated software as the sole reason for the results, so an integrated effort is recommended based on a clinical trial presented April 5 at the 60th American College of Cardiologys (ACC) scientific sessions.

NEW ORLEANSSurgical-related infections associated with pacemakers and implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD) implantation increased mortality rates eight- to 11-fold and were associated with 55 to 118 percent higher hospitalization costs, according to a poster presentation this morning at the American College of Cardiology scientific sessions.

NEW ORLEANS--While thousands of ablation procedures are performed to treat atrial fibrillation (AF), there may be many reasons clinicians should hold off on choosing ablation as the best possible form of treatment, said A. John Camm, MD, chair of clinical cardiology at the St Georges University of London, during a presentation April 3 at the 60th annual American College of Cardiology (ACC) scientific sessions.

Researchers suggested links between cardiac CT triage and three key benefitsfewer invasive catheterizations, improved survival and reduced costsin a simulation model of the clinical and economic outcomes of low-risk patients with acute chest pain in the emergency department, according to a study published in the April issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology.

Merck will return the rights for the oral factor Xa inhibitor anticoagulant betrixaban, being evaluated for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation to Portola Pharmaceuticals.

Until five months ago, the only stroke prevention medication for AF was warfarin. Doctors don't like warfarin because of its variable effects, risk of under- or overtreatment and multiple drug/dietary interactions.