Abnormal heart rate turbulence could be associated with an increased risk of heart disease death in low-risk, older individuals, according to a study in the Feb. 15 issue of the Journal of Cardiovascular Electrophysiology. However, more studies replicating these data in other patient populations will be necessary to understand whether this potential biomarker will be a clinically valuable tool, Robin Boineau, MD, of the National Institutes of Health, told Cardiovascular Business News.

The novel anticoagulant apixaban significantly reduced the risk of stroke or systemic embolism without increasing the risk of major bleeding or intracranial hemorrhage in atrial fibrillation patients. The results were so beneficial that the data and safety monitoring board stopped the trial early, according to a study published Feb. 10 in the New England Journal of Medicine and simultaneously presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference in Los Angeles.

Younger patients with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs), a history of atrial fibrillation (AF) and not on statins received a high number of inappropriate shocks, which was associated with a greater risk for mortality, according to a study in the Feb. 1 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

In this era of healthcare reform and decreasing reimbursements for independent practices, producing quality care has become synonymous with transparency and economic efficiency.

About one in five patients who received an ICD for primary prevention did not fall within the evidence-based guidelines, according to an analysis of the National Cardiovascular Data Registry.

Although a very small and relatively new area of the home care products market, automated external defibrillators for use at home boast the highest forecasted annual growth in the home care segment, according to healthcare market research publisher Kalorama Information.

St. Jude Medical has agreed to pay $16 million to the U.S. to resolve allegations that the company used post-market studies and a registry to pay kickbacks to induce physicians to implant its pacemakers and defibrillators, the Department of Justice announced.

HIMSS11 is just a month away, and CMIOs who plan to attend should put the HIMSS Interoperability Showcase on their itinerary. The 2011 showcase will feature more participants and real-world connectivity demonstrations, and will be open more hours than in previous shows, said Lisa Spellman, MBA, senior director of informatics, and IHE staff liaison for HIMSS. Spellman recently spoke with CMIO about some of the highlights planned for the Interoperability Showcase and beyond.