Although comparative-effectiveness research is currently a hot topic on Capitol Hill, an expert at the Stanford University School of Medicine is suggesting that policymakers take a step back and make sure that the plans for comparative-effectiveness research "go deep enough to make a difference."

According to new research from the Heart and Stroke Foundation, 250,000 Canadians currently diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (AF) are at least five times more at risk to have a stroke and twice as likely to die from one. More worrisome is that the vast majority may not be aware of their stroke risk.

Mayo Clinic has received $48 million in grants to study the treatment of atrial fibrillation in 3,000 patients at 140 centers from the U.S., Canada and Europe.

The electrophysiology boon is sometimes overshadowed by the problems associated with device leads. They can malfunction from faulty manufacturing or become infected, and they sometimes have to be removed in these circumstances. In an ideal world, there would be leadless pacing. And, that ideal world might be closer than ever.Researchers from Hong Kong determined that leadless pacing with ultrasound-mediated stimulation energy is feasible in patients with advanced heart failure. While the study was small, only 10 patients, investigators achieved successful leadless pacing in all of the patients. Such technology could avoid complications associated with leads, the researchers wrote, and called for more research in this area, now that theyve shown its feasibility.

Many hospitalized patients overestimate their chance of surviving an in-hospital cardiac arrest and do not know what cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) really involves, according to an Iowa City Veterans Affairs Medical Center study, which appeared in the June 1 issue of the Journal of Medical Ethics.

The incidence of cardiovascular disease is causing more than 4.3 million deaths, accounting for 48 percent of all mortalities in Europe, due to factors such as aging, obesity, smoking and other cardiac ailments. As a result, the European cardiac rhythm management (CRM) market offers significant growth potential, according to a report from market research firm Frost & Sullivan.

The prescription rate of guideline-recommended drug therapy for atrial fibrillation and left ventricular systolic dysfunction-heart failure is low, according to an observation study in the May 5 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

BOSTON--St. Jude Medical announced the European CE Mark approval of its Accent RF pacemaker and Anthem RF cardiac resynchronization therapy pacemaker at the 30th annual meeting of the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS).