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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The Medtronic Micra leadless pacemaker implanted inside the heart. It is about the size of a large vitamin pill and is implanted using a catheter.

Medtronic’s next-generation leadless pacemakers gain FDA approval

The two new leadless pacemakers, the Micra AV2 and Micra VR2, feature much longer batteries than previous models. 

COVID-19 linked to elevated risk of life-threatening arrhythmia

Patients with severe COVID-19 cases that required ventilation were 16 times more likely to develop ventricular tachycardia within six months, researchers found. 

Damar Hamlin discusses his NFL return following sudden cardiac arrest

Damar Hamlin, now cleared for NFL return, shares the cause of his on-the-field cardiac arrest

 “This event was life-changing, but it is not the end of my story,” Hamlin said during a press conference. 

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Leadless pacemakers appear to be safe, effective in children with bradycardia

“Leadless pacemaker technology is the wave of the future,” one researcher said. “This is an excellent technology that may be offered to a wider pediatric population."

Medtronic just launched its MRI Care Pathway, a new system that can streamline the process of completing MRI scans for patients with Medtronic MRI compatible cardiac devices.

Medtronic streamlines MRI screening, scanning for patients with implanted cardiac devices

Medtronic launched its MRI Care Pathway, a new system that can streamline the process of completing MRI scans for patients with compatible cardiac devices.

Cardiologists support new bill that would improve AED access among students

Damar Hamlin, the Buffalo Bills safety who went into sudden cardiac arrest on the football field back in January, has also highlighted the importance of this new bipartisan legislation. 

Images from the consensus document showing the proper left atrial appendage (LAA) sizing assessment for a transcatheter occluder device using transesophageal echo (TEE). Sizing and evaluation for pre-existing thrombus in the LAA also can be performed using cardiac CT.

SCAI and HRS release expert consensus on transcatheter left atrial appendage occlusion

One of the new recommendations is to conduct baseline imaging with TEE or cardiac CT.

Atul Verma explains thne results of the PULSE-AF trial at ACC23.

Pulsed-field ablation could be the next big EP technology trend

Atul Verma, MD, director of cardiology at McGill University Health Centre in Montreal, explained why the late-breaking PULSED-AF trial data on Medtronic’s pulsed-field ablation technology is so important for cardiologists. 

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Around the web

Health Imaging
Use of AI opportunistic screening in CT for cardiovascular disease

Ron Blankstein, MD, professor of radiology, Harvard Medical School, explains the use of artificial intelligence to detect heart disease in non-cardiac CT exams.

Health Imaging
New imaging protocols proposed to curb rise of cardiovascular infections

Eleven medical societies have signed on to a consensus statement aimed at standardizing imaging for suspected cardiovascular infections.

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