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.

Christine Seidman, MD, director of the cardiovascular genetics program, cardiovascular medicine specialist, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, discusses the use of genetics to crack the code of cardiovascular diseases to enable earlier prevention and interventions. She was named the winner of the American Heart Association (AHA) 2022 Research Achievement Award, AHA's highest honor.

VIDEO: Using genetics in cardiology to enable earlier interventions

Christine Seidman, MD, director of the cardiovascular genetics program at Brigham & Women’s Hospital, spoke to us about using genetics to crack the code of cardiovascular disease. 

Hamlin Buffalo Bills cardiac arrest NFL

Damar Hamlin update: Buffalo Bills safety now communicating with doctors after cardiac arrest

“This marks a turning point in his ongoing care,” one doctor said in a statement. 

Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin went into sudden cardiac arrest after a tackle during the first quarter of the game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Buffalo Bills at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati Jan 2, 2023. The incident has instantly raised awareness and brought sudden cardiac arrest to the forefront on news reports today. Image from Buffalo Bills

Buffalo Bills Damar Hamlin incident brings sudden cardiac arrest into national headlines

Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest after a tackle during the first quarter of a game with the Cincinnati Bengals on Jan 2.

COVID-19 infection and vaccination linked to debilitating heart condition—risk from vaccines ‘relatively slim’

Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome is a significant, but treatable condition. The risk among COVID-19 patients was considerably higher than the risk after vaccination, researchers explained. 

Most devices implanted during LAAO procedures are oversized—and patients benefit

Oversized devices are becoming more common as time goes on, which suggests operators are growing increasingly comfortable with this treatment choice.

Sphere-9 mapping and ablation catheter

Medtronic reaches milestone in study of pulsed-field ablation and mapping catheter for AFib

A randomized study of more than 450 patients with persistent atrial fibrillation is now underway. All patients have been treated, and their outcomes will be tracked for 12 months. 

Early catheter ablation superior to medication when treating ventricular tachycardia storm

VT storm is associated with a heightened risk of death or significant complications. Early catheter ablation, it seems, is the most effective treatment option for this potentially fatal condition. 

OAC use among older AFib patients is on the rise

However, researchers noted, there is still considerable room for improvement.

Around the web

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

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