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.

AFib patients able to safely transition from warfarin to a DOAC

The new analysis, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, explored what happens with AFib patients shift their anticoagulant strategy. 

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Black, Hispanic AFib patients less likely to start anticoagulant therapy, new VA study finds

Researchers wrote that they hope their findings can help guide the creation of policies that reduce disparities in care for AFib patients. 

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Women much more likely to develop AFib after a breast cancer diagnosis

The analysis included data from more than 85,000 breast cancer patients and an equal number of healthy women with no history of breast cancer. 

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FDA highlights safety issue with leadless pacemakers, focusing on Medtronic’s Micra

All pacemakers are associated with a risk of cardiac perforation, the agency said, but perforation-related complications appear to be more severe with leadless pacing systems.

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Text message alert system for out-of-hospital cardiac arrests yields positive outcomes

Even though automated external defibrillators are available in public places, most out-of-hospital cardiac arrests happen in the home.

New research details how drug and alcohol use increases a person's AFib risk

The findings, to be presented at AHA Scientific Sessions 2021, focused on methamphetamines, opiates, cocaine, cannabis and alcohol. 

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'Remarkable' new findings suggest patients with diabetes should be screened for AFib

Patients who have type 1 or type 2 diabetes, it seems, are much less likely to notice symptoms related to an irregular heartbeat.

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Combined genetic testing for cardiomyopathies and arrhythmias yields positive results

The new findings come from research to be presented at AHA Scientific Sessions 2021. 

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.