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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LAAO outcomes significantly worse among women

Researchers tracked data from more than 49,000 patients who underwent LAAO from January 2016 to June 2019.

Catheter ablation boosts AFib outcomes, new meta-analysis confirms

Ablation was associated with a 67% reduction in all-cause hospitalizations compared to medication alone. 

overnight night shift attending radiologist burnout

Lifetime of night shift work associated with higher AFib risk

The team hopes its findings, published in the European Heart Journal, will help more people consider how their daily lives can affect their health. 

Abbott’s LAA closure solution for AFib patients gains FDA approval

The device has already been approved in other parts of the world, including Europe. 

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FDA announces recall of 48,000 Boston Scientific pacemakers, CRT-Ps

This is a Class I recall, which means the issue can lead to serious injury or death.

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Early rhythm control therapy beneficial for AFib patients with suspected heart failure

According to the study's authors, their findings suggest that "all patients with signs or symptoms of heart failure should be considered for rhythm control therapy within a year of being diagnosed with AFib."

Cardiac monitors maintained by specialists more accurate than AI-powered alternatives

The new analysis, presented at Heart Rhythm 2021, focused on patients from an outpatient arrhythmia clinic.

DOACs reduce stroke risk better than aspirin among high-risk ablation patients

Researchers presented the new data at Heart Rhythm 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.