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.

COVID-related heart issues often last for months, wearable data show

Researchers explored the "prolonged physiological impact of COVID-19" in a research letter published in JAMA Network Open.

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Southern-style diets linked to a higher risk of sudden cardiac death—Mediterranean diet has the opposite effect

Regularly eating a Southern-style diet full of added fats, fried foods, processed meats and sugar-sweetened beverages can do harm to a person's cardiovascular system. 

A new technique for identifying HCM patients at risk of AFib

Researchers have developed a new risk score that outperforms previous techniques. 

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New analysis explores the connection between HIV and sudden cardiac death

Myocardial fibrosis was more common among people with a confirmed HIV diagnosis, the authors found.

Remdesivir-related low heart rate reported in elderly COVID-19 patient

The patient, a 78-year-old female, began showing signs of a negative reaction within 20 hours. 

Medtronic gains expanded FDA approval for Arctic Front cryoablation catheters

The full Arctic Front line is now approved as a first-line treatment for heart rhythm issues. 

Time for a change? AFib patients may want to stop drinking alcohol

Alcohol consumption is associated with a heightened risk of stroke among patients with newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation.

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How different cancer types impact a person's AFib risk

The study's authors examined data from more than 816,000 patients who were diagnosed with cancer from 2009 to 2016.

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.