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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Finerenone limits AFib in patients with chronic kidney disease, Type 2 diabetes

This secondary analysis of data from the FIDELIO-DKD trial was presented May 17 at ACC.21 and published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology

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Alcohol—even just one drink—increases the risk of AFib

The study's authors believe they are the first group to investigate the real-time relationship between alcohol consumption and AFib events.

FDA announces recall of more than 60,000 Abbott pacemakers due to risk of electrical short

The FDA has received complaints about 135 injuries so far. 

High blood pressure linked to greater risk of heart failure, AFib, heart attack, stroke

The authors evaluated data from more than 2.1 million patients, sharing their findings in Circulation.

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Unnecessary care? 1 in 3 patients with advanced dementia and AFib still given anticoagulants

Researchers called for better guidelines that cover when clinicians should consider stopping anticoagulation therapy for patients with AFib. The risks of such medication, they observed, may often outweigh the benefits. 

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Fish oil supplements linked to potentially fatal heart rhythm issues

Certain patients face a "significantly greater risk of AFib" if they take fish oil supplements, the study's authors reported. 

Abbott launches new clinical trial focused on treating AFib, heart failure at the same time

The TAP-CHF trial is expected to enroll up to 100 AFib patients with a history of HFpEF. 

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A closer look at how subtle changes in the heart can lead to arrhythmias, death

“What surprised me is that such small changes in electrolyte values have such dramatic effects,” one researcher said. 

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.