Patients with atrial fibrillation may be more likely to stick to a regimen of oral anticoagulation if they’re first prescribed OACs in the emergency department, according to a study published Dec. 9 in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. 

Brushing teeth three or more times a day could dramatically lower a person’s risk for CVDs like heart failure and atrial fibrillation, according to preliminary research out of Ewha Womans University in Seoul, South Korea.

People trained to perform CPR with a virtual reality tool were able to achieve comparable chest compression rates as those trained face-to-face in a recent randomized study—but the VR approach still has a long way to go.

A senior at a Utah high school received a scholarship this month based on her idea for an automated CPR assistance device.

A novel pacemaker designed to mimic a patient’s organic breath increased blood flow to the heart in a study of individuals with heart failure, according to research published in the journal Thorax.

Research that will be presented at the American Heart Association’s Resuscitation Science Symposium in Philadelphia this month suggests the National Institutes of Health invests far less money in cardiac arrest research than in research for other conditions, including diabetes, drug-use disorders and ischemic heart disease.

Taller people might be at an increased risk for atrial fibrillation, according to research set for presentation at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions on Nov. 16.

The net clinical benefit of anticoagulants like warfarin and apixaban slows over time in patients with atrial fibrillation, according to a Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes study, diminishing as people age and face competing risks of death.