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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Study finds ‘significant variation’ in CIED care quality

The odds a heart patient will experience complications after they’re implanted with a cardiac device vary depending on where they receive care, according to work published in the Annals of Internal Medicine July 30.

Cardiac arrest survival hits 70% in Hawaiian airports after AED installations

Sixty-nine people have survived out-of-hospital cardiac arrests at Hawaii’s airports since an AED program was first implemented in 2006, the Oregonian reports.

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AFib meds could elevate risk of fainting, falling

Medications used to treat atrial fibrillation—namely amiodarone—could increase older patients’ risk of fainting and falling, Danish researchers have found.

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Former NFL athletes see elevated risk of AFib

Despite lower risks for other CVD risk factors, former National Football League players are nearly six times more likely than their non-NFL peers to develop atrial fibrillation, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

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Chemicals in plastic medical devices could interfere with cardiac electrophysiology

Heart patients exposed to phthalates—a group of chemicals used as plasticizers in the manufacture of plastic medical products—during invasive procedures may be at risk for serious electrophysiological abnormalities, according to a new study.

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‘Electrocardiomatrix’ beats standard methods of detecting AFib in stroke units

Researchers at the University of Michigan have developed technology that flags stroke victims at the greatest risk for atrial fibrillation after an event, trumping standard methods of risk stratification to achieve greater accuracy.

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Edoxaban, warfarin equally effective for reducing adverse events in AFib patients with liver disease

Edoxaban and warfarin are equally effective in reducing the risk of stroke, systemic embolic events and major bleeding in patients with atrial fibrillation and a history of liver disease, researchers reported in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology this month.

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The Rise of Wearables: What Experts Say About Patients, Platforms & Getting Paid

Cardiologists discuss the questions and concerns swirling around the thriving wearables market as patients strap on a variety of smart devices and expect their physicians to catch up.

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.