Almost 1 in 5 patients are rehospitalized within 30 days of undergoing catheter ablation of MI-associated ventricular tachycardia (VT), according to a study from the Nationwide Readmissions Database. These patients rack up 38.9 percent higher cumulative hospital costs than those who aren’t readmitted, researchers reported in Circulation: Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology.

Monitoring digoxin concentration and platelet activation in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients treated with vitamin K antagonists could be important for reducing those patients’ inherently elevated risk for CVD, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association Nov. 15.

Half a decade of planning and millions of dollars have culminated in the Alliance for Cardiovascular Diagnostic and Treatment Innovation (ADVANCE), a joint engineering and cardiology center launched by Johns Hopkins University in an attempt to improve the diagnosis and treatment of a range of arrhythmia disorders.

Even after adjusting for cardiovascular, behavioral and socioeconomic factors, black adults remain twice as likely to die from sudden cardiac death (SCD) as whites, suggests a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

There were no serious adverse events related to competition in a study of 129 young athletes with implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs), providing reassurance that moderate-to-intense physical activity in this population may be safer than previously thought.

Individuals with clinical depression could face a more than seven-fold increased risk of atrial fibrillation (AF), especially in the earliest stages of their diagnosis, a population study out of Denmark suggests.

A decades-long study of patients who have migraines with visual aura has linked the painful headaches to an increased risk of experiencing atrial fibrillation and, to a lesser degree, stroke, researchers report in the online edition of Neurology.

When approached again, about a quarter of patients with atrial fibrillation (AFib) not taking anticoagulants due to physician-cited “patient refusal” said they would consider taking the drugs, according to preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions in Chicago.