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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Longtime AFib patients see lower cancer risk

Atrial fibrillation (AFib) patients face higher odds for short-term cancer diagnoses but, depending on how long they've had AFib, the could face lower odds for cancer in the long run, a January study states.

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OHCA survivors report restricted socialization, increased cognitive impairment post-arrest

Nearly half of all out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) survivors struggle to rejoin the workforce and participate in society post-heart attack, a study published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes suggests.

FDA Mini-Sentinel Assessment Confirms Safety and Effectiveness of XARELTO® (rivaroxaban) and its Association with a Lower Risk of Ischemic Stroke vs. Warfarin

TITUSVILLE, N.J., Jan. 16, 2018 — The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson today announced findings from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Mini-Sentinel assessment, confirming the positive safety and efficacy profile of XARELTO® (rivaroxaban) established in the phase III ROCKET AF clinical trials, were published in Pharmacoepidemiology & Drug Safety.

Asymptomatic AFib patients ‘may not receive adequate treatment'

Asymptomatic atrial fibrillation (AFib) patients could be at a heightened risk for cardiac complications, especially if the condition is paroxysmal, a study published in CHEST reports.

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Smart Support: Artificial Intelligence Will Help, Not Replace, Electrophysiologists

Artificial intelligence (AI)–assisted electrophysiology (EP) shows promise, but even its most ardent advocates aren’t ready for full-fledged endorsement—yet.   

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FDA alert: Zoll LifeVest 4000 may fail to deliver life-saving shocks

The FDA issued a safety alert Jan. 17 for the Zoll LifeVest 4000, saying the external, wearable cardioverter defibrillator may fail to treat potentially fatal arrhythmias if it displays a specific error message which, by itself, doesn’t signal urgency.

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ICDs life-saving—but risky—for children with Brugada syndrome

Roughly 1 in 4 children with Brugada syndrome treated with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) received life-saving shock therapy in a single-center study of 35 patients published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. However, 20 percent experienced inappropriate shocks and another 14 percent had device-related complications, highlighting the challenging clinical decision-making in this high-risk group.

Change in AFib risk score predicts stroke better than single measurement

Analyzing the change in stroke risk factors for atrial fibrillation (AFib) patients was far more powerful in predicting stroke than assessing baseline risk factors alone, researchers reported in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

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