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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An implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) and its associated leads viewed on a X-ray. Old leads are often abandon in veins and new ones added, but a new study of 1 million patients at ACC22 showed there is higher mortality if a device becomes infected and the leads are left behind. Image from RSNA.

VIDEO: Lowering mortality rates from infected EP implantable cardiac devices

Sean Pokorney, MD, director of the arrhythmia core lab, Duke Clinical Research Institute, assistant professor of Medicine, Duke University, discusses a late-breaking ACC 2022 study that shows mortality is higher in patients with implantable electrophysiology (EP) device infections where the leads are not explanted.

Smartwatch app accurately detects atrial fibrillation in large Chinese study

A Chinese study of 2.8 million participants found that 94% of users flagged for AFib indeed have the heart rhythm disorder.

Abbott’s Aveir single-chamber (VR) leadless pacemaker

Abbott’s single-chamber leadless pacemaker gains FDA approval

Another single-chamber leadless pacemaker has officially hit the market. 

VIDEO: 4 predictions on key cardiac technologies for the coming years

Mass General cardiologist and Harvard professor Ami Bhatt, MD, predicts upcoming paradigm shifts in cardiology over the next decade. 

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DOACs may reduce the risk of dementia among AFib patients by 50%

Nearly 19,000 patients with newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation were included in the team's analysis. 

Older LAAO patients, especially women, face a higher risk of complications

Researchers explored data from the National Inpatient Sample, sharing their findings in the American Journal of Cardiology.

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Bariatric surgery associated with lower risk of death and cardiovascular disease

Researchers examined data from 39 different studies, focusing on mortality rates and adverse cardiovascular outcomes. 

ACC consensus explains what cardiologists should look for in long COVID-19

The new consensus document provides a framework for understanding, evaluating, and managing some of the key cardiovascular sequelae of COVID-19

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