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.

Quality of care for heart patients does not improve in first year of ACO participation
Researchers tracked patient outcomes through the use of 15 performance measures related to hypertension, coronary artery disease, heart failure and atrial fibrillation.
Heart Rhythm Society legislative advocacy group raising funds for electrophysiology
This week, Heart Rhythm Advocates announced its establishment and called on cardiologists and EPs to support its efforts with membership and joining committees to guide efforts.
FDA chooses not to approve new nasal spray for heart rhythm issues
Etripamil's journey toward FDA approval hit a roadblock. The agency requested additional information on the drug, including a new facility inspection, in a response letter sent to Milestone Pharmaceuticals.
Abbott gains CE mark approval for Volt PFA system
The approval, which Abbott said arrived earlier than expected, came after regulators reviewed data from a 2024 clinical trial.
Enabling X-ray-free ablation procedures in the EP lab
Exposure to scatter radiation and orthopedic issues related to years of wearing lead aprons during long EP procedures has led electrophysiologists to seek out new ways to reduce the need for angiographic X-ray.

Monitoring high-risk patients for AFib fails to reduce stroke risk

"These findings might imply that not all AFib is worth screening for, and not all screen-detected AFib merits anticoagulation," researchers wrote.

Amulet vs. Watchman: LAA occluder devices compared in new head-to-head trial

The Amulet's implantation success rate and LAA closure rate were both higher than the first-generation Watchman device, researchers reported.

Why AFib patients should exercise regularly

Recurrent AFib episodes were much less likely when patients participated in a six-month exercise program.

More than 10% of cardiac arrest patients contacted EMS the day before

These findings indicate that breathing problems may be an underrated warning sign of cardiac arrest, researchers said recently at ESC Congress 2021.

Most AFib patients underestimate their bleeding risk

Researchers aimed to see how many AFib patients on OACs truly understood their risk of a major bleeding event.

LAAO outcomes significantly worse among women

Researchers tracked data from more than 49,000 patients who underwent LAAO from January 2016 to June 2019.

Catheter ablation boosts AFib outcomes, new meta-analysis confirms

Ablation was associated with a 67% reduction in all-cause hospitalizations compared to medication alone.

overnight night shift attending radiologist burnout

Lifetime of night shift work associated with higher AFib risk

The team hopes its findings, published in the European Heart Journal, will help more people consider how their daily lives can affect their health.

Heart Rhythm

Quality of care for heart patients does not improve in first year of ACO participation

Heart Rhythm Society legislative advocacy group raising funds for electrophysiology

FDA chooses not to approve new nasal spray for heart rhythm issues

Abbott gains CE mark approval for Volt PFA system

Enabling X-ray-free ablation procedures in the EP lab