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.

P‐waves can help identify Black patients prone to developing AFib
Research that followed patients for more than 13 years suggests increases in ECG PR interval, P‐wave duration and PTFV1 are associated with increased AFib risk in this cohort.
New-onset AFib is common after CABG—but typically not persistent or symptomatic
The study's authors questioned if these patients should even be given oral anticoagulation as currently recommended.
Field Medical’s PFA system for ventricular tachycardia shows early potential
More research is still required, but Field Medical's FieldForce Ablation System may represent a significant step forward in the treatment of scar-related ventricular tachycardia.
Medtech companies working together on robotic PFA system
Stereotaxis and CardioFocus are collaborating on a new robotic pulsed field ablation system. After completing some initial research, the companies are now working toward the launch of a clinical trial.
Q&A: What cardiologists know and don’t know about pulsed field ablation
Peter Weiss, MD, a veteran electrophysiologist, sat down with Cardiovascular Business to discuss the ongoing rise of pulsed field ablation. While he's impressed with the technology, he says many questions remain about its long-term value.

Jewel Patch Wearable Cardioverter Defibrillator from Element Science

FDA approves new AI-enabled wearable cardioverter defibrillator

The newly approved device can be worn for up to a week at a time, with no daily maintenance required, and includes advanced AI algorithms that minimize the risk of false alarms or inappropriate shocks.

PFA associated with elevated risk of heart damage, real-world data show

Patient outcomes do not appear to be negatively impacted by these risks, researchers noted. The new data were presented at Heart Rhythm 2025 and published in JACC: Clinical Electrophysiology.

Champagne could be good for the heart—and other lessons from a new risk analysis

Researchers explored the potential impact of more than 100 risk factors on a person's risk of sudden cardiac arrest. Some of their findings were what you may expect, but others were much more surprising.

doctor with overweight patient who may be treated with TAVR or surgery

Bayer's finerenone reduces risk of AFib, atrial flutter in all CKM syndrome patients

New data published in JACC represents another big win for Bayer's finerenone. The drug has previously been linked to cardiovascular benefits for patients with CKD and heart failure, but its potential across the full CKM spectrum remained a bit of a mystery.

Heart Rhythm 2025 Heart Rhythm Society President Kenneth A. Ellenbogen, MD

PFA takes center stage at Heart Rhythm 2025 as medtech companies share new data

Pulsed field ablation was one of the biggest topics at Heart Rhythm 2025, the annual meeting of the Heart Rhythm Society. Medtronic, Johnson & Johnson MedTech, Boston Scientific, Abbott, Kardium and Field Medical all shared new data at the conference highlighting the safety and effectiveness of their advanced PFA technologies.

OmniaSecure defibrillation lead for placement within a patient’s right ventricle

Medtronic receives FDA approval for smallest defibrillation lead of its kind

Medtronic emphasized that this device should be especially valuable when treating younger patients or those with a small anatomy.

Alexander Kolomaya, MD, a cardiology resident at the University of Utah, presented a study on U.S. national trends in left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) volume and open payments from vendors to operators at the American Heart Association 2024 meeting.

Vendor payments not responsible for rising popularity of LAAO procedures

Consulting fees and other vendor payments do not appear to be directly influencing U.S. physicians to implant more Watchman devices. Researcher Alexander Kolomaya, MD, discussed his team's findings on this topic.

AI healthcare doctor surgery procedure artificial intelligence

AI helps cardiologists terminate AFib for good with ablation

Advanced AI can provide real-time feedback to cardiologists, helping them deliver high-quality care.

Heart Rhythm

P‐waves can help identify Black patients prone to developing AFib

New-onset AFib is common after CABG—but typically not persistent or symptomatic

Field Medical’s PFA system for ventricular tachycardia shows early potential

Medtech companies working together on robotic PFA system

Q&A: What cardiologists know and don’t know about pulsed field ablation