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.

Johnson & Johnson MedTech launches new 2D ICE catheter
The company says the new device was designed to improve image quality, provide additional maneuverability and simplify ablation workflows for electrophysiologists.
Johnson & Johnson MedTech ordered to pay $147M for antitrust violations
The company told Cardiovascular Business it respectfully disagrees with the jury's decision and is evaluating all possible legal options going forward. The Association of Medical Device Reprocessors, meanwhile, celebrated the news.
Cardiologists are first in world to use new cooling device to terminate AFib during surgery
Patients often develop AFib during cardiac surgery, leading to longer hospital stays, additional healthcare costs and a higher risk of mortality. Cooling the oblique sinus of the patient's heart as soon as AFib starts to develop may represent a new way to stop the problem in its tracks.
World’s first leadless LBBAP procedures linked to ‘promising’ outcomes
Cardiologists are turning to leadless pacemakers more and more for cardiac pacing, but those devices have not previously been able to perform LBBAP. This new analysis includes new data on the world’s very first leadless LBBAP procedures.
AI predicts LBBB risk in TAVR patients prior to treatment
The authors tested out a variety of machine learning techniques, including large language models and more traditional algorithms. They focused on data that can be gathered prior to treatment, ensuring cardiologists know as much as possible before the procedure.

Azithromycin ‘Z-packs’ tied to potentially fatal arrhythmia

The FDA is updating azithromycin drug labels to reflect evidence that the medication can contribute to a rare heart rhythm abnormality known as torsades de pointes.

HRS releases consensus statement on arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy: 5 things to know

The Heart Rhythm Society issued a first-ever consensus statement on the evaluation, risk stratification and management of arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy at its annual conference in San Francisco this spring.

Researchers developing AI-powered ‘smart ring’ to detect AFib

South Korean researchers are working on packing the ability to monitor heart health and detect signs of atrial fibrillation into what might be the smallest cardiology wearable to date: a “smart ring.”

BioCardia receives clearance for AVANCE steerable catheter introducers

BioCardia’s AVANCE steerable introducer family has received FDA 510(k) clearance, the company announced May 8.

Study reveals patients don’t know much about their heart implants—but they want to

Research presented at the Heart Rhythm Society’s 40th annual scientific sessions in San Francisco May 7 suggests heart patients with implanted electronic devices know less about their therapies than they think they do.

FDA: Certain Medtronic pacemaker, CRT-P batteries can fail without warning

The FDA issued an alert May 7 warning patients with certain implanted Medtronic pacemakers or cardiac resynchronization therapy pacemakers (CRT-Ps) and their care teams to check for premature battery depletion in their devices after defects resulted in three reports and one patient death.

CRT vs. RV pacing: Which is better for HFpEF patients?

Individuals with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and atrioventricular block might benefit more from cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) than conventional right ventricular (RV) pacing, according to research published in JACC: Heart Failure.

FDA clears world’s 1st active-fixation left heart lead

The FDA on May 1 announced it cleared Medtronic’s Attain Stability Quad MRI SureScan left heart lead for commercial use in the U.S.

Heart Rhythm

Johnson & Johnson MedTech launches new 2D ICE catheter

Johnson & Johnson MedTech ordered to pay $147M for antitrust violations

Cardiologists are first in world to use new cooling device to terminate AFib during surgery

World’s first leadless LBBAP procedures linked to ‘promising’ outcomes

AI predicts LBBB risk in TAVR patients prior to treatment