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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Cardiac resynching unnecessary after LVAD placement, study suggests

Continuing cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) appeared to offer no benefit to patients who received a continuous flow left ventricular assist device (CF-LVAD), according to a multicenter study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

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Cardiac arrest deaths often misinterpreted, autopsy study finds

About 40 percent of deaths attributed to sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) aren’t really from “sudden” or heart-related causes, according to an autopsy study conducted in the San Francisco area.

More than $28 million awarded for new atrial fibrillation research centers to improve patient outcomes

DALLAS, June 12, 2018 — The American Heart Association—the world’s leading voluntary organization dedicated to building healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke—announced today research grants totaling more than $28 million to the scientific teams that will create a new research network focused on understanding the causes of atrial fibrillation (AFib).

Progression of silent AFib tied to heart failure

Patients who progressed to having longer episodes of subclinical atrial fibrillation (SCAF) were more than four times as likely to be hospitalized for heart failure in a one-year span, according to a study published June 4 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Stressful jobs boost AFib risk by 48%

People who reported having stressful jobs were 48 percent more likely to develop atrial fibrillation (AFib), according to a Swedish study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.

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DOACs can be safely continued during elective procedures on AFib patients

With shorter half-lives and more predictable effects, direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) could help simplify perioperative treatment decisions for patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF), suggests a meta-analysis published May 24 in Circulation.

Post-TAVR pacemakers linked to higher mortality but similar healthcare costs

Patients who required permanent pacemakers (PPMs) after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) demonstrated lower survival rates and higher comorbidity burdens over a multiyear follow-up. However, they didn’t accumulate significantly greater healthcare costs, according to a study published online May 25 in JAMA Network Open.

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Physician review boosts accuracy of smartwatch AF detection algorithm

A smartwatch algorithm reliably differentiated atrial fibrillation (AF) from sinus rhythm among patients scheduled for elective cardioversion, showing the technology’s potential to prevent unnecessary procedures.

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