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.

With MPFS proposal on the way, electrophysiology groups outline their priorities
The Heart Rhythm Society and its new advocacy arm plan on pushing CMS to include certain policy improvements in the 2026 MPFS.
FDA expands approval of Boston Scientific’s Farapulse PFA system
The FDA's 2024 approval of the Farapulse system covered patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. Now, however, the technology is officially approved for patients with more persistent symptoms.
PFA market heats up as medtech companies announce new investments
While Kardium raised $250 million in an oversubscribed funding round, Field Medical raised $35 million. Both companies are focused on designing and developing new pulsed field ablation technologies to help treat challenging arrhythmias.
Heart attack deaths are way down after decades of breakthroughs—but other risks have skyrocketed
Researchers explored more than 52 years of data, highlighting several key trends in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
Atraverse Medical raises $29M to support FDA-approved heart tech
The San Diego-based startup gained FDA approval for its Hotwire RF guidewire in 2024. The technology has already been used to perform hundreds of heart procedures.

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.

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.

Long-term rate of transvenous lead complications ‘disappointing,’ researchers say

One-fourth of transvenous implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) leads has a mechanical complication within 10 years, according to an insurance database analysis published May 10 in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

Paroxysmal AFib burden linked to higher stroke risk

Even for patients with intermittent atrial fibrillation (AFib), the amount of time spent in an arrhythmic state is strongly associated with an increased risk of stroke, researchers reported in JAMA Cardiology.

His bundle pacing trumps right ventricular approach in single-center study

A His bundle pacing (HBP) strategy was associated with a significant reduction in hospitalizations for heart failure when compared to pacemaker implantation via the right ventricle, according to a study published online May 14 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Ablation of AFib likely to occur later, be less successful in women

Women who received catheter ablation in the FIRE AND ICE trial were 37 percent more likely than men to have a recurrence of atrial arrhythmia and 36 percent more likely to be rehospitalized for cardiovascular causes, according to an analysis published April 26 in Circulation: Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology.

Watchman thrombi occur in 3.7% of implants, heighten stroke risk

Watchman-related thrombi developed in 3.7 percent of patients who were implanted with the device, resulting in a threefold risk of stroke or systemic embolism, according to a meta-analysis of clinical trials and registries published online May 11 in Circulation.

Heart Rhythm

With MPFS proposal on the way, electrophysiology groups outline their priorities

FDA expands approval of Boston Scientific’s Farapulse PFA system

PFA market heats up as medtech companies announce new investments

Heart attack deaths are way down after decades of breakthroughs—but other risks have skyrocketed

Atraverse Medical raises $29M to support FDA-approved heart tech