Atrial Fibrillation News and Research

RSS

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia. An arrhythmia is a problem with the speed or rhythm of the heartbeat. A disorder in the heart’s electrical system causes AF and other types of arrhythmia. AF occurs when rapid, disorganized electrical signals in the heart’s two upper chambers, called the atria, cause them to contract very fast and irregularly (this is called fibrillation). As a result, blood pools in the atria and isn’t pumped completely into the heart’s two lower chambers, called the ventricles. When this happens, the heart’s upper and lower chambers don’t work together as they should. Often, people who have AF may not even feel symptoms. However, even when not noticed, AF can lead to an increased risk of stroke. In many patients, particularly when the rhythm is extremely rapid, AF can cause chest pain, heart attack, or heart failure. AF may occur rarely or every now and then, or it may become a persistent or permanent heart rhythm lasting for years.

Boston Scientific and CryoCor collaborate in atrial fibrillation

CryoCor, Inc. and Boston Scientific Corporation have announced a strategic collaboration in the field of cryoablation, or the use of extreme cold, for the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias.

29 Jun 2007

Novel preclinical gene therapy approach for treating Niemann-Pick disease

Genzyme Corp. has announced the publication of a new study in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences describing a novel preclinical gene therapy approach for treating Niemann-Pick disease.

24 May 2007

Drug brand name can influence treatment decisions by patients

The brand name of a drug can strongly influence treatment decisions by patients, according to a randomized trial of decision aids by researchers from McMaster University.

22 May 2007

Stroke prevalence varies across U.S.

Stroke prevalence varies widely from state to state, with some states and U.S. territories having more than double the stroke prevalence of others, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

18 May 2007

Ottawa Aggressive Protocol for acute atrial fibrillation is successful

There is no consensus on Emergency Department management of acute atrial fibrillation (AAF) or atrial flutter (AAFL).

17 May 2007

Online heart disease education program helps patients

Patients who used the American Heart Association's online heart disease education program were more aware of treatment options than other patients, researchers reported at the American Heart Association's 8th Scientific Forum on Quality of Care and Outcomes Research in Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke.

16 May 2007

Cardiotrophin 1 molecule shows potential for diagnosing hypertensive cardiopathy

Scientists from the Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA) from the University of Navarra investigate whether cardiotrophin 1, a molecule that can be measured in blood, can be used as a diagnostic marker for hypertensive cardiopathy.

11 May 2007

$Treatment with zoledronic acid effective in reducing fractures in women with postmenopausal osteoporosis$

Treatment with zoledronic acid effective in reducing fractures in women with postmenopausal osteoporosis

A treatment for osteoporosis delivered once a year is as effective as current monthly or weekly osteoporosis regimens at reducing the incidence of bone fractures, according to a new study led by a UCSF research team.

4 May 2007

Reclast found to cause abnormal heart rhythms

An osteoporosis drug with the potential to cut the risk of spine fractures by 70 percent and the chance of hip fractures by 41 percent, has been found to have an adverse side effect on some women.

3 May 2007

Levosimendan compared to dobutamine for decompensated heart failure

The drug levosimendan did not improve survival for patients with decompensated heart failure when compared with a more widely-used treatment for this condition, dobutamine, according to a study in the May 2 issue of JAMA.

2 May 2007

Corticosteroids after cardiac surgery lower risk of atrial fibrillation

Patients who receive corticosteroids after cardiac surgery have a significantly lower risk of atrial fibrillation in the days following the surgery, according to a study in the April 11 issue of JAMA.

11 Apr 2007

Plavix appears to be safe during and after heart bypass

Heart surgeons don't have to choose between taking a coronary-bypass patient off the popular anti-clotting drug clopidogrel (Plavix) after off-pump heart bypass surgery or having the patient bleed excessively in the days following surgery, according to a new study by researchers at Jefferson Medical College.

28 Mar 2007

Irregular heartbeat linked to genetic mutation

Every day for 10 years, a seemingly heart-healthy 53-year-old woman experienced rapid and irregular heartbeats. She had no personal or family history of hypertension or hyperthyroidism. She did not suffer from myocardial or coronary artery disease, or any abnormalities of the heart as best doctors and medical science could determine.

25 Feb 2007

Elderly atrial fibrillation patients lack adequate application of current management guidelines

World Congress of Cardiology Report - Although elderly AF patients are at much higher risk for stroke, they are undertreated for stroke prophylaxis compared to younger patients.

5 Sep 2006

Older patients with atrial fibrillation have higher rates of major hemorrhage in the brain

Older patients with atrial fibrillation have higher rates of major hemorrhage in the brain whether or not they are using a common blood thinning therapy, according to a new study.

3 Aug 2006

Guidelines on atrial fibrillation recommend new approach

Risk factors for stroke should be used to determine whether anti-clotting therapy is given to people with an irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation (AF), according to revised Guidelines for the Management of Patients with Atrial Fibrillation.

2 Aug 2006

Likelihood of hemorrhage on warfarin is relatively small

Older patients with atrial fibrillation have higher rates of major hemorrhage in the brain whether or not they are using a common blood thinning therapy, according to a new study.

2 Aug 2006

Study shows heart drug digitalis safe in patients with diastolic heart failure

Despite a widely held belief that the heart drug digitalis shouldn't be given to patients with diastolic heart failure, a new analysis shows it is relatively safe.

26 Jul 2006

Healthy habits and appropriate treatments help prevent stroke

Stroke is the third leading cause of death and a major source of disability in the United States. Every year about 700,000 people in the United States suffer a stroke, resulting in nearly 158,000 deaths.

10 May 2006

Corticosteroids may be linked to an increased risk for atrial fibrillation

High doses of medications known as corticosteroids may be linked to an increased risk for atrial fibrillation, a heart rhythm disorder characterized by an irregular heartbeat, according to an article in the May 8 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

9 May 2006