Atrial Fibrillation News and Research

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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.

EMA CHMP adopts positive opinion for ELIQUIS to prevent stroke, systemic embolism in NVAF patients

Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer Inc. today announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use of the European Medicines Agency has adopted a positive opinion recommending that ELIQUIS (apixaban) be granted approval for the prevention of stroke and systemic embolism in adult patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) and one or more risk factors for stroke.

21 Sep 2012

‘Friendly bacteria’ may help prevent sinusitis

Having the right bacteria present in a person’s sinuses might be key to preventing chronic sinusitis, say researchers.

21 Sep 2012

Daily use of inhaled steroid may not be essential in mild asthma patients

Individuals with mild-to-moderate asthma who use inhaled corticosteroids only when symptomatic can achieve the same level of symptom control as those who use the drug daily, study results show.

18 Sep 2012

Sentara Heart Hospital performs first innovative Atrial Fibrillation procedure

Sentara Heart Hospital is leading the way in an innovative Atrial Fibrillation (AF) procedure for what is typically the most difficult to treat or persistent, forms of AF. This past week, surgeons and cardiologists at Sentara Heart Hospital were the first in the world to begin performing surgeries in the Dual Epicardial Endocardial Persistent Atrial Fibrillation (AF) Study (Staged DEEP) feasibility trial.

18 Sep 2012

Refinements in gene therapy prove beneficial for ‘bubble babies’

Results from a long-term study published in Blood show that adding a low dose of chemotherapy prior to gene therapy can help improve outcomes in children with adenosine deaminase-deficient severe combined immunodeficiency.

17 Sep 2012

Severe egg allergy treatment shows promise

Specific oral tolerance induction with raw hen’s egg can reduce the severity of egg allergy in affected children, show study findings.

14 Sep 2012

New initiative to improve in-hospital management of stroke across VA medical system

Researcher-clinicians from the Regenstrief Institute, the Department of Veterans Affairs and Indiana University School of Medicine are leading a national effort to coordinate and organize acute stroke care across the entire VA medical system.

14 Sep 2012

Dabigatran increasingly being used off-label

Dabigatran has increasingly been used for off-label indications, including venous thromboembolism, in the USA between 2007 and 2011, a study suggests.

13 Sep 2012

AtriCure receives FDA approval for surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation

AtriCure, Inc., the leader in surgical ablation for the treatment of Atrial Fibrillation, has announced FDA approval of the ABLATE Post Approval Study (PAS).

13 Sep 2012

Many pediatric respiratory hospitalizations unnecessary

Study findings suggest that a large number of pediatric hospitalizations, particularly those of a respiratory nature, could be prevented.

11 Sep 2012

Plasma biomarker predicts rheumatoid arthritis onset

Healthy individuals with high levels of immunoglobulin G rheumatoid factor have a significantly increased risk for developing rheumatoid arthritis, suggests population-based research published in the BMJ.

10 Sep 2012

'No malignancy risk' with biologic response modifiers

Rheumatoid arthritis patients treated with biologic response modifiers for at least 6 months do not have a greater risk for malignancy than those given other disease-modifying drugs or placebo, conclude US and Spanish researchers.

10 Sep 2012

Baylor Health Care System raises awareness about atrial fibrillation

An estimated 2.5 million Americans suffer from irregular heartbeats-also known as atrial fibrillation. Baylor Health Care System is raising awareness about this often misunderstood, but potentially life changing cardiovascular condition whose incidence is on the rise and expected to more than double by 2050.

10 Sep 2012

Genetic test to help prescribe proper dose of blood-thinner warfarin

Patients suffering from dangerous blood clots will receive genetic testing to help health professionals at the University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System prescribe the proper dose of the blood-thinner warfarin.

7 Sep 2012

Phthalates may be asthma trigger

Research suggests that exposure to two phthalates may be a trigger for asthma-related airway inflammation.

7 Sep 2012

Therapeutic targets for pemphigus vulgaris discovered

Researchers have identified the primary target of the autoantibodies found in the serum of patients with the blistering skin disorder pemphigus vulgaris.

7 Sep 2012

Estech introduces COBRA Fusion ablation system

Estech, a leading provider of minimally invasive cardiac ablation devices, today announced the market release of its COBRA Fusion ablation system.

6 Sep 2012

NSA launches new Faces of Stroke mini-campaign

National Stroke Association has launched a new Faces of Stroke(SM) mini-campaign designed to educate about the connection between stroke and Afib, a type of irregular heartbeat that increases risk of stroke by five times.

6 Sep 2012

Potassium-channel autoimmunity linked to chronic pain

A substantial proportion of patients with voltage-gated potassium channel-complex autoimmunity experience chronic idiopathic pain, although the specific antigenic complex associated with pain remains to be determined, conclude US scientists.

3 Sep 2012

Study assesses post-coronary artery bypass graft surgery atrial fibrillation and long-term survival

Atrial fibrillation is a common complication of cardiac surgery, occurring in 10 percent to 40 percent of patients. Recent studies show it to be associated with poorer health following surgery and poorer long-term survival. Furthermore, development of atrial fibrillation after cardiac surgery leads to average additional health care costs of $15,000 to $20,000.

1 Sep 2012