Pacemaker News and Research

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NASW sponsors 2011 Science in Society Journalism Awards

The winners of the 2011 Science in Society Journalism Awards, sponsored by the National Association of Science Writers.

15 Sep 2011

Researchers describe new function of HCN channels in the heart

The heartbeat is the result of rhythmic contractions of the heart muscle, which are in turn regulated by electrical signals called action potentials. Action potentials result from the controlled flow of ions into heart muscle cells (depolarization) through channels in their membranes, and are followed by a compensating reverse ion current (repolarization), which restores the original state. If the duration of the repolarization phase is not just right, the risk of ventricular arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death increases significantly.

12 Sep 2011

St. Jude Medical receives approval for CRT-D quadripolar pacing system in India

St. Jude Medical, Inc., a global medical device company, today announced the approval of the industry's first quadripolar pacing system for cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillators (CRT-Ds) in India. The Promote Quadra CRT-D offers physicians the ability to more effectively and efficiently manage the ever-changing pacing needs of patients with heart failure.

7 Sep 2011

Simpler defibrillators may cause fewer problems for patients at risk of sudden cardiac death

When it comes to defibrillators, simpler may be safer, even though more complex machines are used on a majority of patients.

2 Sep 2011

New Diabetes Care article helps to identify and treat Charcot foot

Robert Winkler says he limped around on his painful left foot for six months, suffering unnecessarily from a misdiagnosis by a physician who didn't know about the symptoms and treatments for Charcot foot, a form of localized osteoporosis linked to diabetes that causes the bones to soften and break, often resulting in amputation.

2 Sep 2011

Comprehensive review on non-drug interventions for treatment of high blood pressure

More and more, patients show up to appointments with hypertension expert John Bisognano, M.D., Ph.D. carrying bags full of "natural" products that they hope will help lower their blood pressure. And like most physicians, Bisognano doesn't always know if these products will do any good, or if they will cause any harm.

31 Aug 2011

CMR predicts increased risk of sudden cardiac death in patients with myocardial infarction

Universitätsmedizin Berlin and Universität Leiden developed a method to identify a subgroup of patients with myocardial infarction that is at increased risk for sudden cardiac death.

30 Aug 2011

Medtronic first quarter global revenue increases 7% to $4.049 billion

Medtronic, Inc. today announced financial results for its first quarter of fiscal year 2012, which ended July 29, 2011.

From Medtronic 23 Aug 2011

Sea Squirts found to have pacemaker cells similar to human heart

An international team of molecular scientists have discovered that star ascidians, also known as sea squirts, have pacemaker cells similar to that of the human heart. The research, published in the JEZ A: Ecological Genetics and Physiology, may offer a new insight into the early evolution of the heart as star ascidians are one of the closest related invertebrates to mammals.

2 Aug 2011

FDA approves Medtronic's IDE for Advisa DR MRI SureScan pacing system

Medtronic, Inc. today announced U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for its Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) application and pivotal clinical trial protocol to begin evaluating Advisa DR MRI SureScan pacing system.

From Medtronic 1 Aug 2011

Electrochem launches new company website and corporate brand

Electrochem Solutions, Inc. announced today the launch of its rebranded and redesigned company website.

1 Aug 2011

Merck secures worldwide rights to vernakalant i.v.

Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, and Astellas US LLC, the U.S. subsidiary of Astellas Pharma Inc. today announced that they have entered into an agreement under which Merck, through a subsidiary, will acquire the exclusive rights to develop and commercialize the investigational intravenous formulation of vernakalant (vernakalant i.v.) in Canada, Mexico and the United States from Astellas.

27 Jul 2011

Deep brain stimulation benefits people with Parkinson's, essential tremor

Tom Keilen couldn't grab a glass of water without spilling it all over himself. Plagued with uncontrollable tremors at just 57 years old, the Michigan resident was fighting a battle against an aggressive case of Parkinson's disease.

21 Jul 2011

Caffeine reduces women's chances of becoming pregnant

Caffeine reduces muscle activity in the Fallopian tubes that carry eggs from a woman's ovaries to her womb. "Our experiments were conducted in mice, but this finding goes a long way towards explaining why drinking caffeinated drinks can reduce a woman's chance of becoming pregnant," says Sean Ward, professor of physiology and cell biology, at the University of Nevada School of Medicine, who conducted the study.

21 Jul 2011

St. Jude Medical second quarter net sales increase 10% to $1.447 billion

St. Jude Medical, Inc. today reported sales and net earnings for the second quarter ended July 2, 2011.

20 Jul 2011

Clinipace Worldwide selected to manage Spectranetics' cardiovascular device clinical study

Clinipace Worldwide, a global digital clinical research organization (dCRO), announced today that Spectranetics Corporation, a developer, manufacturer, marketer and distributer of single-use medical devices used in minimally invasive procedures within the cardiovascular system, has selected Clinipace to manage all aspects of a pivotal cardiovascular device clinical study that will serve as the basis for 510(k) notice submission.

20 Jul 2011

InterStim Therapy now available for treatment of chronic bowel incontinence

A new procedure is now available for the treatment of chronic bowel incontinence, a disorder impacting the lives of more than 18 million Americans. The treatment, called InterStim Therapy is a minimally invasive procedure which uses electrical impulses to stimulate the sacral nerve and improve muscle function.

19 Jul 2011

New ways for treating diabetes

Surgeons at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center are innovating new ways to treat diabetes using techniques from weight-loss surgery, including experimental procedures to improve blood glucose levels and address a major complication of the disease.

16 Jul 2011

Research roundup: Putting good science into practice; shifting hospital costs; finding savings in Mass.

In 2006, researchers published a widely reported study showing that for many patients who had suffered a heart attack more than 24 hours before and had a blocked coronary artery, certain heart procedures, such as balloon angioplasty and the insertion of stents, were no more effective than drugs alone. In 2007, the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology issued guidelines urging doctors to not use such treatments in those patients.

16 Jul 2011

Implantable fuel cells may obtain energy from blood sugar and oxygen

Implants that obtain their energy from blood sugar and oxygen: Dr. Sven Kerzenmacher at the Department of Microsystems Engineering (IMTEK) of the University of Freiburg is researching the development of biological fuel cells with the goal of finding an inexhaustible source of power in the human body. He has been awarded the 2011 FAM Research Prize for his dissertation by the Forum for Applied Microsystems Technology (FAM).

15 Jul 2011