Sudden Cardiac Death News and Research

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The term sudden cardiac death refers to natural death from cardiac causes, heralded by abrupt loss of consciousness within one hour of the onset of acute symptoms.

Regular and moderate exercise most beneficial for cardiovascular health

Micah True, legendary ultra-marathoner, died suddenly while on a routine 12-mile training run March 27, 2012. The mythic Caballo Blanco in the best-selling book, Born to Run, True would run as far as 100 miles in a day. On autopsy his heart was enlarged and scarred; he died of a lethal arrhythmia (irregularity of the heart rhythm). Although speculative, the pathologic changes in the heart of this 58 year-old veteran extreme endurance athlete may have been manifestations of "Phidippides cardiomyopathy," a condition caused by chronic excessive endurance exercise.

4 Jun 2012

RUB researchers gain new insights into mechanisms of cardiovascular disease

Malformed desmin proteins aggregate with intact proteins of the same kind, thereby triggering skeletal and cardiac muscle diseases, the desminopathies. This was discovered by researchers from the RUB Heart and Diabetes Center NRW in Bad Oeynhausen led by PD Dr. Hendrik Milting in an interdisciplinary research project with colleagues from the universities in Karlsruhe, Würzburg and Bielefeld. They report in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

25 May 2012

Harvard cardiologist receives Cedars-Sinai’s Corday Prize in Heart Research

Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute is honoring Eugene Braunwald, MD, Distinguished Hersey Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, with The Eliot Corday, MD, International Prize in Heart Research. The Corday Prize has been established to recognize physicians and scientists conducting groundbreaking research that has, or very likely will, change the practice of heart medicine. Braunwald is the inaugural recipient of the annual prize.

15 May 2012

Novel heart monitoring device helps ER patients avoid unnecessary follow-up care

A study conducted at Scripps Health has found that a novel new heart monitoring device helped emergency room patients avoid unnecessary follow-up care. Scripps Health electrophysiologist Steven Higgins, MD, presented findings of the study titled, "Prevalence of Arrhythmias in Emergency Department Patients Discharged Using a Novel Ambulatory Cardiac Monitor", today at the Heart Rhythm Society's 33rd Annual Scientific Sessions in Boston.

14 May 2012

PET imaging for sudden cardiac arrest can identify candidates for ICDs

New research from the University at Buffalo suggests that cardiologists may have a new way to identify patients who are at the highest risk of sudden cardiac arrest, and the most likely to benefit from receiving an implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD).

11 May 2012

ICD therapy significantly reduces mortality in patients with moderate heart failure

St. Jude Medical, Inc., a global medical device company, today announced results of the SCD-HeFT (Sudden Cardiac Death in Heart Failure Trial) 10-Year Follow-up Study at Heart Rhythm 2012, the Heart Rhythm Society's 33rd Annual Scientific Sessions in Boston. The study demonstrated implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) therapy significantly reduces mortality for at least 11 years in patients with moderate heart failure (HF).

11 May 2012

Article evaluates benefits and costs of screening programs for prevention of SCD

An article, published in Circulation by Laurel K. Leslie, MD, MPH from the Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) and colleagues from Tufts Medical Center and Floating Hospital for Children at Tufts Medical Center, has evaluated the lifesaving benefits and costs of screening programs for the prevention of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in children and adolescents.

10 May 2012

FDA approves St. Jude Medical’s Ellipse ICD

St. Jude Medical, Inc., a global medical device company, today announced U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of its Ellipse implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD).

10 May 2012

Researchers discover location and effect of abnormal heart proteins

University of Guelph researchers have found the location and effect of abnormal heart proteins that can cause cardiac failure, a discovery that points to potential new ways to treat the most costly health problem in the world.

9 May 2012

FDA approves St. Jude Medical's Assura family of implantable defibrillators

St. Jude Medical, Inc., a global medical device company, today announced U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of its Assura portfolio of implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) and cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillators (CRT-Ds).

8 May 2012

Heart Rhythm Society launches Boston Citywide Awareness Campaign

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick has proclaimed May to be Cardiac Arrhythmia Awareness Month, calling attention to the need for greater public awareness throughout the Commonwealth about two serious heart rhythm conditions, atrial fibrillation and sudden cardiac arrest. To support consumer education about these potentially life-threatening disease states, the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) has launched a Boston Citywide Awareness Campaign to increase knowledge about symptoms, warning signs and available treatment options.

2 May 2012

Cameron Health's subcutaneous ICD for sudden cardiac arrest receives FDA advisory panel approval

Cameron Health, Inc., a pioneer in the development, manufacture and distribution of next generation implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs), announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Circulatory System Devices Panel voted 7-1 that sufficient data exists demonstrating the efficacy and safety of the S-ICD System for the treatment of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA).

27 Apr 2012

UW researcher receives Dr. Harry L. Galanty Young Investigator Award

University of Washington researcher Jessie Fudge, MD received the Dr. Harry L. Galanty Young Investigator's Award for excellence in sports medicine research at the 21st American Medical Society for Sports Medicine Annual Meeting in Atlanta, Ga. on April 24, 2012.

26 Apr 2012

LVHT more common in afro-Caribbean athletes

Left-ventricular hyper-trabeculation (LVHT) - a feature of certain cardiomyopathies (chronic disease of the heart muscle) - has been found to be more common in black, male athletes according to a new study presented today at the World Congress of Cardiology.

19 Apr 2012

St. Jude Medical's Ellipse ICD receives CE Mark Approval

St. Jude Medical, Inc., a global medical device company, today announced CE Mark Approval of the Ellipse implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). Designed with feedback from more than 200 physicians from around the world, the Ellipse ICD provides the benefits of advanced features and power in the industry's smallest high-energy ICD.

16 Apr 2012

Fish oil not as beneficial for the heart as thought: Study

Fish oil, a combination of omega-3 fatty acids that has attracted much research on its effects on heart health. So far, the evidence has been inconclusive -- some studies have found fish oil has been major in preventing heart attacks, strokes and sudden cardiac death, while others have found fish oil has no benefits at all.

10 Apr 2012

Heart cells starved of nutrients less likely to be damaged during ischemia, reperfusion

Heart cells starved of nutrients are less likely to be damaged during periods of decreased blood flow and sudden influxes of blood, known as ischemia and reperfusion, and are also less likely to get out of synch with their cellular neighbors, the damaging phenomenon called arrhythmia.

9 Apr 2012

Cambridge Heart fourth quarter total revenue decreases to $557,000

Cambridge Heart, Inc., a developer of non-invasive diagnostic tests for cardiac disease, today reported results for its fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2011. Full financial statements and corresponding commentary can be found in the Company's Form 10-K, which will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 30, 2012.

31 Mar 2012

EACP recommends minimum standards for emergency cardiovascular care at stadiums

Cardiac arrest during professional sports activities has occurred in the past. Unfortunately, this has not led to a general improvement of the situation in Europe. The recent case of British football player Fabrice Muamba is, regretfully, a sad reminder of the need to adhere to existing guidelines for the screening of athletes and for the safety in big gatherings, especially (but not only) in professional sports events.

22 Mar 2012

Hibernation may provide insight into arrhythmia therapies

How much calcium could a hibernating woodchuck's heart cells sequester, if a hibernating woodchuck's heart cells could sequester calcium? More than enough, it turns out, to protect the animals from cardiac arrhythmias - abnormal heart rhythms such as ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation that can lead to sudden cardiac death - according to a new study of the hibernating animals that may provide insight into arrhythmia therapies.

23 Feb 2012