Arrhythmia News and Research

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An arrhythmia is a problem with the speed or rhythm of the heartbeat. During an arrhythmia, the heart can beat too fast, too slow, or with an irregular rhythm. A heartbeat that is too fast is called tachycardia. A heartbeat that is too slow is called bradycardia. Most arrhythmias are harmless, but some can be serious or even life threatening. When the heart rate is too slow, too fast, or irregular, the heart may not be able to pump enough blood to the body. Lack of blood flow can damage the brain, heart, and other organs.

Catheter ablation better than drug therapy for reducing AFib episodes, but not for reducing death

Atrial fibrillation is a common arrhythmia that affects an estimated 30 million people worldwide. New research shows that catheter ablation, a common cardiovascular procedure, appears no more effective than drug therapy to prevent strokes, deaths and other complications in patients with atrial fibrillation.

15 Mar 2019

2019 guidelines for management of patients with atrial fibrillation

Nearly 3 million Americans are living with atrial fibrillation (AFib), which is described as quivering or irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia).

23 Feb 2019

Invasive surgeries could be avoided with new pacemakers powered by heartbeats

Researchers have developed a small, flexible, elastic skeleton bound to two piezoelectric composites, which uses the electrical activity of the heart for power.

22 Feb 2019

Multinational initiative to study familial primary distal renal tubular acidosis

In addition to regulating the body's fluid balance, by excreting greater or smaller amounts of urine, the kidneys also maintain the proper balance of electrolytes (salts) and the pH (an acid-base equilibrium) within our body.

19 Feb 2019

Research finds reasons for sudden cardiac death in patients with stable ischemic disease

Sudden death in patients with stable ischemic heart disease is not a common occurrence and is sparsely reported.

18 Feb 2019

Innovative new software could help prevent incidence of arrhythmia

Potentially lethal heart conditions may become easier to spot and may lead to improvements in prevention and treatment thanks to innovative new software that measures electrical activity in the organ.

14 Feb 2019

Gerontologists assess change in patients' functional status after valve replacement procedure

Affecting an estimated one in eight people older than 75, aortic valve stenosis - a narrowing of the heart's main artery - makes the heart work harder to supply the body with blood, potentially limiting patient's activity levels an quality of life. Ultimately, aortic stenosis can lead to stroke, arrhythmia, heart failure and death.

5 Feb 2019

Early use of norepinephrine could benefit patients with sepsis and low blood pressure

Patients with septic shock who were treated with norepinephrine earlier than patients receiving standard care were more likely to have their blood pressure and shock stabilized within six hours of diagnosis, according to a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial published online in the American Thoracic Society’s American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

4 Feb 2019

Higher risk of cardiac death in African Americans linked to income and educational disparities

African Americans - especially African American women - have a significantly higher risk of sudden cardiac death during their lifetime than whites, and much of the disparity can be attributed to income and education levels, according to new research in the American Heart Association's journal Circulation.

4 Feb 2019

SPECT imaging combined with cardiac MRI could help improve ventricular tachycardia ablation

Adding functional imaging to structural imaging of patients with ventricular tachycardia (VT) has the potential to improve current VT ablation strategies, according to new research published in the January issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

30 Jan 2019

Researchers identify why heart attack triggers arrhythmia in some people

A team of researchers led by the University of California San Diego has identified a genetic pathway that causes some individuals to develop an abnormal heart rhythm, or arrhythmia, after experiencing a heart attack. They have also identified a drug candidate that can block this pathway.

29 Jan 2019

Research reveals how long fainting patients need to be monitored in the ED

For the first time, physicians in the Emergency Department have evidence-based recommendations on how best to catch the life-threatening conditions that make some people faint.

21 Jan 2019

Biomarkers identified that could predict the risk of stroke

Researchers have successfully developed two biomarkers that could help predict the risk of a heart condition and stroke.

7 Jan 2019

Genes are involved in development of atrial fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation is the most common form of heart arrhythmia. About ten per cent of everyone over age 75 develop this condition, in which the two upper chambers of the heart (the atria) beat much faster than the main chambers (the ventricles), creating a fluttering feeling in the chest.

7 Jan 2019

Researchers investigate how physical exercise protects against sudden cardiac death

A group of researchers from the departments of Physical Therapy, Medicine and Electronic Engineering of Valencia University and from the innovations group ITACA have just published research into physical exercise as a protector against sudden cardiac death. The study has been published in the 'PlosOne' journal.

4 Jan 2019

Exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke triggers changes in the heart's electrical activity

Continuous indoor exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke triggers changes in the heart's electrical activity, known as cardiac alternans, that can predict cardiac arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death, a new study from UC Davis Health researchers shows.

28 Dec 2018

WU biomedical engineer makes a significant step toward precision medicine

In 2015, then President Barack Obama launched a precision medicine initiative, saying that its promise was "delivering the right treatments, at the right time, every time to the right person.

20 Dec 2018

Scientists find link between dietary salt intake and risk of developing common heart condition

Scientists have uncovered the first evidence to associate dietary salt intake with the risk of developing a common heart condition that affects millions of people worldwide, in a new study published in the Annals of Medicine.

4 Dec 2018

In grandma’s stocking: An apple watch to monitor falls, track heart rhythms

For more than a decade, the latest Apple products have been the annual must-have holiday gift for the tech-savvy. That raises the question: Is the newest Apple Watch on your list — either to give or receive — this year?