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.

Awareness of arrhythmia symptoms to prevent stroke and heart failure

Butterflies in a patient's stomach are one thing, but palpitations in their chest can mean serious heart problems.

5 Sep 2018

FDA accepts Bristol-Myers Squibb’s application for Sprycel for treating pediatric leukemia

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration accepted its supplemental Biologics License Application for Sprycel (dasatinib) in combination with chemotherapy for the treatment of pediatric patients with newly diagnosed Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

30 Aug 2018

Drug used for chest pain does not decrease chance of first occurrence of ventricular arrhythmias

A clinical trial of more than 1,000 patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillators found that the drug ranolazine was safe but didn't significantly decrease the likelihood of the first occurrence of ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation or death in this high-risk population.

29 Aug 2018

Left atrial fibrosis may indicate high risk of arrhythmias in trained endurance athletes

Left atrial fibrosis may explain the increased risk of arrhythmias seen in highly trained endurance athletes, according to research presented today at ESC Congress 2018.

27 Aug 2018

VTCRI study may disrupt conventional understanding about how electrical activity travels in the heart

Scientists at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute have found evidence that may disrupt conventional understanding about how electrical activity travels in the heart - a discovery that potentially can lead to new insight into medical problems such as heart arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death.

27 Aug 2018

Philips introduces new cardiovascular ultrasound system with anatomical intelligence

Royal Philips, a global leader in health technology, today introduced the EPIQ CVx cardiovascular ultrasound system. Built on the powerful EPIQ ultrasound platform, EPIQ CVx is specifically designed to increase diagnostic confidence and simplify workflow for clinicians, giving them more time to interact with their patients and reducing the need for repeat scans.

22 Aug 2018

Desert bush spider toxin helps researchers to better understand human and insect biology

A toxin from the desert bush spider is helping researchers understand more about human and insect biology, which could lead to new treatments for health conditions and bee-friendly insecticides.

27 Jul 2018

CNDA approves KEYTRUDA for treatment of advanced melanoma

Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, today announced that KEYTRUDA, Merck's anti-PD-1 therapy, has been approved by the China National Drug Administration for the treatment of adult patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma following failure of one prior line of therapy.

26 Jul 2018

Phase 3 study of KEYTRUDA monotherapy meets primary endpoint

Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, announced today that the pivotal Phase 3 KEYNOTE-048 trial investigating KEYTRUDA, Merck's anti-PD-1 therapy, for first-line treatment of recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, met a primary endpoint of overall survival as monotherapy in patients whose tumors expressed PD-L1.

25 Jul 2018

Bioengineers build 3D model of human heart ventricle

Harvard University researchers have bioengineered a three-dimensional model of a human left heart ventricle that could be used to study diseases, test drugs and develop patient-specific treatments for heart conditions such as arrhythmia.

24 Jul 2018

Review: Omega 3 supplements do not reduce risk of heart disease, stroke or death

New evidence published today shows there is little or no effect of omega 3 supplements on our risk of experiencing heart disease, stroke or death.

18 Jul 2018

Heavy smokers have increased risk of heart rhythm disorder, shows study

The more you smoke, the greater your risk of a heart rhythm disorder called atrial fibrillation. That's the finding of a study published today in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, a European Society of Cardiology (ESC) journal.(1)

12 Jul 2018

New prototype ‘Super BEAT’ can reproduce beating of the heart with extreme accuracy

Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd. and EBM Corporation have developed a prototype "Super BEAT" surgical training simulator that can reproduce the beating of the heart with extreme accuracy using e-Rubber, an artificial muscle that functions with electricity.

2 Jul 2018

Newer anticoagulant may be safer for dialysis patients with Afib

People with irregular heartbeat due to a condition called atrial fibrillation, are often prescribed blood thinners to reduce the risk of blood clots that can cause a stroke.

30 Jun 2018

Catheter-based ablation procedure reduces risks of death, stroke in AFib patients

Using catheter-based ablation instead of medications alone reduces the risks of death and stroke in patients with the common form of heart arrhythmia known as atrial fibrillation, or AFib, new research from UC Davis physicians shows.

30 Jun 2018

Only one of 21 genes in BrS genetic test found to be associated with Brugada Syndrome

Clinical laboratories often rely on medical articles and public information on gene disease associations in determining the genes to include on genetic testing panels for specific conditions or the specific results to return to patients.

29 Jun 2018

Researchers demonstrate feasibility of implanting micropacemaker in pericardial sac around the heart

Investigators at Children's Hospital Los Angeles and the University of Southern California have demonstrated the feasibility of implanting a micropacemaker system in the pericardial sac surrounding the heart -- a breakthrough that may open up new cardiac pacing options for children and adults.

26 Jun 2018

Are wearable defibrillators a suitable alternative to surgically implanted devices?

Wearable defibrillators may be a safe and effective alternative to surgically implanted devices among children with ventricular arrythmias that increase the risk of sudden cardiac death, according to a new study.

26 Jun 2018

Merck announces FDA acceptance of supplemental Biologics License Application for KEYTRUDA

Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has accepted for standard review a new supplemental Biologics License Application for KEYTRUDA, Merck's anti-PD-1 therapy, as adjuvant therapy in the treatment of patients with resected, high-risk stage III melanoma and granted a Prescription Drug User Fee Act, or target action, date of February 16, 2019.

25 Jun 2018

Combining stem cell technology and artificial intelligence to diagnose genetic cardiac diseases

A new study by Professors Martti Juhola and Katriina Aalto-Setälä of the University of Tampere in Finland demonstrates that with the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning, it is possible not only to accurately sort sick cardiac cell cultures from healthy ones, but also to differentiate between genetic cardiac diseases.

20 Jun 2018