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.

Scientists unravel how genetic defects can help predict risk of sudden cardiac death

Sudden cardiac death is always a shocking, tragic event, especially when it occurs at a young age. But, for the first time, scientists are unraveling how genetic defects can help predict the risk of dying suddenly in individuals with one of the leading causes of this unfortunate phenomenon.

11 May 2011

NYU Langone researchers present recent findings at The Heart Rhythm Society 32nd annual sessions

Cardiologists from the Cardiac & Vascular Institute at NYU Langone Medical Center presented new research at The Heart Rhythm Society's 32nd Annual Scientific Sessions, May 4 -7 in San Francisco, California.

9 May 2011

New cardiac genetic testing guidelines for health care professionals

An international panel of experts from The Heart Rhythm Society and the European Heart Rhythm Association issued new guideline recommendations for all health care professionals about cardiovascular genetic testing at the Heart Rhythm Society's 32nd Annual Scientific Sessions.

7 May 2011

BSX announces international launch and first implant of new cardiac devices

Boston Scientific Corporation today announced the launch and first implants of its ENERGEN and PUNCTUA cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillators and implantable cardioverter defibrillators in Europe and other international markets.

6 May 2011

ICD therapy can improve ischemic cardiomyopathy survival rates

Most patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy and dilated cardiomyopathy who have an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator now live more than seven years and those ICD patients with hereditary heart disease can live for decades, based on a scientific paper that will be presented at the American College of Cardiology Scientific Sessions in New Orleans, April 1-3.

6 Apr 2011

Cardioxyl's CXL-1020 preclinical data against heart failure presented at ACC meeting

Cardioxyl Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that it is presenting two abstracts from studies of its lead clinical candidate, CXL-1020, at the American College of Cardiology's 60th Annual Scientific Session & Expo in New Orleans, Louisiana.

5 Apr 2011

New guidelines highlight genetic testing use in heart arrhythmia clinical management

The Canadian Cardiovascular Society and Canadian Heart Rhythm Society have produced the first-ever comprehensive guidelines on the use of genetic testing in the clinical management of inherited heart rhythm disorders, released in the March/April issue of the Canadian Journal of Cardiology published by Elsevier.

29 Mar 2011

FDA approves Medtronic's Protecta implantable defibrillators

Medtronic, Inc. today announced U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of the Protecta portfolio of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators and cardiac resynchronization therapy-defibrillators.

29 Mar 2011

Episodic physical and sexual activity associated with short-term increase in risk of acute cardiac events

An analysis of previous studies that examined whether episodic physical activity and sexual activity can act as a trigger for cardiac events found an association between these activities and a short-term increased risk of heart attack and sudden cardiac death, although the absolute risk was small and lessened among persons with high levels of regular physical activity, according to an article in the March 23/30 issue of JAMA.

23 Mar 2011

Pilot study shows feasibility of heart screening for risk of SCA in children

A pilot study in healthy children and adolescents shows that it is feasible to screen for undiagnosed heart conditions that increase the risk of sudden cardiac arrest.

18 Mar 2011

Sports medicine physician suggests cardiac screening for young athletes requires augmentation of existing diagnostics to achieve greater accuracy, become cost-effective

Sports medicine physician Steve Watts says cardiac screening for young athletes is useful in preventing sudden cardiac death and suggests new diagnostics have the potential to add value and change the debate about the viability of cardiac screening for young athletes in the United States.

17 Mar 2011

CUBN gene mutation linked with albuminuria in individuals with or without diabetes

A team of researchers from the United States and Europe has identified a single genetic mutation in the CUBN gene that is associated with albuminuria both with and without diabetes. Albuminuria is a condition caused by the leaking of the protein albumin into the urine, which is an indication of kidney disease.

9 Mar 2011

Experts to discuss cause of sudden death on athletic playing fields

While the cause of death of the Fennville, Mich. high school basketball player is unknown, an inherited heart condition makes the top of the list for possible causes.

5 Mar 2011

Omega-3 fish oils: Natural health solution for the heart

Did you know that over the average life span, a heart beats 2 to 3 billion times? As one of the hardest working muscles pumping oxygen and essential nutrients throughout your body an average of 100,000 times a day, the heart needs a lot of help to stay working fit.

25 Feb 2011

Mutations in gene linked to structure of the heart seen in Ebstein's anomaly patients

Ebstein's anomaly is a rare congenital valvular heart disease. Now, in patients with this disease, researchers of the Academic Medical Center Amsterdam in the Netherlands, the University of Newcastle, UK and the Max Delbr-ck Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) Berlin-Buch have identified mutations in a gene which plays an important role in the structure of the heart.

16 Feb 2011

Survey finds most hospitals, birthing centers do not routinely screen for congenital heart defects

Only about two out of every 100 babies (1.8 percent) were screened at birth for congenital heart defects (CHDs) because the hospital or birthing center where the baby was born routinely screens all newborns for CHDs -- the number-one birth defect and leading killer of infants and newborns. This is according to a survey just released by Little Hearts, Inc., a national organization that provides support, education, resources, networking and hope to families affected by congenital heart defects.

8 Feb 2011

Chances of surviving cardiac arrests high in large public venues having AEDs

A study of more than 14,000 men and women whose hearts stopped suddenly suggests that the chances of survival are very high if such cardiac arrests are witnessed in large public venues, including airports, sports arenas or malls. The reasons, researchers say, are that almost four out of five such cases appear to be due to a survivable type of heart rhythm disruption and that big places with lots of people are more likely to have an automated external defibrillator, or AED device, handy, along with those who can apply it as well as CPR.

3 Feb 2011

Scientists discover key clue that can lead to sudden cardiac deaths

Australian researchers have come one step closer to understanding how the rhythm of the heartbeat is controlled and why many common drugs, including some antibiotics, antihistamines and anti-psychotics, can cause a potentially fatal abnormal heart rhythm.

29 Jan 2011

22.5% implanted defibrillators are unnecessary: Study

According to a new study nearly 20% of American patients who receive an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) may not need it. These ICDs when unnecessary could put the patients at higher risk of death and serious complications than patients who meet the criteria for the life-saving device say authors of the study published in the Jan. 5 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

6 Jan 2011

20% of patients who received implantable cardioverter-defibrillators did not meet guidelines for receipt of ICD

A study that included more than 100,000 patients who received implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) found that about 20 percent did not meet evidence-based guidelines for receipt of an ICD, and that these patients had a significantly higher risk of in-hospital death than individuals who met criteria for receiving an ICD, according to a study in the January 5 issue of JAMA.

5 Jan 2011