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.

AF patients at risk for stroke mostly treated with aspirin-only prescription instead of blood thinners

Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine and University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine report that more than 1 in 3 atrial fibrillation (AF) patients at intermediate to high risk for stroke are treated with aspirin alone, despite previous data showing this therapy to be inferior to blood thinners.

21 Jun 2016

Apixaban effective in polypharmacy setting

The superiority of apixaban over warfarin in patients with atrial fibrillation is maintained in those taking multiple medications, shows further analysis of the ARISTOTLE trial.

21 Jun 2016

Worsening renal function linked to increased cardiovascular risk in AF

Patients with atrial fibrillation and declining renal function are at increased risk of subsequent stroke or systemic embolism, major bleeding and death, US researchers report.

17 Jun 2016

Watchman device for irregular heart rhythms may be preferable to standard blood thinning medications

A new study by a Yale researcher may support the use of a device for patients suffering from irregular heart rhythms.

17 Jun 2016

Researchers clarify cause of heart arrhythmia in myotonic dystrophy

An international joint research group found that the cause of heart arrhythmia in myotonic dystrophy was RNA abnormalities in the sodium channel in the heart, clarifying the symptom's mechanism. This finding will be helpful in prevention and early intervention of death in this disease, leading to the development of new treatment.

16 Jun 2016

Study evaluates effectiveness of robotic approach over manual ablation in treating heart arrhythmia

Whether ablation of the highest-risk heart arrhythmia is best handled by a robot or the hands of an electrophysiologist should be answered by an international comparison of the two.

16 Jun 2016

Consensus paper on atrial cardiomyopathies could be important step forward for research, treatment

The first consensus paper on atrial cardiomyopathies is set to be published simultaneously in EP-Europace, HeartRhythm, and the Journal of Arrhythmia. The key contents are launched today at CARDIOSTIM - EHRA EUROPACE 2016.

13 Jun 2016

Women more likely to be hospitalised for acute ischaemic stroke than men, say researchers

A 15 year study in 1.1 million patients with atrial fibrillation has found that women are 23% more likely to be hospitalised for acute ischaemic stroke than men. The research was presented today at CARDIOSTIM - EHRA EUROPACE 2016 by Dr Ghanshyam Shantha, a cardiovascular disease fellow at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa, US.

10 Jun 2016

CMR could offer complete imaging solution before pulmonary vein isolation

Cardiac magnetic resonance can potentially be used to detect thrombi at the same time as being used for pulmonary venous anatomy mapping, say researchers

4 Jun 2016

Just one stroke risk factor signals anticoagulation need in AF

The risk of stroke or systemic embolism is significantly increased in atrial fibrillation patients with just one risk factor apart from gender, say researchers.

2 Jun 2016

Trial results underestimate anticoagulant bleeding risk

A study in The BMJ demonstrates that estimates of major bleeding risk in patients taking anticoagulants in clinical trials are unlikely to reflect the reality of clinical practice.

28 May 2016

Study finds link between respiratory sinus arrhythmia and survival prospects of heart attack patients

The heart rate may be an indicator of a person's life expectancy. A research team at the Technical University of Munich has to this end analyzed an effect which at first seems paradoxical: Minor irregularities in the heartbeat are indicative of a healthy body.

28 May 2016

AF linked to increased cancer risk in women

Women with new-onset atrial fibrillation have a significantly increased cancer risk for at least 1 year after AF diagnosis, an analysis of Women's Health Study data shows.

27 May 2016

UPMC study gives better understanding of cardiac arrhythmia following lung transplantation

Cardiac arrhythmia is a common complication following lung transplantation, and one that has a significant negative impact on long-term patient survival, reports a team of UPMC researchers in the largest study of its kind to date.

27 May 2016

AF-related symptoms and quality of life worse in women

Women with atrial fibrillation experience more severe symptoms, a lower quality of life and a higher risk of stroke than men, but they have better overall survival, US study data show.

24 May 2016

New experimental model may predict eventual cardiac phenotype in pediatric patients

An experimental model uses genetics-guided biomechanics and patient-derived stem cells to predict what type of inherited heart defect a child will develop, according to authors of a new study in the journal Cell.

21 May 2016

Targeting rotors challenged for nonparoxsymal AF

Targeted ablation of electrical rotors and focal sources is not a successful strategy in patients with persistent or long-standing atrial fibrillation, shows the randomised OASIS trial.

18 May 2016

Non-invasive 3-D virtual heart assessment tool can help predict arrhythmia risk in patients

When electrical waves in the heart run amok in a condition called arrhythmia, sudden death can occur. To save the life of a patient at risk, doctors currently implant a small defibrillator to sense the onset of arrhythmia and jolt the heart back to a normal rhythm.

11 May 2016

Controlling heart cells using a laser: an interview with Prof. Konstantin Agladze

We control their electrical activity. Cardiac cells are capable of producing and transmitting electric signals through changes in a cell membrane potential.

9 May 2016

Long-term Warfarin use may increase dementia rates in AF patients

A new study of more than 10,000 patients treated long term with the blood thinner, Warfarin, reveals higher rates of dementia for patients with atrial fibrillation versus non-AF patients

5 May 2016