Atrial Fibrillation News and Research

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Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia. An arrhythmia is a problem with the speed or rhythm of the heartbeat. A disorder in the heart’s electrical system causes AF and other types of arrhythmia. AF occurs when rapid, disorganized electrical signals in the heart’s two upper chambers, called the atria, cause them to contract very fast and irregularly (this is called fibrillation). As a result, blood pools in the atria and isn’t pumped completely into the heart’s two lower chambers, called the ventricles. When this happens, the heart’s upper and lower chambers don’t work together as they should. Often, people who have AF may not even feel symptoms. However, even when not noticed, AF can lead to an increased risk of stroke. In many patients, particularly when the rhythm is extremely rapid, AF can cause chest pain, heart attack, or heart failure. AF may occur rarely or every now and then, or it may become a persistent or permanent heart rhythm lasting for years.

University of Birmingham joins €19 million project to develop better treatments for heart disease

The University of Birmingham is part of a major new €19 million project aimed at breaking new ground for the development of treatments for millions of patients with heart disease in Europe.

19 Jul 2017

GPs prescribing anticoagulants to AF patients against official safety advice, study shows

A study by researchers at the University of Birmingham has shown that GPs are prescribing anticoagulants to patients with an irregular heartbeat against official safety advice.

17 Jul 2017

Working for many hours each day can increase risk of heart problems

Research published yesterday shows that the risk of developing an irregular heartbeat—atrial fibrillation— is considerably higher among people working more than 55 hours a week.

14 Jul 2017

Scientists develop first app and method to predict heart events after liver transplant

The first app and score to determine the one-year risk of a liver transplant patient dying or being hospitalized for a heart attack or other cardiovascular complication has been developed by Northwestern Medicine scientists.

12 Jul 2017

Novel therapy rapidly and effectively reverses effect of oral blood thinner

At least 28 million prescriptions for blood thinners are filled by pharmacists yearly for the irregular heartbeat of atrial fibrillation, deep vein thrombosis, and other indications, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.

11 Jul 2017

Asymptomatic atrial fibrillation patients have higher rate of previous stroke, study finds

Newly diagnosed asymptomatic atrial fibrillation patients have a higher rate of previous stroke than those with symptoms, according to results from the GLORIA-AF Registry presented today at EHRA EUROPACE - CARDIOSTIM 2017.

21 Jun 2017

Happitech, Arrhythmia Alliance and Bug Labs launch Heart for Heart e-health initiative

Happitech, Arrhythmia Alliance and Bug Labs will announce the launch of the Heart for Heart e-health initiative. This initiative invites people to participate in the world’s largest crowdsourced heart health initiative by inviting them to contribute their heart rhythm data using the free Heart for Heart iPhone App.

15 Jun 2017

Roche to showcase new solutions for lab innovation at EuroMedLab

Roche announced today that it will be showcasing new solutions for lab innovation and leadership at the 22nd IFCC–EFLM European Congress of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicines in Athens, Greece, 11–15 June.

From Roche Sequencing and Life Science 13 Jun 2017

Paroxysmal AF patients less likely to be prescribed anticoagulants for stroke prevention, study finds

A study by the University of Birmingham has revealed a treatment gap in patients suffering from a heart condition that causes an irregular or abnormally fast heartbeat.

12 Jun 2017

Rush offers new, implantable cardiac device to reduce risk of stroke in AFib patients

Rush University Medical Center is offering a new, implantable cardiac device to reduce the risk of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation, providing an alternative to the long-term use of blood thinners.

7 Jun 2017

Study: 1 in 6 patients on new blood-thinning medications may not be receiving recommended dose

Almost 1 in 6 of the millions of Americans on the new blood-thinning medications for atrial fibrillation, a common heart condition characterized by an irregular and often rapid heart rate, may not be receiving the recommended dose, new Mayo Clinic research finds.

5 Jun 2017

Cardiologists advocate for atrial fibrillation procedure that limits radiation exposure

A technique to treat an irregular heartbeat that limits or eliminates patients' exposure to radiation should be more widely adopted by physicians, NewYork-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medicine cardiologists argue in a new review article in Heart Rhythm, published in the June print issue and previously published online.

1 Jun 2017

Consumption of chocolate is associated with lower atrial fibrillation risks, study finds

A study published online in the journal Heart found that regular consumption of chocolate may be associated with a lower risk of developing irregular heart rhythm, atrial fibrillation (heart flutter).

24 May 2017

Moderate chocolate intake linked to lower risk of atrial fibrillation

A new study led by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, in collaboration with researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Aalborg University and Institute of Cancer Epidemiology in Denmark, found that consuming moderate amounts of chocolate was associated with significantly lower risk of being diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, a common and potentially life threatening type of irregular heartbeat.

24 May 2017

Obstructive sleep apnea linked to increased risk of developing atrial fibrillation

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may increase the risk of developing atrial fibrillation (AF), according to new research presented at the ATS 2017 International Conference.

22 May 2017

EHRA EUROPACE - CARDIOSTIM 2017 to showcase holographic cardiac imaging and other innovations

Holographic cardiac imaging and other innovations will be showcased at the EHRA EUROPACE - CARDIOSTIM 2017 in Vienna, Austria.

18 May 2017

Penn researchers find AF ablation to be safe and effective for CHD patients

Congenital heart disease (CHD) includes a range of defects that occur in the heart which patients are born with, such as a hole in the heart's wall, a leaky valve or even an inversion in the heart's orientation. CHD was once a severe condition often resulting in early death, but now, more and more CHD patients are living long and healthy lives.

15 May 2017

Long-term aspirin therapy shows no benefit for stroke reduction in low risk AF patients, study finds

A new study by researchers at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute in Salt Lake City found that using long-term aspirin therapy to prevent strokes among patients who are considered to be at low risk for stroke may not be effective as previously thought.

15 May 2017

Delayed anticoagulation treatment for atrial fibrillation patients increases dementia risk, study finds

A new study has found that dementia rates increase when anticoagulation treatment is delayed for patients with atrial fibrillation, the most common heart arrhythmia in the world that affects more than 2.7 million American adults.

12 May 2017

Researchers identify microRNA biomarker linked to incidence of atrial fibrillation

Researchers have identified a microRNA biomarker that demonstrates a strong association with the incidence of atrial fibrillation, the most common abnormal heart rhythm that affects more than 2.7 million Americans.

11 May 2017