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.

Janssen submits supplemental New Drug Application for IMBRUVICA to the U.S. FDA

Janssen Research & Development, LLC ("Janssen") today announced the submission of a supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) for IMBRUVICA™ (ibrutinib) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) by its collaboration partner Pharmacyclics, Inc.

8 Apr 2014

Pradaxa receives FDA approval for treatment and reduction of risk of recurrence of DVT and PE

Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Pradaxa® (dabigatran etexilate mesylate) for the treatment of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) in patients who have been treated with a parenteral anticoagulant for five to 10 days, and to reduce the risk of recurrent DVT and PE in patients who have been previously treated. DVT and PE are collectively referred to as venous thromboembolism (VTE).

8 Apr 2014

Interarm blood pressure measurement advised for diabetic patients

Initial blood pressure measurements in patients with diabetes should be taken from both arms, say researchers.

7 Apr 2014

Nurses guide patients into trance during procedure

Visualising a safe place reduces operative pain, according to research presented today at EuroHeartCare 2014. Nurses guided patients into a trance and found it helped patients cope with pain and anxiety during ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF).

7 Apr 2014

Enrollment commences for Daiichi Sankyo's ENSURE-AF multinational phase 3 study in NVAF patients

Daiichi Sankyo Company, Limited today announced that it has started enrolling patients into the ENSURE-AF multinational phase 3 study, which will evaluate the efficacy and safety of its investigational oral, once-daily direct factor Xa-inhibitor edoxaban compared to enoxaparin/warfarin for the prevention of stroke and other blood clot complications in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) undergoing electrical cardioversion (low-energy shocks to trigger normal heart rhythm).

31 Mar 2014

Poor blood pressure control increases stroke risk in patients with atrial fibrillation

Poor blood pressure control among patients with atrial fibrillation is associated with a 50-percent increased risk of stroke, according to an analysis presented by Duke Medicine researchers.

31 Mar 2014

Cardiome signs deal with VIANEX to commercialize and distribute BRINAVESS in Greece

Cardiome Pharma Corp. today announced that Cardiome International A.G., a subsidiary of Cardiome Pharma Corp., has entered into an agreement with VIANEX, S.A., headquartered in Erythrea, Greece, for the commercialization and distribution of BRINAVESS™ (vernakalant IV) in Greece.

28 Mar 2014

American College of Cardiology honors two Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute researchers

Two Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute physician-researchers have been named recipients of prestigious awards from the American College of Cardiology.

28 Mar 2014

FDA approves Allure Quadra Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy Pacemaker

St. Jude Medical, Inc., a global medical device company, today announced approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the Allure Quadra™ Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy Pacemaker (CRT-P), which provides additional pacing innovations for physicians to treat patients with heart failure.

24 Mar 2014

Consuming alcohol several times a week 'ups' risk of stroke mortality

Consuming alcohol more frequently than twice a week increases the risk of stroke mortality in men, according to a study carried out at the University of Eastern Finland. The results show that the effects of alcohol are not limited to the amount consumed, but also the frequency of drinking matters. The results were published in Acta Neurologica Scandinavica on 8 March.

19 Mar 2014

New case study reveals how to safely switch between anticoagulants for stroke prevention

With the availability of newer oral anticoagulants, the latest online case study from NPS MedicineWise helps health professionals navigate this changing area and understand the range of treatment options for managing stroke prevention in people with non-valvular atrial fibrillation.

18 Mar 2014

Bristol-Myers Squibb, Pfizer announce FDA approval of Eliquis for DVT prophylaxis

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and Pfizer Inc. today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a Supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) for Eliquis (apixaban) for the prophylaxis of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), which may lead to pulmonary embolism (PE), in patients who have undergone hip or knee replacement surgery.

16 Mar 2014

Respicardia receives Best Innovation of 2014 award from CRT and CV Pipeline for remedē System

Respicardia, Inc., a developer of implantable therapies to improve respiratory and cardiovascular health, announced that it has been awarded the Best Innovation of 2014 from Cardiovascular Research Technologies (CRT) and CV Pipeline for the remedē System, the first and only implantable device for the treatment of central sleep apnea.

12 Mar 2014

Safeguard Scientifics reports net income of $24 million for fourth quarter 2013

Safeguard Scientifics, Inc. today announced fourth quarter and full-year 2013 financial results. For the three months ended December 31, 2013, Safeguard's net income was $24.0 million, or $1.10 per share, compared to net loss of $10.8 million, or $0.51 per share for the same period in 2012. For the year ended December 31, 2013, Safeguard's net loss was $35.5 million, or $1.66 per share, compared to $39.4 million, or $1.88 per share for the same period in 2012.

6 Mar 2014

Doctors devise new way to treat atrial fibrillation

Doctors in the U.S. and Japan have devised a way to treat atrial fibrillation by adding a little alcohol to minimally invasive therapies that target a cluster of misbehaving nerves known to trigger arrhythmia. In the most recent Journal of the American College of Cardiology (online before print), the researchers say the new therapy may dull or stop the transmission of electrical impulses that cause atrial fibrillation.

4 Mar 2014

Loyola University Medical Center offers new high-tech catheter device for treating atrial fibrillation

Loyola University Medical Center is the first hospital in Illinois to offer a new high-tech catheter device that can improve outcomes of patients treated for atrial fibrillation, the most common irregular heartbeat.

28 Feb 2014

Scientists create 3-D elastic membrane that is precisely shaped to match heart's epicardium

Igor Efimov, PhD, at the School of Engineering & Applied Science at Washington University in St. Louis and an international team of biomedical engineers and materials scientists have created a 3-D elastic membrane made of a soft, flexible, silicon material that is precisely shaped to match the heart's epicardium, or the outer layer of the wall of the heart.

26 Feb 2014

Atrial Fibrillation News and Research

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