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.

Comorbidity could alter joint arthroplasty prognosis

The long-term outcome of hip and knee arthroplasty may be significantly influenced by comorbidity, suggest results from a large register-based study of over 96,000 osteoarthritis patients.

22 Dec 2012

Atopy patch tests predict oral tolerance in children with milk allergy

Results from an Italian study show that atopy patch tests could predict oral tolerance in children with gastrointestinal symptoms related to non-IgE-mediated cow’s milk allergy.

22 Dec 2012

Updated U.S. prescribing information for Boehringer Ingelheim’s Pradaxa

Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that the U.S. prescribing information for Pradaxa (dabigatran etexilate mesylate) capsules was updated to include a contraindication related to use in patients with mechanical prosthetic heart valve replacement.

21 Dec 2012

Disparities in HIV care in Ontario

Researchers have found significant disparities in hospital admission rates for certain groups of individuals living with HIV in Ontario, Canada.

20 Dec 2012

Nasopharyngeal cancer patients at risk for stroke

Patients with nasopharyngeal cancer are at an increased risk for ischemic stroke, particularly if comorbidities are present, report researchers.

18 Dec 2012

Surgery poses cardiac risk to lupus women

Women with systemic lupus erythematosus are at significantly increased risk for short-term perioperative adverse cardiovascular events, find researchers.

17 Dec 2012

FDA grants accelerated approval to ARIAD’s Iclusig for treatment of CML, Ph+ ALL

ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that following a priority review, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted accelerated approval of Iclusig (ponatinib) for the treatment of adult patients with chronic, accelerated or blast phase chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) that is resistant or intolerant to prior tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy or Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph+ ALL) that is resistant or intolerant to prior TKI therapy.

14 Dec 2012

God will control my asthma

Research shows that patients’ belief in God influences how likely they are to be adherent to asthma medication.

14 Dec 2012

Interim results from Inspiration’s OBI-1 and IB1001 hemophilia clinical study

Inspiration Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. (Inspiration) announced interim clinical results for the company's two lead product candidates, an intravenous recombinant porcine FVIII (OBI-1) in the treatment of serious bleeds in acquired hemophilia A (AHA) and an intravenous recombinant FIX (IB1001) for the treatment and prevention of bleeding in children less than 12 years of age with hemophilia B.

13 Dec 2012

Lenalidomide effective alternative in lupus

The thalidomide derivative, lenalidomide, is a “safe” and effective treatment in refractory cutaneous lupus erythematosus patients, although three-quarters of patients experience clinical relapse after the drug is withdrawn, say Spanish researchers.

11 Dec 2012

High-altitude treatment may help severe asthma patients

Individuals with severe refractory asthma may benefit from high-altitude treatment, irrespective of their sensitivity to airborne allergens, suggest findings from a study conducted in the Swiss Alps.

11 Dec 2012

Pesticides in tap water may increase food allergy risk

Having a high level of urinary dichlorophenols is associated with the presence of food sensitization and allergies, say researchers.

7 Dec 2012

Rethinking therapy decisions in autoimmune encephalopathy

Researchers say that diagnosis and management of encephalopathies may need to be rethought, as many patients who test negative for the relevant antibody still benefit from immunotherapy.

4 Dec 2012

AliveCor receives FDA clearance on its mobile heart monitor

AliveCor, Inc. announced today at the start of the 4th annual mHealth Summit in Washington, D.C. that the company received FDA 510(k) clearance on its mobile Heart Monitor as well as CE Mark conformity. This clinical-quality, low-cost mobile ECG heart monitor, compatible with the iPhone® 4 and 4S, enables doctors to evaluate patient heart health easily, quickly and remotely.

3 Dec 2012

Asthma and nasal congestion common insomnia triggers

Insomnia is a common problem in patients with asthma, suggests research published in Allergy.

30 Nov 2012

UCB to sponsor key sets of VIMPAT C-V data at 66th American Epilepsy Society annual meeting

UCB, a global biopharmaceutical company focusing on CNS and immunology treatment and research, is sponsoring key sets of VIMPAT® (lacosamide) C-V data at the 66th Annual Meeting of the American Epilepsy Society (AES) in San Diego, Calif., November 30 - December 4.

29 Nov 2012

Digoxin for atrial fibrillation questioned

Experts are calling into question the widespread use of digoxin for atrial fibrillation, in the wake of findings linking the drug to increased mortality.

28 Nov 2012

Watch out for Sjögren's syndrome in dry eye

Clinicians with patients who have clinically significant dry eye should be on the alert for underlying Sjögren's syndrome, report researchers in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.

28 Nov 2012

Hemorrhage risk ‘higher than reported’ for AF warfarin users

Real-world findings for atrial fibrillation patients using warfarin point to a significantly higher risk for hemorrhage than reported for clinical trials.

28 Nov 2012

Digoxin increases risk of death in patients with atrial fibrillation

Digoxin, a drug widely used to treat heart disease, increases the possibility of death when used by patients with a common heart rhythm problem − atrial fibrillation (AF), according to new study findings by University of Kentucky researchers. The results have been published in the prestigious European Heart Journal, and raises serious concerns about the expansive use of this long-standing heart medication in patients with AF.

28 Nov 2012