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.

Research associates diabetes with atrial fibrillation

As the U.S. population keeps aging and gaining weight, diabetes is becoming increasingly common. Some research has associated diabetes with the most common kind of chronically irregular heartbeat, called atrial fibrillation, which can raise the risk for stroke and death. But results of past studies of diabetes and atrial fibrillation have conflicted.

23 Apr 2010

California's first Community Safety Saturday to be hosted in Carmel Plaza

The Protector Network and Capital Insurance Group Insurance Center's Central Valley Insurance Agency together with the California Highway Patrol and Visalia Police Department, host California's first Community Safety Saturday. This family friendly event will take place on Saturday, April 24, in the Carmel Plaza.

22 Apr 2010

St. Jude Medical reports 11% increase in first-quarter 2010 net sales

St. Jude Medical, Inc. today reported sales and net earnings for the first quarter ended April 3, 2010.

21 Apr 2010

Endosense releases TactiCath force-sensing ablation catheter

Endosense, a medical technology company focused on improving the efficacy, safety and reproducibility of catheter ablation for the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias, has announced the commercial release of its next generation TactiCath force-sensing ablation catheter. Recently granted CE mark and unveiled this month at the DGK 2010 - German Cardiac Society meeting in Mannheim, Germany, the second generation product includes an elegantly enhanced catheter along with a feature-rich supporting system called the TactiSys™.

20 Apr 2010

Self-monitoring of Coumadin levels reduces risk of blood clots by 50%: Study

A new review of existing research finds that many patients who take an anti-clotting drug or "blood-thinner" can benefit from monitoring the levels of the drug themselves instead of going to clinics for blood tests.

16 Apr 2010

Biosense Webster obtains first Ethics Committee approval for CLARITY study

Biosense Webster announces that this week it has obtained its first Ethics Committee approval for the CLARITY study, comparing the 1-year efficacy, safety and efficiency of CARTO(R) 3 System-guided radiofrequency ablation using the NAVISTAR(R) THERMOCOOL(R) Catheter versus fluoroscopy-guided radiofrequency ablation using the Pulmonary Vein Ablation Catheter(R) (PVAC(R), Ablation Frontiers, Medtronic) in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.

9 Apr 2010

Cell Therapeutics receives FDA Complete Response Letter for Pixuvri NDA

Cell Therapeutics, Inc. today announced that it had received a Complete Response Letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regarding its New Drug Application for Pixuvri™ (pixantrone dimaleate) for relapsed or refractory aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma ("NHL").

9 Apr 2010

Obstructive sleep apnea associated with increased risk of stroke in men

Obstructive sleep apnea is associated with an increased risk of stroke in middle-aged and older adults, especially men, according to new results from a landmark study supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health.

8 Apr 2010

BIOTRONIK receives European approval for new ProMRI Pacing Systems

BIOTRONIK, a leading manufacturer of implantable cardiac devices and pioneer of wireless remote monitoring technologies, announced today the European approval of its new ProMRI Pacing Systems — Evia pacemaker series and Safio S pacing leads — providing European patients the first portfolio of bradycardia systems that are compatible with Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans under specific conditions.

8 Apr 2010

AHRQ: Women accounted for nearly 60% of 39.4M admissions to U.S. hospitals in 2007

Women accounted for nearly 60 percent of the 39.4 million admissions to U.S. hospitals in 2007, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

7 Apr 2010

ESC heart failure meeting encourages audience interaction

"Delegates attending the meeting will get real insights into what's new in heart failure," said Professor Stefan Anker, chairman of the Heart Failure Congress Scientific Committee. "In what's the biggest international stand-alone meeting dedicated to heart failure, there'll be lots of hot of the press news. The very fact that 12 late breaking clinical trial updates are being presented at the meeting demonstrates how bright the future is in heart failure."

7 Apr 2010

FDA approves TachoSil adjunctive hemostatic agent for use in cardiovascular surgery

Baxter International Inc. and Nycomed today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of TachoSil (Absorbable Fibrin Sealant Patch) for use as an adjunct to hemostasis in cardiovascular surgery. TachoSil is the first and only adjunctive hemostatic agent available in the U.S. that combines a collagen patch with a coating of human coagulation factors.

From Baxter International Inc. 7 Apr 2010

Antiarrhythmic drug dronedarone less effective and causes fewer side effects

In a rigorous new review of the antiarrhythmic drug dronedarone (Multaq), researchers at the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute conclude that the controversial drug is only modestly effective and has no clear safety benefits.

6 Apr 2010

Young adults with hyperthyroidism face increase risk of stroke

Young adults with overactive thyroid face a 44 percent increased risk of stroke compared to those with normal thyroid function, according to a study reported in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.

3 Apr 2010

DNA resources coupled to EMR systems hold potential as valuable tools for clinical research

A new study reveals an exciting potential benefit of the rapidly accumulating databases of health care information, the ability to make unprecedented links between genomic data and clinical medicine. The research, published by Cell Press in the April issue of the American Journal of Human Genetics, supports the idea that large scale DNA databanks linked to electronic medical record (EMR) systems provide a valuable platform for discovering, assessing and validating associations between genes and diseases.

2 Apr 2010

Strong demand leads to 5.1% growth in 2009 U.S. sales of ethical pharmaceuticals

IMS Health today reported 5.1 percent growth in 2009 U.S. sales of ethical pharmaceuticals and insulins through retail and non-retail channels, reaching $300.3 billion, compared with growth of 1.8 percent in 2008.

2 Apr 2010

NICE appraisal committee publishes preliminary recommendation of Multaq for AF

Sanofi-aventis announced today that the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) in England and Wales, has just published a new appraisal consultation document for Multaq(R) (dronedarone) indicating its intention to recommend Multaq(R) use for the management of patients with atrial fibrillation.

30 Mar 2010

Higher levels of CRP associated with brain changes: Study

New research shows that a high level of C-reactive protein, a marker for inflammation in the blood, is associated with brain changes that are linked to problems with executive thinking skills. The study is published in the March 30, 2010, issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

30 Mar 2010

ARYx Therapeutics reports net loss of $5.8M for fourth-quarter 2009

ARYx Therapeutics, Inc. today reported results of operations and provided an update on its products for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2009.

29 Mar 2010

Cardima announces CE Mark approval for Surgical Ablation Probe in Surgical Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation

Cardima, Inc., a medical device company focused on the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF) and manufacturer of the Cardima Surgical Ablation System, today announced that it has received CE Mark approval with an Indication for the Surgical Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation for its Surgical Ablation Probe. All components of the Cardima Surgical Ablation System are now approved for marketing for the treatment of AF in European countries recognizing CE Mark approval.

29 Mar 2010