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.

PFO repair may increase odds of postoperative stroke, shows no clear benefit: Study

Patients who have a heart defect known as patent foramen ovale incidentally discovered and repaired during surgery for a different condition may have an increased odds of postoperative stroke, along with no clear benefit on short-term outcomes or long-term survival, according to a study in the July 15 issue of JAMA.

27 Sep 2010

Gersak develops Convergent Procedure for atrial fibrillation

During the recent Atrial Fibrillation Session of the Techno College at the European Association of Cardiac Thoracic Surgeons in Geneva, Switzerland, Professor Borut Gersak, Head of Cardiac Surgery from University Medical Center in Ljubljana, Slovenia challenged his audience of more than 1,000 medical professionals to think differently about existing atrial fibrillation surgical approaches.

23 Sep 2010

Catheter ablation benefits atrial fibrillation patients younger than 45

Patients under age 45 had fewer major complications than older patients and comparable improvement after a medical procedure to treat irregular heartbeat, or arrhythmia, in a study reported in Circulation: Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology, an American Heart Association journal.

22 Sep 2010

FDA recommends dabigatran etexilate to prevent stroke in AF patients

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee today voted 9 to 0 in favour of recommending dabigatran etexilate for stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF).

21 Sep 2010

FDA Advisory Committee recommends approval of dabigatran etexilate for stroke prevention in AFib patients

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee today voted 9 to 0 in favor of approving dabigatran etexilate for stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation (AFib). An estimated 2.3 million Americans have AFib and the prevalence is expected to increase 2.5 fold to 5.6 million by 2050, reflecting the growing population of elderly individuals.

21 Sep 2010

New computerized catheter makes surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation faster, cheaper and more effective

Atrial fibrillation is a heart disorder that affects more than two million Americans, and is considered a key contributor to blood clots and stroke. Now researchers from North Carolina State University are developing a new computerized catheter that could make the surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation faster, cheaper and more effective - while significantly decreasing radiation exposure related to the treatment.

16 Sep 2010

Convergent Procedure for AF highlighted at EACTS 2010

The Convergent Procedure, a novel approach to treat atrial fibrillation (AF), enabled by epicardial ablation products from nContact Surgical, Inc., was highlighted at the Techno-College Atrial Fibrillation Session of the EACTS (European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery) Annual Meeting in Geneva, Switzerland. More than 1,000 medical professionals attended the 2010 Techno-College Programme to receive an update on the latest technical advancements in cardiothoracic surgery.

14 Sep 2010

FDA approves CorMatrix ECM for Pericardial Closure

CorMatrix Cardiovascular, Inc., a medical device company developing and delivering unique extracellular matrix (ECM) biomaterial devices that harness the body's innate ability to repair damaged cardiovascular tissue, announced today that FDA has granted conditional approval for the start of a multi-center, prospective, randomized clinical trial to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of the CorMatrix ECM for Pericardial Closure to reduce the incidence of new onset postoperative atrial fibrillation.

13 Sep 2010

Mexican-American stroke survivors with atrial fibrillation at increased risk for second stroke

Mexican-American stroke survivors with a heart rhythm disorder have more than twice the risk for another stroke compared to non-Hispanic whites, according to a study published in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.

10 Sep 2010

AHRQ releases free evidence-based guides for eight health conditions

HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality today released a series of free evidence-based guides designed to help Spanish speakers understand and compare the risks, benefits and side effects of treatments for eight health conditions.

7 Sep 2010

XARELTO achieves net clinical benefit in treatment of patients with DVT

Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals today announced that XARELTO (rivaroxaban), a novel anti-clotting therapy, achieved improvement in net clinical benefit in a study looking at treatment of patients with deep vein thrombosis. DVT is the formation of a blood clot in a deep vein, usually in the legs, that partially or totally blocks the flow of blood.

2 Sep 2010

BRINAVESS IV granted marketing approval in EU for conversion of recent onset AF to sinus rhythm

MSD and Cardiome Pharma Corp. today announced that the intravenous (IV) formulation of BRINAVESS™ (vernakalant) has been granted marketing approval in the European Union (EU), Iceland and Norway for the conversion of recent onset atrial fibrillation (AF) to sinus rhythm in adults.

2 Sep 2010

ESC updates Clinical Practice Guidelines on devices for heart failure treatment

The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) today announces a focused update of its Clinical Practice Guidelines covering Device Therapy in Heart Failure. This is the first time that current ESC guidelines have been updated, reflecting the pace of research in this field and the importance of recently published evidence.

2 Sep 2010

ESC announces new Clinical Practice Guidelines on Atrial Fibrillation

The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) today announces the release of new Clinical Practice Guidelines covering Atrial Fibrillation. These are the first guidelines to be prepared solely by the ESC on this very important topic.

2 Sep 2010

ESC issues revised practice guidelines for management of AF

The European Society of Cardiology today issued revised practice guidelines for the management of atrial fibrillation, including guidance on the role of a novel oral treatment, dabigatran etexilate, for the prevention of stroke and systemic embolism in patients with atrial fibrillation.

31 Aug 2010

DANPACE trial shows dual chamber pacing decreases atrial fibrillation in sick sinus syndrome

DANPACE, a Danish multicentre randomised trial comparing single lead atrial and dual chamber pacing in patients with sick sinus syndrome, concludes that dual chamber pacing, which was associated with lower rates of atrial fibrillation and re-operation, "should be the preferred pacing mode".

31 Aug 2010

Phase 3 AVERROES trial reveals apixaban effective for atrial fibrillation patients unsuitable for warfarin

The phase 3 AVERROES (Apixaban Versus Acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) to Prevent Strokes) trial, designed to show the superiority of apixaban over aspirin for the prevention of stroke or systemic embolism in high-risk atrial fibrillation patients unsuitable for treatment with a vitamin K antagonist (warfarin), was terminated early following a recommendation from the Data Monitoring Committee.

31 Aug 2010

Get With The Guidelines can improve quality of stroke care

The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines®–Stroke successfully measured the quality of stroke prevention and care in a nationwide stroke registry in Taiwan and identified important areas for improvement.

31 Aug 2010

ANTIPAF trial reveals ARBs do not reduce number of AF episodes in paroxysmal AF patients

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia, affecting about 7 million people in Europe. It is a progressive chronic disease in which episodes become more frequent and long-lasting over time. Conventional anti-arrhythmic therapy aims at halting progression and reducing symptoms, but the use of most anti-arrhythmic drugs is compromised by severe side effects, such as pro-arrhythmia or extra-cardiac organ toxicity.

31 Aug 2010

Data monitoring committee recommends early termination following impressive results of AVERROES study

The data monitoring committee of the AVERROES study, seeing overwhelming evidence of the success of apixaban in the prevention of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation who are unsuitable for the conventional treatment of warfarin, has recommended early termination of this study. The decision came after repeated review and careful consideration of all efficacy and safety data.

31 Aug 2010

Atrial Fibrillation News and Research

Further Reading

PFO repair may increase odds of postoperative stroke, shows no clear benefit: Study

Gersak develops Convergent Procedure for atrial fibrillation

Catheter ablation benefits atrial fibrillation patients younger than 45

FDA recommends dabigatran etexilate to prevent stroke in AF patients

FDA Advisory Committee recommends approval of dabigatran etexilate for stroke prevention in AFib patients

New computerized catheter makes surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation faster, cheaper and more effective

Convergent Procedure for AF highlighted at EACTS 2010

FDA approves CorMatrix ECM for Pericardial Closure

Mexican-American stroke survivors with atrial fibrillation at increased risk for second stroke

AHRQ releases free evidence-based guides for eight health conditions

XARELTO achieves net clinical benefit in treatment of patients with DVT

BRINAVESS IV granted marketing approval in EU for conversion of recent onset AF to sinus rhythm

ESC updates Clinical Practice Guidelines on devices for heart failure treatment

ESC announces new Clinical Practice Guidelines on Atrial Fibrillation

ESC issues revised practice guidelines for management of AF

DANPACE trial shows dual chamber pacing decreases atrial fibrillation in sick sinus syndrome

Phase 3 AVERROES trial reveals apixaban effective for atrial fibrillation patients unsuitable for warfarin

Get With The Guidelines can improve quality of stroke care

ANTIPAF trial reveals ARBs do not reduce number of AF episodes in paroxysmal AF patients

Data monitoring committee recommends early termination following impressive results of AVERROES study

Achieving and maintaining ISO 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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