Pacemaker News and Research

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New therapy to re-engage the heart's natural electrical pathways offers more treatment options

A new therapy to re-engage the heart's natural electrical pathways - instead of bypassing them - could mean more treatment options for heart failure patients who also suffer from electrical disturbances, such as arrhythmias, according to research led by the University of Chicago Medicine.

13 May 2019

Could deep brain stimulation help resolve the opioid epidemic?

Researchers have developed an implant that has shown promise for reducing addiction rates. However, there are major ethical and financial concerns, which we have tried to cover in this news story.

9 May 2019

FDA authorizes marketing of first medical device to treat ADHD

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today permitted marketing of the first medical device to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

22 Apr 2019

Timing of food intake influences molecular clock in the liver of mice

The timing of food intake is a major factor driving the rhythmic expression of most genes in the mouse liver, researchers report April 16 in the journal Cell Reports.

17 Apr 2019

EuroCMR 2019 to present novel studies on clinical use of cardiovascular magnetic resonance

Novel studies from around the world showing cutting-edge clinical use of cardiovascular magnetic resonance will be presented at EuroCMR 2019, a meeting of the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging, a branch of the European Society of Cardiology.

10 Apr 2019

UTM researchers uncover 'master pacemaker' for biological clocks

What makes a biological clock tick? According to a new study from U of T Mississauga, the surprising answer lies with a gene typically associated with stem and cancer cells.

28 Mar 2019

New computer program predicts risk of life-threatening arrhythmias

Combining a wealth of information derived from previous studies with data from more than 500 patients, an international team led by researchers from Johns Hopkins has developed a computer-based set of rules that more accurately predicts when patients with a rare heart condition might benefit--or not--from lifesaving implanted defibrillators.

28 Mar 2019

Device-safety experts to FDA: Make data public

Medical device safety researchers are calling on the Food and Drug Administration to release hundreds of thousands of hidden injury and malfunction reports related to about 100 medical devices.

27 Mar 2019

Less invasive valve replacement can be safe and effective alternative for healthier patients

A new study by a team of cardiologists at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center led by senior and corresponding author Jeffrey Popma, MD, suggests that a minimally invasive procedure currently reserved for patients too frail to undergo surgery may in fact be a safe and effective alternative for healthier patients.

19 Mar 2019

Research paves way for new standard of care to improve heart's pump function

Late-breaking results from the ElectroCRT trial presented today at EHRA 2019 a European Society of Cardiology congress, pave the way for a new standard of care to improve the heart's pump function in selected patients with heart failure.

18 Mar 2019

Echocardiography may aid in patient selection for TMVR

Clinicians should use echocardiography, an ultrasound that shows the heart's structure and function, when determining whether patients with heart failure and a leaking heart valve are likely to benefit from valve repair, according to research presented at the American College of Cardiology's 68th Annual Scientific Session.

18 Mar 2019

Absorbable, antibiotic-eluting envelope can reduce rate of cardiac device infections

A Cleveland Clinic-led research team has found that using an absorbable, antibiotic-eluting envelope when implanting cardiac devices like pacemakers and defibrillators can cut the rate of major infections by 40 percent.

18 Mar 2019

Hidden FDA reports detail harm caused by scores of medical devices

Dr. Douglas Kwazneski was helping a Pittsburgh surgeon remove an appendix when something jarring happened. The surgical stapler meant to cut and seal the tissue around the appendix locked up.

7 Mar 2019

Invasive surgeries could be avoided with new pacemakers powered by heartbeats

Researchers have developed a small, flexible, elastic skeleton bound to two piezoelectric composites, which uses the electrical activity of the heart for power.

22 Feb 2019

Researchers design pacemaker powered by energy of heartbeats

Implantable pacemakers have without doubt altered modern medicine, saving countless lives by regulating heart rhythm. But they have one serious shortcoming: Their batteries last only five to 12 years, at which point they have to be replaced surgically.

20 Feb 2019

Engineers harness kinetic energy of the heart to power implantable devices

The heart's motion is so powerful that it can recharge devices that save our lives, according to new research from Dartmouth College.

4 Feb 2019

Researchers compare treatment options for fecal incontinence

It is a common health problem that causes uncommon personal discomfort. Fecal incontinence, or accidental stool leakage, affects some 8 to 10 percent of the 325 million people in the United States. In up to half of patients, there is both fecal and urinary incontinence.

29 Jan 2019