Defibrillator News and Research

Latest Defibrillator News and Research

MRI measurements of scar tissue accurately predict the risk of arrhythmia-related sudden death

Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of the heart wall, researchers at Johns Hopkins have found that people whose muscle wall thickness contained more than 25 percent scar tissue were approximately nine times more likely to test positive for a fast and dangerous heart rhythm known as ventricular arrhythmia.

3 Nov 2005

Defibrillators plentiful in schools but not senior centers

A greater percentage of high schools had automated external defibrillators (AEDs) - devices that can be used to treat cardiac arrest victims - than senior centers, despite the fact that cardiac arrests appear more common in senior centers, according to a study by University of Iowa researchers.

20 Oct 2005

Defibrillator implantations performed by physicians with low volume are more likely to have adverse outcomes

As the implantation of cardioverter-defibrillator devices to prevent sudden cardiac death becomes increasingly popular, patients are likely to get the best results when they are treated by physicians who perform the procedures frequently, according to a new study in the Oct. 18, 2005, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

11 Oct 2005

Innovative new treatment for moderate to severe heart failure

Cardiologists at Beth Israel Medical Center are currently enrolling patients in an investigational study that is looking at the safety and efficacy of an innovative new treatment for moderate to severe heart failure, in which a unique pacemaker-like device helps strengthen the heart's pumping power

26 Sep 2005

Study - no effect of fish oil on life-threatening cardiac arrhythmia

In patients with an increased risk of heart rhythm problems, cardiac arrest or arrhythmia, eating fish oil did little to reduce that risk.

6 Sep 2005

Guidant receives FDA approval to re-enter heart failure market

Guidant Corporation has announced U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval to re-launch its CONTAK RENEWAL 3 family of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) defibrillators in the United States.

2 Aug 2005

Surgical myectomy gives fresh start to patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), an abnormal thickening of the heart, affects more than 500,000 Americans, making it more common than better-known conditions such as Crohn's disease, Multiple Sclerosis and Anorexia Nervosa.

2 Aug 2005

Faulty defibrillators may mean surgery for thousands of cardiac patients

Surgery to replace possibly faulty implanted cardiac defibrillators may now be on the cards for thousands of cardiac patients.

20 Jun 2005

Fish oil not a good idea for heart defibrillator patients

For heart patients who have surgically implanted defibrillators to shock their weakened hearts back into rhythm, fish oil supplements are not a good idea and in fact appear to do more harm than good.

15 Jun 2005

Fish oil does not lower risk of serious heart rhythm abnormalities for patients with implantable defibrillators

Even though previous research has shown that fatty acids from fish oil reduce the risk of sudden cardiac death, patients with implantable defibrillators who took fish oil supplements did not see a reduction in serious heart rhythm abnormalities, according to a study in the June 15 issue of JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association.

14 Jun 2005

Call for better monitoring of new devices after sudden death of college student

Thousands of people with diseased hearts who have undergone surgical implantation of a cardiac defibrillator, a mechanical device inserted under the skin that shocks a heart when it beats improperly, will be concerned after the death recently of a 21-year-old college student with a genetic heart abnormality who died of cardiac arrest while on a bicycle trip.

29 May 2005

Guidant admits, three years down the line, to a fault with internal heart defibrillator

In a very belated admission Guidant Corp., has now acknowledged that it's internal heart defibrillator has an electrical problem that caused a small fraction of the implanted devices to short-circuit.

24 May 2005

Implanted devices are giving cardiologists a new view of subtle changes in a key measurement of heart health

Implanted devices intended to optimize the cardiac function of patients with heart failure have provided new insights into which patients might be at higher risk of dying suddenly from their disease, according to researchers at Duke University Medical Center.

7 Mar 2005

Study aims to help heart patients adapt to implanted defibrillators

Professor Jane Irvine, of York University’s psychology department, is helping those heart patients who must use miniature implanted defibrillators to cope with the psychological stress caused by these devices. Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators (ICDs) are programmed to electrically shock the heart in the event of a life threatening heart rhythm incident.

17 Feb 2005

Just fifteen minutes of training could make it possible for anyone to use a defibrillator to stop sudden cardiac arrest

A study published today in the journal Critical Care shows that a brief training session is all that is needed for safe and efficient use of an automated external defibrillator.

30 Jan 2005

Do well-trained hospital staff perform CPR properly?

University of Chicago Hospitals, Chicago, and colleagues conducted a study to determine whether well-trained hospital staff perform CPR compressions and ventilations according to guideline recommendations.

19 Jan 2005

Study is the first to track changes in the rate of ICD utilization among blacks and whites

Racial disparities in the use of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) declined during the 1990s as use of the devices spread into communities with larger African-American populations, according to a new study in the Jan. 4, 2005 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

4 Jan 2005

Women with arrhythmias may also benefit from implantable cardioverter-defibrillators

A small study of patients with heart failure not caused by blocked arteries indicates that women, as well as men, may benefit from implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICD), reported researchers at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2004.

11 Nov 2004

Home defibrillators now being sold on Amazon.com

Royal Philips Electronics has announced that the Philips HeartStart Home Defibrillator is now available over-the-counter (OTC) to consumers at Amazon.com, the largest online retailer to offer the product.

22 Oct 2004

Mild pulses of electrical energy just as effective as more powerful and painful shocks to interrupt life-threatening rapid heartbeats

Ventricular tachycardia (VT) is a fast heartbeat originating in the heart’s ventricle chamber and can be life-threatening. VT is often treated with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), a device that delivers an electrical shock to restore an irregular heart rhythm.

22 Oct 2004

Defibrillator News and Research

Latest Defibrillator News and Research

MRI measurements of scar tissue accurately predict the risk of arrhythmia-related sudden death

Defibrillators plentiful in schools but not senior centers

Defibrillator implantations performed by physicians with low volume are more likely to have adverse outcomes

Innovative new treatment for moderate to severe heart failure

Study - no effect of fish oil on life-threatening cardiac arrhythmia

Guidant receives FDA approval to re-enter heart failure market

Surgical myectomy gives fresh start to patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Faulty defibrillators may mean surgery for thousands of cardiac patients

Fish oil not a good idea for heart defibrillator patients

Fish oil does not lower risk of serious heart rhythm abnormalities for patients with implantable defibrillators

Call for better monitoring of new devices after sudden death of college student

Guidant admits, three years down the line, to a fault with internal heart defibrillator

Implanted devices are giving cardiologists a new view of subtle changes in a key measurement of heart health

Study aims to help heart patients adapt to implanted defibrillators

Just fifteen minutes of training could make it possible for anyone to use a defibrillator to stop sudden cardiac arrest

Do well-trained hospital staff perform CPR properly?

Study is the first to track changes in the rate of ICD utilization among blacks and whites

Women with arrhythmias may also benefit from implantable cardioverter-defibrillators

Home defibrillators now being sold on Amazon.com

Mild pulses of electrical energy just as effective as more powerful and painful shocks to interrupt life-threatening rapid heartbeats

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Defibrillator News and Research

Latest Defibrillator News and Research

E-Cigarettes and Ethanol: A forensic Perspective on Vaping

Understanding Consumer-Consented Data to Optimize Digital Health Programs

The Future is Wearable: Advancing Human Health Through Portable Spectroscopy

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