Missed opportunities to avoid painful shocks at the end of life
Many patients who have a common medical device known as an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) are unaware that the device can be deactivated to prevent painful shocks in their final days of...
View ArticleWearable defibrillator may be an alternative to ICD for some patients
A wearable automatic defibrillator may be an option for patients who are at risk for life-threatening heart rhythm abnormalities but are not good candidates for an implantable cardiac defibrillator...
View ArticleStudy finds catheter ablation is a better treatment for recurrent ventricular...
A Halifax-led clinical trial shows that catheter ablation is a better treatment for recurrent ventricular tachycardia (VT) than increased drug therapy. The international study was published today in...
View ArticleElectronic anti-theft systems remain a threat to cardiac device patients
Electronic anti-theft systems still post a threat to cardiac device patients, according to research presented today at CARDIOSTIM - EHRA EUROPACE 2016 by Professor Robert Stevenson, senior scientist at...
View ArticleStudy compares manual versus robotic approach to treating dangerous heart...
Whether ablation of the highest-risk heart arrhythmia is best handled by a robot or the hands of an electrophysiologist should be answered by an international comparison of the two.
View ArticleDANISH: No overall survival benefit with ICDs in non-ischemic heart failure
Placement of an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) in patients with non-ischemic systolic heart failure did not improve overall survival compared to usual clinical care - although a secondary...
View ArticleSimilar complication rate for transvenous, subcutaneous ICDs
(HealthDay)—For patients at risk for sudden cardiac death, the rate of complications is similar with transvenous implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (TV-ICDs) and subcutaneous ICDs (S-ICDs),...
View ArticleNeedless shocks from heart devices can trigger extra health costs,...
A team led by a Stanford University School of Medicine researcher has discovered that shocks from implantable cardioverter defibrillators often trigger a cascade of health tests and interventions, even...
View ArticleShock from heart device often triggers further health care needs
A shock from an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) may trigger an increase in health care needs for many people, regardless whether the shock was medically necessary, according to a new study...
View ArticleAdding defibrillator to CRT no benefit in dilated cardiomyopathy
(HealthDay)—For patients with heart failure with indications for cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), those with ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM), but not those with nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy...
View ArticleResearchers lead first worldwide trial to test defibrillators in diabetes...
Individuals with diabetes have a high incidence of heart problems, including sudden cardiac death. A study led by researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) will determine if a...
View ArticleImpact of overtraining on the heart to be discussed at cardiovascular imaging...
The impact of overtraining on the heart is set to be discussed at Europe's leading cardiovascular magnetic resonance meeting, to be held 25 to 27 May in Prague, Czech Republic, at the Clarion Congress...
View ArticleDual coil defibrillators still more common than single coil models
The number of implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) that use two coils to shock the heart has decreased in the last five years but are still more common than single coil models, according to a...
View ArticleVentricular tachycardia reduced in patients with defibrillators
A drug approved to treat chest pain reduces the incidence of a common arrhythmia called ventricular tachycardia in patients with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), according to a study...
View ArticleFour-year follow-up confirms that participation in competitive sports may be...
A four-year study of athletes with implantable defibrillators confirms an earlier short-term study's findings that competitive sports may be considered for many of these athletes, according to new...
View ArticleTenth year of data on cardiac arrhythmia treatment launched at European congress
The tenth year of data on cardiac arrhythmia treatment is being launched at EHRA EUROPACE - CARDIOSTIM 2017.
View ArticlePacemakers and other cardiac devices can help solve forensic cases
Pacemakers and other cardiac devices can help solve forensic cases, according to a study presented today at EHRA EUROPACE - CARDIOSTIM 2017.1 Devices revealed the time and cause of death in some cases...
View ArticleHeart Safe program boosts CPR and AED use in participating communities
Allina Health researchers say individuals in Heart Safe Communities who suffer out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA) are four times more likely to receive chest compressions (CPR) and twice as likely...
View ArticleFive things parents should know to protect their high school athletes
A new study by the Korey Stringer Institute described in the Orthopedic Journal of Sports Medicine ranks Arkansas No. 11 for its high school sports safety policies.
View ArticlePreventing sudden death in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy—new backing for ESC...
A large study conducted across North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia has validated the ESC recommendations for predicting and preventing sudden cardiac death (SCD) in patients with...
View ArticleHeart muscle disease patients benefit from defibrillator
Some heart disease patients who are treated with cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT) would live longer and have fewer hospital admissions if they also received a defibrillator, concludes a team of...
View ArticlePotentially lifesaving implantable cardioverter defibrillators underutilized...
Fewer than 10% of people who experience sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) outside of a hospital survive. Reoccurrence rates after an initial event are high, which is why current Canadian Cardiovascular...
View ArticleKnowledge on primary prevention ICD use found lacking
(HealthDay)—Referring physicians have limited knowledge regarding indications for primary prevention implantable defibrillator (ICD) use, according to a study published online Aug. 25 in the Journal of...
View ArticleUpdated guidelines detail treatment for patients with ventricular arrhythmias
The American College of Cardiology, along with the American Heart Association and the Heart Rhythm Society, today published new guidelines for the treatment of patients with ventricular arrhythmias and...
View ArticleMotor on, heart patients: Electric cars don't harm cardiac implants
(HealthDay)—Heart patients who've bought an all-electric Tesla need not worry that their car might interfere with their implanted defibrillator.
View ArticleMRIs safe with older pacemakers, study finds
(HealthDay)—Powerful magnetic fields created during an MRI scan were thought to play havoc with some pacemakers, but a new study says these scans are safe for people with the heart devices.
View ArticleCardiac arrest survivors have trouble returning to work, social life
Tom Parker was 32 when his heart suddenly stopped. At home in Washington, D.C., his wife quickly started CPR with guidance from a 911 dispatcher. An emergency medical technician arrived on the scene...
View ArticleFour in ten cardiomyopathies—a major cause of sudden death in young...
Four in ten cardiomyopathies - a major cause of sudden cardiac death and heart failure in young people - are genetic, according to a European Society of Cardiology (ESC) study published today in...
View ArticleGuideline adherence, not patient volume, may be better hospital heart failure...
In evaluating the quality of care given to those hospitalized with heart failure, adherence to clinical guidelines may be a better measure of quality than the number of heart failure patients a...
View ArticlePatients with kidney disease with heart defibrillators at greater risk of...
In a study of nearly 6,000 community-based patients with chronic kidney disease and heart failure, the use of implantable cardioverter defibrillators was associated with a significantly increased risk...
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