BOSTON—Results from the ARISTOTLE study showed that apixaban may give warfarin a run for its money, particularly for atrial fibrillation (AF); however, does the drug’s benefits differ between the varying types of AF? A secondary analysis of the ARISTOTLE trial, presented May 11 at a late-breaking clinical trial session at the 33rd annual scientific sessions of the Heart Rhythm Society, showed apixaban to take the cake in all subsets of AF patients when compared with warfarin.
After an atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation, one in 20 patients experience a periprocedural complication and nearly one in 10 are readmitted within 30 days, according to research published Jan. 10 in the
Journal of the American College of Cardiology. The researchers assessed the factors of these readmissions, finding operator experience, age and sex, among others, to be independent predictors.
Because a large proportion of patients affected by atrial fibrillation (AF) or atrial flutter are older when they are hospitalized, the Medicare system takes a big financial hit. Implementing measures to lower readmission rates could help lessen the blow to the Medicare system and reduce the high cost burden associated with treating these AF and atrial flutter patients, according to a study published online first Nov. 28 in the
American Journal of Cardiology.
The FDA’s Circulatory Systems Devices advisory panel met Oct. 27 and voted against the Medtronic Phased RF Ablation System, an atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation therapy under investigation for the treatment of persistent and long-standing persistent AF.
To add to the recent saga surrounding dronedarone (Multaq), results of an analysis of the ATHENA trial offered a dose of good news after researchers in Denmark found that the drug reduced the risk for cardiovascular hospitalization and total hospitalizations. The post-hoc data analysis was published in the August issue of
Europace.
After the PALLAS trial, which was studying the effects of dronedarone (Multaq) in permanent atrial fibrillation (AF) patients, was halted by Sanofi-Aventis earlier this week, a further FDA review has shown that the drug increased death two-fold, and stroke and hospitalization three-fold.
Sanofi-Aventis has pulled its Phase IIIb clinical trial comparing the efficacy of a 400 mg twice-daily dose of dronedarone (Multaq) to placebo in permanent atrial fibrillation (AF) patients after the PALLAS trial found an increase in cardiovascular (CV) event rates in the dronedarone arm. As a result, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) said that it will expand its review of the drug.
