A Journal of the American Heart Association study focused on the programming safety of cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) suggests the publication of clinically meaningful trial results and professional recommendations translates poorly into real-world practice, penetrating just a fraction of a field that might benefit from added guidance.

Stryker announced on Feb. 1 it is voluntarily recalling certain Lifepak 15 monitor/defibrillators over an issue which may cause the devices to lock up and not deliver potentially life-saving therapy. The company reported there have been six patient deaths after delays in therapy related to this problem.

Cancer patients who experienced tachycardia within one year of being diagnosed carried higher mortality rates up to a decade later—even after adjusting for clinical characteristics and medication use—according to research presented Jan. 25 at the Advancing the Cardiovascular Care of the Oncology Patient conference.

Breast cancer patients under 60 years old are nearly twice as likely as their healthy counterparts to develop both short- and long-term atrial fibrillation (AF), researchers reported Jan. 29 in Heart Rhythm.

Non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants (NOACs) including dabigatran, rivaroxaban, apixaban and edoxaban have replaced warfarin as the preferred treatment for reducing stroke risk in patients with atrial fibrillation, according to updated guidelines issued Jan. 28.

Royal Philips and the American Heart Association are collaborating for a new program devoted to increasing survival rates in patients who experience sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), the organizations announced Jan. 23.

Leadless pacemakers are a viable alternative to conventional pacemakers in patients with a history of device infection and lead extraction, researchers reported in the January edition of Heart Rhythm.

Abbott on Jan. 21 announced the FDA approval of one of its atrial fibrillation (AFib) ablation catheters, the TactiCath Contact Force Ablation Catheter.