Abbott and St. Jude Medical announced Oct. 18 that the companies agreed to sell a portion of their vascular closure and electrophysiology business for $1.12 billion to Terumo Corporation.

The…

Scientists have long thought that a human’s first heartbeat takes place on the 21st day after conception, but new research from the University of Oxford shows that it could be even earlier, at just 16 days after conception.

The findings…

An analysis of electronic medical records (EMRs) found that a previously validated risk model for predicting atrial fibrillation did a poor job predicting atrial fibrillation.

The model underpredicted atrial fibrillation in low-risk…

After a thorough review, the FDA has concluded that rivaroxaban (Xarelto) is a safe and effective alternative to warfarin in patients with atrial fibrillation.

The FDA’s Oct. 11…

Results from a randomized, controlled clinical trial that evaluated the safety and cost effectiveness of same-day discharge for elective implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) procedures may reassure centers that already provide the option…

The Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute at St. David’s Medical Center in Austin, Texas, was the first facility in the country to use a new heart catheter device approved by the FDA in August.

TCAI used the Thermocool Smartouch SF Cather is a…

During a six-month period, only 26 percent of patients taking warfarin to treat atrial fibrillation had stable international normalized ratio (INR) values, according to a registry analysis. In addition, only 34 percent of those patients continued…

Fewer than 10 percent of people survive out-of-hospital cardiac arrests. Their chance to live increases, though, if they are treated with an automated external defibrillator (AED) and if bystanders perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on…

A registry analysis found that patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation who received dabigatran etexilate (Pradaxa) had low rates of stroke, major bleeding and life-threatening bleeding after two years of treatment.

The results were…

After 12 months of follow-up, 96 percent of patients who received the Micra transcatheter pacing system (Medtronic) had no major complications.

Patients implanted with the Micra…

For patients with systolic heart failure that was not caused by ischemic heart disease, implanting prophylactic implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) did not reduce the long-term rate of death of any cause compared with patients who did…

Each year, out-of-hospital cardiac arrests account for more than 400,000 deaths in North America. Although fewer than 10 percent of people survive after out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, using an automated external defibrillator (AED) has been…

The American College of Cardiology (ACC) and American Heart Association (AHA) released updated clinical performance and quality measure sets on June 27 for adults with atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter.

The measures were simultaneously…

Patients with atrial fibrillation had positive results after receiving treatment with focal impulse rotor modulation (FIRM)-guided rotor ablation, according to three studies presented at the recent Cardiostim-EHRA Europace conference in Nice,…

After 7.7 months, patients who were implanted with the Micra Transcatheter Pacing System (TPS) had a statistically significant 52 percent lower risk for major complications compared with those who received a conventional pacing system.

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Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia in adults, affecting between three and five million Americans. Looking ahead, experts say the prevalence of AF may double by 2030, and the healthcare system must be ready to adapt to the…

By an 11 to 5 margin, an FDA advisory panel voted that the benefits of St. Jude Medical’s Amplatzer PFO occluder device outweighs its risks, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. 

The same panel voted 15-1 in favor of the device’s…

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced on May 18 that it was initiating a national coverage analysis…

An observational cohort study found that Medicare patients had a high rate of device-related complications and reoperations for other causes following implantation with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs).

Lead researcher Isuru…

Two physicians received a total of $500,000 in grants from the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) and Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals to support quality improvement research on atrial fibrillation and stroke prevention.

Mark H. Eckman, MD,…

After 360 days, 98 percent of patients who were implanted with Boston Scientific’s subcutaneous implantable defibrillator (S-ICD) system were free from complications, according to a multi-national registry.

Lead researcher Lucas V.A.…