Heart Rhythm

Hearts should have normal rhythm to their beats, but when these beats are out of synch, it causes inefficient pumping of blood. Irregular heart arrhythmias occur when the electrical signals that coordinate the heart's beats do not work properly. This can cause beats that are too fast (tachycardia), or too slow (bradycardia). Tachycardias include atrial fibrillation (AFib), supraventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation, and ventricular tachycardia (VT). Bradycardias include sick sinus syndrome and conduction block. Electrophysiology arrhythmia treatments include medications, life style changes, and the EP lab interventions of catheter ablation, and implantable pacemakers or defibrillators.

The EBR Systems WiSE leadless cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) system. #HRS23

A leadless pacemaker the size of a grain of rice delivers cardiac resynchronization therapy

Results from a pivotal clinical trial presented as a late-breaker at Heart Rhythm 2023 indicate that a new leadless pacemaker technology can deliver cardiac resynchronization therapy in patients who were not able to be treated with conventional CRT and epicardial leads.

May 22, 2023
EP lab pacemaker programmer during an implant procedure. Photo by Jose Arellano

Left bundle branch pacing emerges as an alternative to biventricular pacing in two late-breaking trials

The use of left bundle branch area pacing (LBBAP) is growing in electrophysiology implanted devices. Two late-breaking studies at Heart Rhythm 2023 highlight the success of LBBAP as an alternative to the standard of care using biventricular pacing.

May 22, 2023
Cleveland Clinic cardiologists implant Impulse Dynamics device for first time in the world

Cleveland Clinic cardiologists make history, become first in world to implant new heart failure device

Bruce Wilkoff, MD, director of cardiac pacing and tachyarrhythmia devices at Cleveland Clinic, said the new device could be "an important advancement for heart failure patients."

May 19, 2023
Assert-IQ Abbott ICM

Abbott’s new long-term ICM gains FDA approval

The newly approved device is powered by Bluetooth technology and available with a three- or six-year battery.

May 18, 2023
Arrow

FDA grants fast track designation to Bayer’s new drug for preventing stroke in AFib patients

The new drug, asundexian, is currently the subject of two multicenter Phase III studies—the OCEANIC-AF trial and OCEANIC-STROKE trial—focused on its safety and efficacy.

May 16, 2023
Heart failure hospitalizations among young adults are getting more common and more expensive

AFib ablation in young adults linked to improved quality of life, new Cleveland Clinic study confirms

“These and other data support that young adults do as well as a more traditional patient population when looking at arrhythmia-free survival,” researchers wrote.

May 15, 2023
Presenter delivers one of the late-breaking electrophysiology (EP) clinical trials at the annual Heart Rhythm meeting sponsored by the Heart Rhythm Society.

Links to all the late-breaking trials for Heart Rhythm 2023

Heart Rhythm 2023, the society's 44th annual meeting, is scheduled for May 19-21. 

May 11, 2023
Samsung galaxy smartwatch showing atrial fibrillation (AFib) alerts

FDA clears AFib alerts for Samsung smartwatches

Samsung's smartwatches, already equipped with ECG technology, will now be able to alert users when signs of an irregular heart rhythm are detected. 

May 8, 2023

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