atrial fibrillation

Inexpensive EKGs would reduce risk of sudden death, study finds By -- Robert Preidt Share What is this? Buzz Digg Facebook More... EMAIL PRINT RSS   SUNDAY, Nov. 15 (HealthDay News) -- A new, inexpensive screening method could help reduce the risk for sudden cardiac death among high school athletes, U.S. researchers report. Athletic trainers at 10 high schools in Houston used a laptop system to perform electrocardiograms (EKGs) on 2,057 student athletes. The results, which were transmitted to a cardiologist, revealed 186 athletes with abnormal EKGs. All but 13 of them received subsequent echocardiograms. Among the findings: Three students had serious cardiac conditions, ... Read Full Story

Dabigatran etexilate does well in trial of atrial fibrillation patients By -- Robert Preidt Share What is this? Buzz Digg Facebook More... EMAIL PRINT RSS   SUNDAY, Nov. 15 (HealthDay News) -- The anti-clotting drug dabigatran etexilate (Pradaxa) may be more effective and safer than warfarin at preventing clots and stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation, a new Swedish study has found. Warfarin is effective in preventing blood clots that can cause stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation (abnormal heart rhythm) and other diseases, but the drug has a narrow therapeutic range in which it prevents strokes but doesn't cause bleeding, according to the ... Read Full Story

Identifying mutation in deceased cuts costs for evaluating risk in relatives, study shows By -- Robert Preidt Share What is this? Buzz Digg Facebook More... EMAIL PRINT RSS   SUNDAY, Nov. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Genetic testing of people who've suffered sudden unexplained death is an effective and cost-efficient way of identifying genetic mutations that may put surviving relatives at increased risk for potentially deadly heart rhythm disturbances, a new study suggests. Genetic defects that can cause sudden cardiac death occur in 25 percent to 30 percent of victims of sudden unexplained death. The current recommended approach is for first-degree relatives of sudden unexplained ... Read Full Story

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Aging white adults appear to have a greater risk of developing the heart rhythm disorder atrial fibrillation than their black peers, new research suggests. In a 17-year study, researchers found that 1 in 5 white men and 1 in 6 white women developed atrial fibrillation by the time they turned 80 years old, compared to 1 in 9 black men and women. Atrial fibrillation, also known as AF, is the most common heart arrhythmia in the U.S., affecting about 2 million people. During an episode of AF, abnormal electrical activity in the heart causes its upper two chambers to ... Read Full Story

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The risk of a repeat stroke, which is more likely to be disabling or fatal than a first stroke, remains high long after the first stroke, a study indicates. The study also "demonstrates the importance of different risk factors at different time points post-stroke," lead researcher Dr. Kitty M. Mohan, of King's College London, UK noted in an interview with Reuters Health. For example, she said, high blood pressure gains importance as a risk factor for stroke recurrence in the middle and long term periods but is not significant in the early period (up to 1 year) after the ... Read Full Story

A study conducted on 37,000 persons who were being treated for atrial fibrillation in 20 western hospitals, indicated that those who had atrial fibrillation were 44 percent more likely to develop dementia over a five-year period tan those without the heart disorder. For subjects under 70 years of age, the combination of atrial fibrillation and Alzheimer's was very serious, with 61 percent dying during the five-year period of study. Read Full Story

Sanofi-Aventis SA said Thursday its drug Multaq, which treats irregular heart rhythms, received marketing approval from the Food and Drug Administration, which turned it down three years ago. Multaq is intended to treat atrial flutter and atrial fibrillation, related heart disorders in which the organ's upper chambers occasionally beat rapidly and ineffectively, sometimes reducing blood flow through the body. The disorder often is associated with high blood pressure and heart disease, and can cause strokes and death. "It's the first new anti-arrhythmic therapy that's been approved in over 10 years," Dr. Paul Chew, Sanofi's chief U.S. medical and scientific officer, said in an interview. ... Read Full Story