More expensive pacemakers that “pace” the heart’s upper and lower chambers are worth the extra cost because they can reduce the risk of hospitalization and disability in patients with heart disease, according to a study published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
“The dual-chamber devices significantly reduced the rates of atrial fibrillation and heart […]
Study Findings:
Obesity was associated with an approximately 50% increase in the risk of developing atrial fibrillation.
Atrial fibrillation is a major cause of stroke and heart failure, and may also be related to an increased risk of death.
This may be the result of the effects of obesity on the structure of the heart, and on the […]
Study Findings:
Women with abnormal heart rhythms benefit from implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) as much as men.
An overall benefit from the ICD was observed (45% in men and 53% in women) with no significant influence related to gender.
Method:
The Multicenter UnSustained Tachycardia Trial (MUSTT) studied the influence of gender in 2,202 patients with coronary artery disease and […]
Study Findings:
Diet supplements containing ephedrine had little effect on healthy dogs but in dogs that had their arteries artificially blocked, ephedrine had dangerous effects: their heart rates increased dramatically - fibrillation - which can kill.
Many people have such blockages without symptoms
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Study Findings:
Mild pulses of electricity are as effective as painful jolts to restore normal heart rhythms in certain patients.
Antitachycardiac pacing was effective in stopping rapid heartbeats in 81% of cases. It has traditionally been used only for relatively slower forms of VT, or when the heartbeat does not exceed 190 beats per minute.
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Prospective Randomized […]