News
Dabigatran: Australia issues bleeding warning
theheart.org
The Australian regulatory authority, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), has issued a "safety advisory" on the new oral anticoagulant dabigatran (Pradaxa, Boehringer Ingelheim) because of an increase in the number of bleeding-related adverse events reports received since more people starting taking the drug.
Cold Comfort
Maui News
But the Kihei woman recently had a portion of her heart frozen in a cutting-edge procedure to cure her irregular heartbeat, also known as atrial fibrillation. The condition had left her gasping for air doing such minor activities as walking.
Stroke patients dying needlessly: study
ABC Sydney
A new study has found that Australian doctors could save more lives if they made better use of stroke drugs. Researchers from the University of New South Wales and Ingham Institute studied more than 26,000 stroke patients who also had Atrial Fibrillation (an irregular heart beat).
Jury still out on new drug for strokes
The Sydney Morning Herald
The Gillard government has reversed its delayed listing of new drugs but sparked fresh controversy over the deferral of an advanced treatment for more than 200,000 people at high risk of stroke.
Obesity could be courting Atrial Fibrillation
EmpowHer
Research conducted by the University of Adelaide has found an increased positive correlation between obesity and the presence of Atrial Fibrillation among patients.
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Heartbeat strokes can be prevented
Sydney Morning Herald
According to experts, better medication and awareness about irregular heartbeats could slash the number of strokes suffered by Australians each year. A new report on preventable strokes estimates nearly 7,500 will occur in Australians with irregular heartbeats or Atrial Fibrillation (AF) in 2011.
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Experts urge GPs to consider warfarin for all AF patients over 75
Pulse
By Lilian Anekwe GPs should consider all patients over 75 for anticoagulation therapy because of the poor performance of NICE-approved tools for predicting stroke risk in older patients with atrial fibrillation, researchers conclude. ...
Would you test your child's genes to predict their future health?
Daily Mail
Probably the most alarming finding was that the biggest health risk for both Anthony and me is atrial fibrillation or irregular heartbeat, which usually comes with old age. This can cause blood clots and strokes. Anthony has a one in three chance of ...
Students Recruit President Kim as First “Patient” to Test Telemedical Invention
Dartmouth Now
The system could provide a way to remotely monitor atrial fibrillation—the most common heart arrhythmia—on a daily basis. It would enable more timely and effective treatment for the often asymptomatic condition ...
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Hybrid Procedure May Offer Better Outcomes for Persistent and Longstanding Persistent Atrial Fibrillation
StopAfib.org
According to Dr. Edgerton, “Hybrid ablation is better than either afib surgery or catheter ablation alone in terms of effectiveness, and it also should ...
Lynda’s search for information
Highlighting the need for more awareness and information on Atrial Fibrillation.
1 Mission 1 Million – Getting to the Heart of Stroke
Atrial Fibrillation Association is calling on its members to get involved in a new global initiative to raise awareness of Atrial Fibrillation and its link to stroke. €1 million is available to fund projects, chosen by the public, that take action to reduce the risk of stroke caused by Atrial Fibrillation.
The 1 Mission 1 Million initiative offers the opportunity to participate in a far-reaching, global campaign and to be featured on the global campaign website. 1 Mission 1 Million is being supported by leading health experts in Atrial Fibrillation and is sponsored by the pharmaceutical company, Boehringer Ingelheim.
Further details of the campaign and the procedure for applying can be found on www.heartofstroke.com
What is your pulse telling you?
Brisbane Times
The research showed almost half (47 per cent) of those polled had not heard of atrial fibrillation, and yet two-thirds reported they had health conditions ...
See all stories on this topic »
Poll shows ignorance of deadly heart disease . . .
A poll of older Australians has revealed a widespread lack of awareness of a condition that dramatically increases the risk of stroke and heart disease. The research showed almost half (47 per cent) of those polled had not heard of atrial ibrillation, but two-thirds reported they had health conditions that were its warning signs.
Professor Ben Freedman, a cardiologist at Concord Hospital and Deputy Dean of the Sydney Medical School at the University of Sydney said, “AF is now a very common condition with one in five at risk of developing AF during their life. Unfortunately, the community is largely unaware of AF or the conditions that predispose to it. People are not aware that simply checking their own pulse could lead to a diagnosis of AF and treatment which could save their life or prevent a stroke.”
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Dr Gerry Kaye, Electrophysiologist, Princess Alexandra Hospital said, “Although we know that the prevalence AF is becoming more common due to the ageing population, many cases still remain undiagnosed because Australians are not aware of the warning signs.”
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Dr Michael Davis, Cardiologist, Hollywood Private Hospital said, “The low level of awareness of this serious heart condition is particularly concerning given in the last 15 years, hospitalisations for AF have more than tripled.”
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Channel 10 News Video - Download and play using your media player
Undiagnosed heart condition costs Australian health system $1.2 billion
Serious risks of AF are widely misunderstood
Medical Observer
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AF is too often mis-understood, recent press accounts highlight
Research highlights potential benefit of S-ICD System
Research highlights the potential benfits of S-ICD System; the First Minimally Invasive Implantable Defibrillator for the Treatment of Sudden Cardiac Arrest
NHS Choices - Your Information Prescription
Patients and carers have been campaigning for a means to find information they can trust and rely on. Information prescriptions are being developed as a quick and easy way to provide information relevant to an individual's condition and local services
Visit www.nhs.uk/Planners/Yourhealth/Pages/Information.aspx
Bob suffered for ten years until AF . . .
. . . was eventually diagnosed. Routine pulse checks could have avoided this
Robot arm used in heart surgery first in Leicester
Eating fish has no effect on abnormal heart rhythm
Reuters
About a quarter of people will develop atrial fibrillation in their lifetimes, Berry and his team note in the American Journal of Cardiology.
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Patients with heart arrhythmia can still drink coffee: study
CTV.ca
Atrial fibrillation occurs when the electrical signal that triggers the heart to pump blood becomes irregular, leading to abnormal contractions of the atria ...
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Heart defects in young people can go undetected until serious trouble begins
Herald & Review
Once at the hospital, Kathy Claflin was informed that her son was in atrial fibrillation, a type of arrhythmia in which the heart's atria quiver and beat ...
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Patient Calls for NICE to Think Again over Dronedarone
IT is his last hope of having a normal heartbeat – but the rationing watchdog NICE is refusing to make the new £2-a-day drug available on the NHS.
Prof. John Camm discusses dronedarone (Multaq) and vernakalant ...
At Boston Atrial Fibrillation Symposium 2010, Prof. John Camm talked about the two newest antiarrhythmic drugs for atrial fibrillation treatment, ...
A Watchman looking after your heart
Daily Mail
By Oona Mashta A new implant is set to transform the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF), the debilitating heart rhythm disturbance that affects 500000 ...
Special report on A-Fib to be premiered in RLTV's Healthline series
News-Medical.net
Retirement Living TV's (RLTV) award-winning series, Healthline will premiere a special report on Atrial Fibrillation. This half-hour episode explores the ...
Back In Hospital with Af Again
I joined this AF site today as it has only just been set up by Trudie Lobban founder of the Atrial Fibrilation Association here is a link all memebers on . . .
My heart has gone haywire - and all because I'm so tall
When the England rugby legend Bill Beaumont went for a routine knee op, the last thing he expected was to be told he had a heart problem.
Major boost for cardiac services in Wales
Arrhythmias account for more than 3,000 sudden deaths each year in Wales and places a considerable burden of disease on Welsh communities. Approximately 3 to 5% of attendances at emergency departments and 1 to 3% of hospital admissions are due to unexplained loss of consciousness.
New Health Report Exposes Imminent Risk of a Stroke Crisis in Europe
Urgent coordinated action is needed to avoid the thousands of preventable strokes that leave many atrial fibrillation (AF) patients mentally and physically disabled or dead, every year. A report, How Can We Avoid a Stroke Crisis?, launched in the European Parliament today by Action for Stroke Prevention, a group of health experts from across Europe, proposes measures to tackle stroke in patients with AF, the most common, sustained abnormal heart rhythm and a major cause of stroke[1]. Their proposal, endorsed by 17 leading European medical professional and patient organisations, calls for EU policy makers and Member State governments to act before the increasing frequency of these strokes becomes a major public health crisis. Download full report
AF screening could prevent 4,500 strokes a year
Opportunistic screening for atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients aged over 65 could help to prevent up to 4,500 strokes a year, according to NHS Evidence. Read More
The First HeartSafe™ Golf Club in the UK
Farrington Golf & Country Club in Farrington Gurney, Somerset has become the first Golf Club in the UK to have a Public Access Defibrillator. This means that anyone visiting Farrington Golf & Country Club, will have the peace of mind that a defibrillator is immediately available should anyone suffer a Sudden Cardiac Arrest. Read More
Cyclists complete charity ride
Paceline cyclists complete charity ride to raise awareness for cardiac arrythmias. Read more
BBC Documentary Needs You . . .
Do you or someone you know suffer from an undiagnosed medical complaint which is affecting your quality of life? Are you hoping to find the cause? Shine TV would like to hear from anyone interested in taking part as a contributor in a new pilot for BBC One where we take successful applicants through a range of tests in order to diagnose the condition.
Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital gets first 3D heart scanner
Liverpool Daily Post
A procedure called ablation therapy is used to treat the most common type of arrhythmia, Atrial Fibrillation (AF). Currently, doctors rely on X- rays and ... Read more
The NICE clinical guideline on Depression
The NICE clinical guideline on Depression with a chronic physical health problem; the guideline can be viewed on the webpage below.
guidance.nice.org.uk/CG91
Dabigatran versus Warfarin in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation
New England Journal of Medicine (subscription)
Methods In this noninferiority trial, we randomly assigned 18113 patients who had atrial fibrillation and a risk of stroke to receive, in a blinded fashion, ...See all stories on this topic
The history of pacemakers, a device used to regulate the beating of the heart in people with an irregular heart rate.
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Doctors told Kirsten her heart palpitations were nothing to worry about . . . but they were horribly wrong.
Daily Mail 21st April
Global Health Partner AB: Atrial Fibrillation – First Patient ...
Arrhythmia Center Stockholm has today performed the first treatment of atrial fibrillation in the new facility at Södersjukhuset in Stockholm. ...
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Watch the 500,000th pacemaker operation - Mark Gallagher, a Consultant Cardiologist, talks through the procedure.
BBC News - UK
Mrs Trudie Lobban , founder of the Arrhythmia Alliance said: "Although implants have increased in the UK by 5% each year, we need an increase of 15% per ...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8012420.stm