November 12, 2008 8:49 AM CT Some of the reports out of the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions this week contain really heartening news, including one that hopefully is ushering in a sea change regarding approval of treatments for atrial fibrillation. A problem I discuss occasionally is that, as of now, no devices are FDA-approved …
Read More
November 18, 2008 8:41 AM CT UPDATED 11-18-08: This event is being postponed and rescheduled for after the holidays. You're invited to attend an Atrial Fibrillation Patient Information Seminar in Schaumburg, IL. This seminar features Mellanie True Hills, CEO of StopAfib.org and the American Foundation for Women's Health, and best-selling author of A Woman's Guide …
Read More
November 7, 2008 8:19 AM CT A team led by Dr. Nassir Marrouche, the Director of the Atrial Fibrillation (AF) Program at the University Of Utah School Of Medicine, is pioneering the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in catheter ablation, which could represent a breakthrough in the treatment of atrial fibrillation. Dr. Marrouche presented a …
Read More
November 15, 2008 8:41 AM CT You’re invited to attend an Atrial Fibrillation Patient Seminar in Orlando, Florida. This seminar features Mellanie True Hills, CEO of StopAfib.org and the American Foundation for Women’s Health and best-selling author of A Woman’s Guide to Saving Her Own Life. Date: Saturday, November 15, 2008 Time: 1:00-3:00pm EST Where: Orlando …
Read More
October 30, 2008 7:52 AM CT In the past week I've been approached by several folks in their eighties who are interested in catheter ablation or surgery for their atrial fibrillation. But eighty is often considered the upper limit for these procedures due to concerns about the health of the patient. As our aging population …
Read More
October 29, 2008 6:20 AM CT October 29th has been declared as World Stroke Day and will be celebrated annually. This year the theme is "Little strokes, big trouble" because "silent" strokes occur five times as often as obvious strokes and affect thinking, mood, and personality. Recent studies have shown that silent strokes are the most common …
Read More
October 27, 2008 7:52 AM CT From time to time, we see reports about atrial fibrillation related to bisphosphonates, the medications used for preventing osteoporosis. The bisphosphonates include such brands as Fosamax, Boniva, Actonel, and Reclast. HealthDay reports on a new study that reviewed available research and found that these medications may lead to serious …
Read More
October 24, 2008 7:55 AM CT Recently there have been a number of new beta-blocker and heart rate studies, some of which are contradictory. Here's a discussion of three recent studies that may apply to those with afib. 1) Heart rates over 70 beats per minute predict heart attack risk The BEAUTIFUL study, presented recently at …
Read More
October 22, 2008 7:52 AM CT Mellanie True Hills, founder of StopAfib.org, talks about living with atrial fibrillation and about her mini-maze surgery in USA Weekend's HealthSmart edition. Read Page 14 of USA Weekend HealthSmart: E-mail your doctor: Communicating online lets a patient get answers from her doctor before and after surgery for atrial fibrillation Please share …
Read More
October 14, 2008 7:56 AM CT A study in the October 15 issue of JAMA indicates that reducing how often a patient receives amiodarone for atrial fibrillation does not decrease side effects, but does increase atrial fibrillation recurrence and the risk of death and hospitalizations. Researchers at the University of Groningen, in The Netherlands, conducted a …
Read More