At Heart Rhythm Society 2010, we saw intriguing new research into personalized afib treatment and stroke prevention that was presented by Dr. Nassir Marrouche and Dr. Marcos Daccarett of the Comprehensive Arrhythmia Research and Management (CARMA) Center at the University of Utah Health System. They have developed a way, using MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), to …
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In this video interview at Boston Atrial Fibrillation Symposium, Dr. Peter Kowey, President of the Main Line Health Heart Center, talked about a number of exciting new things in the atrial fibrillation world. His topics included the Cabana clinical trials, the Safari catheter ablation registry, dronedarone as a replacement for amiodarone, atrial selective drugs, and …
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One of the most common questions we get centers around the use of anticoagulant drugs—either the brand drug, Coumadin, or the generic version, warfarin—and whether or not an atrial fibrillation patient should be on them. Anticoagulants decrease stroke risk, but can also increase bleeding risk. How do you sort it all out? It's just as …
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New studies from the Mayo Clinic and the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) show that African Americans are less likely to know they have atrial fibrillation or to be treated with anticoagulants to prevent afib-related strokes, and that stroke deaths are higher among blacks throughout the U.S. and southerners in eight "stroke belt" states. …
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There was an update today on the long-awaited FDA status of Atritech's WATCHMAN® device. If approved, it would provide an alternative to taking Coumadin or warfarin to prevent strokes for those with atrial fibrillation. Here are some quotes from the press release. Minneapolis (March 18, 2010) — Atritech, Inc., an emerging medical device company, announced …
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Genetic tests that show high or low sensitivity to blood thinner (anticoagulant) drugs like warfarin (Coumadin) not only improve dosing accuracy but also reduce hospitalization by 31%, according to a new study just presented at the American College of Cardiology scientific sessions. Coumadin is often prescribed for people who have afib to prevent blood clots …
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At Boston Atrial Fibrillation Symposium 2010, Dr. Andrea Russo talked about gender differences in atrial fibrillation treatment, including catheter ablation, as well as women and the risk of stroke from afib. Watch the video: Interview with Dr. Andrea Russo at Boston Atrial Fibrillation Symposium 2010
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At Boston Atrial Fibrillation Symposium 2010, Dr. Vivek Reddy shared with us some of the new atrial fibrillation catheter ablation techniques and also talked about non-pharmacological approaches to afib stroke prevention. See the video: Interview with Dr. Vivek Reddy at Boston Atrial Fibrillation Symposium 2010
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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?, was launched today in the European Parliament in Brussels by Action for Stroke Prevention, a group of health experts …
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This very important story may change how afib patients and their doctors decide if they should be on anticoagulant medications (blood thinners), such as Coumadin or warfarin. The CHADS2 scoring system is how doctors now decide who should be on Coumadin or warfarin to avoid strokes, but a newly-published study adds new stroke risk factors …
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