DOAC Cuts Stroke Risk From Subclinical Afib
PHILADELPHIA — For patients with subclinical atrial fibrillation (Afib, AF) detected by their pacemaker or defibrillator, direct oral anticoagulation brought their already low stroke risk even lower — but at a cost in bleeding events, the ARTESiA trial showed. Apixaban (Eliquis) treatment cut risk of stroke or systemic embolism 37% compared with low-dose aspirin over […]
PPI Still Common With Self-Expanding TAVR
Need for a pacemaker after transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) with a self-expanding device was both common and impactful for mortality, but the risk appeared to be modifiable, international registry data showed. Of patients treated with an Acurate neo/neo2 (approved outside the U.S.) or Evolut PRO/PRO+ valve, 11.3% needed new permanent pacemaker implantation (PPI) […]
First Dual-Chamber Leadless Pacemaker Approved by FDA
The FDA approved the Aveir DR dual-chamber leadless pacemaker, the first such device to make it to the market, manufacturer Abbott announced. Approved for the treatment of abnormal or slow heart rhythms, the Aveir DR system comprises two small single-chamber pacemakers: the new Aveir AR pacemaker for the right atrium, and the previously approved Aveir […]
Dual-Chamber Leadless Pacemaker Impresses in Safety-and-Performance Study
NEW ORLEANS — A leadless dual-chamber pacemaker with bidirectional wireless communication turned in very promising short-term results in patients with standard indications for dual-chamber pacing, according to the Aveir DR i2i Study. The implantation procedure, consisting of two functioning leadless pacemakers that established implant-to-implant communication, was successful in 98.3% (n=295 of 300) of trial patients, […]
Doctors May Have Found A Way To Reduce The Effects Of Alzheimer’s
A ‘pacemaker’ for the brain has helped a number of Alzheimer’s patients regain some of the cognitive function that they had previously lost because of the disease. The process involves placing tiny electrical wires deep within the frontal lobes of the brain and then applying a small electrical current.
‘Bionic’ pacemaker reverses heart failure
A revolutionary pacemaker that re-establishes the heart’s naturally irregular beat is set to be trialled in New Zealand heart patients this year, following successful animal trials. “Currently, all pacemakers pace the heart metronomically, which means a very steady, even pace. But when you record heart rate in a healthy individual, you see it is constantly […]