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Gene Variant Linked to Sudden Cardiac Death Risk in Blacks
Posted 13 May 2011 by Drugs.com
FRIDAY, May 13 – A common gene variant among black people may be linked to the development of life-threatening heart arrhythmias (when the heart beats too fast, too slow or irregularly), according to a new study. In pinpointing this gene, Duke University Medical Center researchers hope to one day help doctors determine which patients are likely to benefit most from an implantable cardio-defibrillator (ICD) – a device that automatically detects and corrects potentially deadly heart rhythms by delivering a jolt of electricity. Blacks are disproportionately affected by heart failure, arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death, "but are vastly underrepresented in the majority of clinical trials conducted to date," the study's lead author, Dr. Albert Y. Sun, said in a university news release. "Much debate surrounds the identification of patients for ICD implantation, which takes into account ... Read more
Related support groups: Cardiac Arrhythmia
Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis May Raise Risk of Abnormal Heart Rhythm
Posted 6 May 2011 by Drugs.com
FRIDAY, May 6 – People with two common inflammatory diseases stand a higher chance of developing a heart condition that is strongly associated with stroke, a new study suggests. The study, done at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, found that patients with lupus and rheumatoid arthritis have a 60 percent increased risk for atrial fibrillation, an abnormal heart rhythm (arrhythmia) linked to stroke. Pointing to a recent jump in atrial fibrillation cases, one of the study's authors said it was important to understand all the possible sources of the disease. "We are in the middle of an epidemic of AF (atrial fibrillation)," said Dr. Abhishek Deshmukh, a cardiology fellow at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Medical Center in Little Rock and one of the study's authors. "The numbers have gone sky high as people are living longer. AF tends to affect older people ... Read more
Related support groups: Rheumatoid Arthritis, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Arrhythmia, Lupus Erythematosus, Cardiac Arrhythmia
Widespread Use of Defibrillators in Public Places Saves Lives: Study
Posted 27 Jan 2011 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 26 – The odds of surviving cardiac arrest are greater if it is caused by a "shockable" arrhythmia and if bystanders can give CPR and a shock from a nearby automated external defibrillator (AED), a new study finds. That's why one is more likely to survive if a cardiac arrest occurs in a busy public place, where there are people to witness and respond to the emergency and AEDs are available, the researchers noted. "Patients who have a cardiac arrest in a public location – airports, public buildings, sporting events or exercise facilities – most often have a cause for the cardiac arrest that responds to a shock from an AED to save their life," explained lead researcher Dr. Myron L. Weisfeldt, director of the Department of Medicine at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore. "People who have an arrest at home have a much lower frequency of this type of heart ... Read more
Related support groups: Cardiac Arrhythmia
Smog Contributes to Dangerous Heart Rhythm Disorders
Posted 4 Jan 2011 by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, Jan. 4 – The role that air pollution plays in heart rhythm disorders (arrhythmias) that can cause sudden death may be underestimated, according to researchers. A small study of 25 healthy people without heart disease found detectable changes in the heart's electrical system when the participants were exposed to polluted air. The findings suggest that air pollution may interfere with the heart's ability to reset its electrical properties in an orderly manner, said the researchers. This can lead to arrhythmias, which can cause sudden cardiac death in some people. The fact that air pollution can have this effect on healthy people indicates that people with heart disease may be at even greater risk from air pollution than previously believed, the study authors said. They called for more research into the link between air pollution and arrhythmias, along with greater physician ... Read more
Related support groups: Cardiac Arrhythmia
School Programs for Cardiac Arrest Saving Lives
Posted 15 Nov 2010 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, Nov. 15 --School-based programs that teach CPR and the proper use of automated external defibrillators (AED) boost survival rates from sudden cardiac arrest, new research reveals. A team led by Dr. Stuart Berger, a professor of pediatrics at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, says that it has found evidence of success in recent efforts to bring cardiac emergency skills to school settings, which are the weekday stomping ground for fully one-fifth of the American population (children and adults). Berger and his colleagues are set to report their findings Monday at the American Heart Association's annual meeting in Chicago. The team focused on two CPR-AED programs: "Project ADAM" in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, and "Project SAVE" in Georgia. Both programs are designed to educate students and staff about the signs and symptoms of sudden cardiac arrest, as well as ... Read more
Related support groups: Cardiac Arrhythmia
For Some, Care May Be Withdrawn Too Soon After Cardiac Arrest
Posted 14 Nov 2010 by Drugs.com
SATURDAY, Nov. 13 – For people stricken with sudden cardiac arrest, doctors often resort to a brain-protecting "cooling" of the body, a procedure called therapeutic hypothermia. But new research suggests that physicians are often too quick to terminate potentially lifesaving supportive care when these patients' brains fail to "re-awaken" after a standard waiting period of three days. The research suggests that these patients may need care for up to a week before they regain neurological alertness. "Most patients receiving standard care – without hypothermia – will be [neurologically] awake by day 3 if they are waking up," explained the lead author of one study, Dr. Shaker M. Eid, an assistant professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. However, in his team's study, "patients treated with hypothermia took five to seven days to wake up," he said. The results ... Read more
Related support groups: Cardiac Arrhythmia
CPR Guidelines May Lower Out-of-Hospital Death Rate
Posted 14 Nov 2010 by Drugs.com
SATURDAY, Nov. 13 – When implemented, the American Heart Association's 2005 guidelines on cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can dramatically boost survival rates among people being treated outside a hospital setting, according to an expert report. A case report on the effectiveness of the new guidelines is scheduled to be presented Saturday at the AHA's annual meeting in Chicago by Dr. Michael Dailey, an associate professor of emergency medicine at Albany Medical College. Dailey also serves as medical director of emergency medical services (EMS) for the town of Colonie, N.Y., population 80,000. He said that local implementation of the AHA directives beginning in 2006 translated into a quadrupling of survival rates in his community over a three-year period. Adoption of the guidelines took many forms, including the expansion of CPR training along the lines of the AHA's "CPR Anytime" ... Read more
Related support groups: Cardiac Arrhythmia
Control Your Anger, Help Your Heart
Posted 23 Feb 2009 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, Feb. 23 – Here's a hopeful possibility for those who suffer from arrhythmia, also known as irregular heartbeat: If you learn how to control your emotions, you might not need an implanted defibrillator. That's the hope of a research project headed by Dr. Rachel Lampert, associate professor of cardiology and electrophysiology at Yale University. It's based on a phenomenon called T-wave alternans, and it's getting attention in the cardiology community. The T-wave is the last bump in the electrocardiogram (ECG), which records the electrical activity of the heart as it beats. T-wave alternans is a wide variation in the height or regularity of that bump. A number of studies have linked T-wave alternans to the risk of a potentially fatal heart arrhythmia that can be prevented by implanting a defibrillator, which delivers jolts to keep the heart beating regularly. T-wave alternans can ... Read more
Related support groups: Cardiac Arrhythmia
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