Atrial Fibrillation: News

• Using AI, Mobile ECG Aims to Expand QTc Screening Horizons Usually the purview of bulky 12-lead ECG systems, QT-intervals could potentially be assessed anywhere a modified smartphone can go, suggesting a possible screening 'paradigm shift,' researchers say.
  Medscape Medical News, February 08, 2021
• Alcohol and the Electric Atrium II: When BAC Exceeds Legal Limit Acute electrophysiologic changes from blood alcohol concentrations kept at 0.08% were potentially proarrhythmic, suggesting a mechanistic link between excessive alcohol intake and atrial fibrillation.
  Medscape Medical News, February 04, 2021
• USPSTF Again Recommends Against Carotid Stenosis Screening The US Preventive Services Task Force has reaffirmed its 2014 recommendation against screening for asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis in the general adult population.
  Medscape Medical News, February 03, 2021
• Curious Variation in AF Incidence, Mortality Across Europe Most of Europe may be unified politically, but in some surprising ways, it's far from monolithic in its epidemiology of atrial fibrillation.
  Medscape Medical News, January 29, 2021
• AF at COVID-19 Admission Predicts Mortality, Demands Vigilance Atrial fibrillation, especially new-onset AF, independently predicted early death in patients with COVID-19 in 2 studies, and probably should 'trigger a higher level of diagnostic and therapeutic effort.'
  Medscape Medical News, January 27, 2021
• Just One Drink a Day Can Raise Risk of Developing Atrial Fibrillation Even light drinking, if it's regular, can raise a person's risk of developing atrial fibrillation, a new study suggests.
  Reuters Health Information, January 13, 2021
• Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion, DOAC Comparable for AFib Left atrial appendage occlusion for high-risk atrial fibrillation prevents stroke as well as direct oral anticoagulation, with a lower risk of major bleeding, according to a European study.
  Medscape Medical News, January 14, 2021
• Calcium-Induced Autonomic Denervation Linked to Lower Post-op AF Intraoperative injection of calcium chloride into the four major atrial ganglionated plexi reduced the incidence of early postoperative atrial fibrillation in a proof-of-concept study.
  Medscape Medical News, January 14, 2021
• DOACs Look Safe in Elective Endoscopic Procedures The researchers examined data from 1,623 patients who underwent 1,874 endoscopic procedures.
  Medscape Medical News, January 05, 2021
• First Experience With Completely Leadless CRT Investigators report a small series of patients treated with leadless cardiac resynchronization therapy, showing feasibility and increased LV function at 6 months.
  Medscape Medical News, December 28, 2020
• Digoxin a 'Viable Alternative' in AF With HF: RATE-AF Published Researchers found no difference in quality of life between digoxin and bisoprolol in patients with AF and HF, but some secondary endpoints favored digoxin, and adverse events were less frequent.
  Medscape Medical News, December 23, 2020
• ACC Issues Guidance on Antithrombotic Therapy The new document complements several disease treatment guidelines to provide guidance on antithrombotic use in patients with AF or VTE undergoing PCI or with ASCVD.
  Medscape Medical News, December 23, 2020
• ACC/AHA Update Two Atrial Fibrillation Performance Measures The changes clarify the definition of atrial fibrillation and separate CHA2DS2-VASc risk score treatment thresholds for men and women; both are in line with 2019 guideline changes.
  Medscape Medical News, December 10, 2020
• Even Low Doses of Steroids Tied to Higher Heart Disease Risk Even low doses of steroids are associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, according to a large observational study from the UK.
  Reuters Health Information, December 03, 2020
• Racial Disparities in Atrial Cardiopathy Among Ischemic Stroke Patients Differences in left atrial structure and pathophysiology between Black and white ischemic stroke patients may help explain racial disparities in stroke risk, a U.S. study suggests.
  Reuters Health Information, December 03, 2020
• Biomarker May Flag Response to Novel AF Intervention Neuromodulation of the tragus nerve using a TENS-type device has been shown to reduce AF burden. A biomarker, neuropeptide Y, may flag who will or won't respond to this intervention.
  Medscape Medical News, November 26, 2020
• ESO-WSO 2020 ECG Increases AF Detection, but Not Anticoagulation, After Stroke Researchers suggest that additional ECG monitoring should be focused on patients with stroke who are at increased risk of atrial fibrillation.
  Medscape Medical News, November 24, 2020
• AHA 2020 Survival Gain Signal After AF Screening With Patch ECG Monitor Active screening in a cohort at increased AF risk yielded more first AF diagnoses vs standard care over 3 years; they even had fewer admissions for bleeding, lower mortality, and perhaps fewer strokes.
  Medscape Medical News, November 18, 2020
• AHA 2020 New-Onset AF Common But Unrecognized Early After Cardiac Surgery One in five patients at elevated stroke risk who underwent cardiac surgery with no history of atrial fibrillation developed postoperative AF within the first 30 days after leaving hospital in the randomized SEARCH-AF trial.
  Medscape Medical News, November 17, 2020
• AHA 2020 First-Line Ablation Bests Drugs for AFib in Two RCTs EARLY-AF and STOP-AF First approached arrhythmia monitoring differently but both saw fewer recurrences and few serious adverse events with ablation.
  Medscape Medical News, November 17, 2020