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February 1, 2012
Omega-3s tied to lower risk of heart arrhythmia
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - In a new study of some 3,000 older adults, those with the highest levels of omega-3 fatty acids in their blood were 30 percent less likely to develop an irregular heartbeat over the next 14 years than peers with the lowest blood levels of omega-3s.
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January 13, 2012
China seeks to unlock secrets of herbs, roots
HONG KONG (Reuters) - Chinese legends have long extolled the benefits of the Tian Shan Xue Lian, a rare white flower found in snowcapped mountains that is revered as a panacea, an elixir so powerful it can supposedly bring the dead back to life.
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January 9, 2012
Heart attack risk seen with clot drug Pradaxa
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January 6, 2012
New heart rhythm fix sometimes short-lived
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A new procedure to treat the common heart rhythm problem atrial fibrillation may offer only short-lived relief for a significant portion of patients, according to California researchers.
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November 22, 2011
U.S. hospitalizations tied to energy drinks rise
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Emergency room visits linked to energy drink consumption have surged in recent years, according to a U.S. government report released on Tuesday, as more people combine the popular beverages with alcohol and drugs.
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October 26, 2011
Reused pacemakers safe option in poor nations
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Recycled pacemakers donated from U.S. funeral homes could offer a safe way to get the heart devices to poor people in the developing world, a small study suggests.
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September 30, 2011
Bayer says Xarelto prevents heart attacks
FRANKFURT (Reuters) - German drugmaker Bayer said its potential blockbuster drug Xarelto was shown to prevent heart attacks in patients that have already suffered one.
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September 29, 2011
Some stroke patients not getting recommended drug
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Guidelines say that stroke sufferers with the heart-rhythm problem atrial fibrillation should take the clot-fighting drug warfarin. But a new study finds that not all of those patients start the medication and even fewer stick with it.
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September 16, 2011
Vitamin D not tied to fibrillation
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Despite some research linking low vitamin D levels to heart disease, a new study suggests that lacking D does not increase one's risk of an irregular heartbeat known as atrial fibrillation.
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September 6, 2011
Bayer, J&J stroke drug not ready for approval: FDA
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. drug regulators said an experimental stroke preventer from Bayer and Johnson & Johnson is not ready for approval and raised questions about its effectiveness, sending Bayer shares down more than 7 percent.
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August 22, 2011
Data may prove Bristol and Pfizer drug a winner
LONDON (Reuters) - Despite being third to market, a new bloodthinner from Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer may become the biggest seller in an emerging multibillion-dollar class of drugs for preventing strokes in heart patients.
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August 18, 2011
Stem cell team aims for spare heart parts in 5 years
HONG KONG (Reuters) - Stem cell researchers in Hong Kong and the United States are trying to grow spare parts for the human heart that may be ready for tests on people within five years, they said on Thursday.
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August 11, 2011
Bayer anti-clot drug gets cautious welcome
LONDON (Reuters) - An anti-clotting pill from Bayer and Johnson & Johnson offers a new way of preventing stroke although further studies will be needed to refine treatment options, according to a review in a top medical journal.
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July 7, 2011
Sanofi halts clinical trial of heart drug Multaq
PARIS, July 7 (Reuters) - Sanofi is halting a clinical trial aimed at getting another indication approved for its key heart drug Multaq after it saw increased cardiovascular problems among patients taking the drug.
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April 3, 2011
Yoga halves irregular-heartbeat episodes -US study
NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) - Yoga, already proven to lower high blood pressure and cholesterol levels, can cut in half the risk of a common and potentially dangerous irregular heartbeat, according to a U.S. study released Saturday.
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January 25, 2011
Defibrillators appear to work in medical helicopters
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Despite concerns about using heart defibrillators in a moving ambulance, a new study suggests the potentially life-saving devices may work just fine in "medevac" helicopters.
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January 19, 2011
Drinking may raise risk of abnormal heart rhythm
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People who drink regularly, especially heavy drinkers, may be more likely than teetotalers to suffer the common heart-rhythm disturbance atrial fibrillation, a new research review suggests.
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December 17, 2010
FDA OKs Medtronic system for atrial fibrillation
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Medical device maker Medtronic Inc said U.S. regulators approved its new catheter system for treating a common heart rhythm disorder known as paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.
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November 15, 2010
Fish oil does not help atrial fibrillation: study
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Taking a high dose of fish oil does not prevent symptoms of atrial fibrillation, a common heart rhythm problem that can cause strokes, U.S. researchers said on Monday.
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November 15, 2010
Bayer, J&J anti-clot drug shines in stroke trial
CHICAGO (Reuters) - A once-daily pill being developed by Bayer AG and Johnson & Johnson was better at preventing stroke than standard treatment, with less risk of the most worrisome types of bleeding, researchers said on Monday.
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November 15, 2010
Family ties play big role in atrial fibrillation
CHICAGO (Reuters) - People who have a close family member with atrial fibrillation are 40 percent more likely to develop the heart condition than other people, U.S. researchers said on Saturday.
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October 11, 2010
Bisphosphonates tied to stroke in cancer patients
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Cancer patients treated with osteoporosis-fighting drugs are at increased risk of abnormal heart rhythms and stroke, new research shows.
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August 31, 2010
Drug cuts stroke risk by half vs aspirin: study
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - An experimental drug from Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer reduces the risk of stroke by more than half compared with aspirin, with no significant rise in major bleeding, researchers said on Tuesday.
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August 12, 2010
REFILE: ED supplement causes 'worrisome' heartbeat changes
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Enzyte, a popular dietary supplement marketed for "male enhancement," causes electrical abnormalities in the heart that could be potentially fatal in some people, new research suggests.
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August 10, 2010
ED supplement causes 'worrisome' heartbeat changes
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Enzyte, a popular dietary supplement marketed for "male enhancement," causes electrical abnormalities in the heart that could be potentially fatal in some people, new research suggests.
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July 22, 2010
Boston Sci confirms problems in 3 defibrillators
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Boston Scientific Corp said on Thursday it found problems with three older models of its implantable heart defibrillators that can prevent the devices from performing life-saving functions.
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January 27, 2010
Heart procedure beats drugs for irregular heartbeat
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Burning sections of the heart works far better than drugs at treating patients with an irregular heartbeat condition called atrial fibrillation, a common heart rhythm disorder that affects more than 2 million Americans, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday.
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December 10, 2009
Common heart rhythm problem on the rise in the US
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - About 3 million Americans suffer from the most common type of abnormal heart rhythm, atrial fibrillation, and that number is likely to double by 2035, new research shows.
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December 9, 2009
Health experts warn of stroke "crisis" in Europe
LONDON (Reuters) - Health experts warned on Wednesday of a stroke crisis in Europe, which is already costing the region's economy an estimated 38 billion euros ($56 billion) a year, with numbers expected to rise as populations age.
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September 28, 2009
Diabetes ups risk of abnormal heart rhythm
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Diabetes is an important risk factor for a common heart rhythm problem called atrial fibrillation, particularly in women, U.S. investigators report.
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August 31, 2009
New stroke drug looks set to replace warfarin
BARCELONA (Reuters) - Patients at risk of stroke due to an irregular heartbeat should soon have a viable alternative to 50-year-old warfarin, after a new pill from Boehringer Ingelheim beat expectations in a major clinical study.
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August 19, 2009
Stroke survivors face long-term risks: study
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The risk of a repeat stroke, which is more likely to be disabling or fatal than a first stroke, remains high long after the first stroke, a study indicates.
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August 13, 2009
Abnormal heart rhythm more common in white elders
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Aging white adults appear to have a greater risk of developing the heart rhythm disorder atrial fibrillation than their black peers, new research suggests.
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August 10, 2009
First wireless pacemaker in US gives patient new freedom
NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - After relying on a pacemaker for 20 years, Carol Kasyjanski has become the first American recipient of a wireless pacemaker that allows her doctor to monitor her health from afar - over the Internet.
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July 8, 2009
Brian MRI changes predict who may die from stroke
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - MRI scans can predict which patients with strokes are more likely to survive, according to a study in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry.
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June 22, 2009
Sleep disordered breathing can lead to arrhythmias
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Moderate-to-severe sleep disordered breathing raises the risk of clinically significant cardiac arrhythmias in men age 65 and older, with or without heart disease, investigators report in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
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June 12, 2009
Mayo gets $48 mln to study heart disorder treatment
CHICAGO (Reuters) - The Mayo Clinic said it has received $48 million from the U.S. government and industry to expand a study investigating a catheter-based treatment for atrial fibrillation, the most common serious heart rhythm abnormality in people over the age of 65.
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June 11, 2009
Hormone experts worried about plastics, chemicals
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Hormone experts said on Wednesday they are becoming worried by a chemical called bisphenol A, which some politicians say they want taken out of products and which consumers are increasingly shunning.
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June 11, 2009
Frequent vigorous exercise raises heart risk
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - New research suggests that as the frequency of vigorous exercise increases, so does the risk of atrial fibrillation.
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May 26, 2009
Family of sudden death victim may also be at risk
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Comprehensive cardiovascular and genetic screening of family members of young victims of sudden unexplained death may save lives. According to a study presented today at the European Society of Human Genetics annual meeting in Vienna, Austria, screening detected a dangerous inherited heart condition in approximately 31 percent of families.
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May 11, 2009
ECG can help predict black patients' stroke risk
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Contrary to prior evidence, it's possible that blacks may actually have more episodes of atrial fibrillation (periods of irregular heart beat), than whites, possibly because it's intermittent and therefore difficult to identify, according to a new study.
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April 21, 2009
US FDA staff questions heart device data
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. health regulatory staff expressed concern about several issues with Atritech Inc's data for its Watchman heart device to prevent blood clots, including the types of patients studied and how long they were followed.
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April 16, 2009
Big men more susceptible to abnormal heart rhythm
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Older men who were big during their 20s face an increased risk of suffering from an abnormal heart rhythm called atrial fibrillation.
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March 30, 2009
Device proves option to warfarin in stroke study
ORLANDO, Fla. (Reuters) - A new device implanted in the heart proved in a large clinical study to be a potential alternative to a standard blood thinner for helping patients with irregular heart beats prevent stroke, researchers said on Saturday.
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December 26, 2008
Smoking ups risk of common heart rhythm problem
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Offering yet another reason to never start smoking, a new study finds that both current and former smokers run an elevated risk of the heart rhythm disorder atrial fibrillation.
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December 2, 2008
Alcohol linked with irregular heartbeat in women
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Consuming two or more alcoholic beverages per day may slightly increase the risk of developing an irregular heartbeat , also referred to as atrial fibrillation, in women, according to a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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November 11, 2008
Sanofi's Multaq reduces hospitalization: study
NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) - Sanofi-Aventis's experimental drug Multaq significantly reduced the incidence of hospitalization and length of hospital stays in patients with atrial fibrillation, according to a new analysis of a previously reported study, researchers said on Tuesday.
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November 11, 2008
Device to treat heart rhythm superior: study
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson's ablation device outperformed drug therapy for the heart rhythm disorder atrial fibrillation in a study that will be used to seek U.S. regulatory approval for the treatment, J&J said on Tuesday.
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November 10, 2008
MP3 player headphones may hinder pacemakers
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Headphones used with MP3 digital music players like the iPod may interfere with heart pacemakers and implantable defibrillators, U.S. researchers said on Sunday.
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October 27, 2008
Bone drugs may raise risk of irregular heartbeat
PHILADELPHIA (Reuters Health) - The risk of developing a serious irregular heartbeat, resulting in hospitalization or death, is substantially higher among bisphosphonate users than nonusers, results of a study indicate.