Arrhythmia

The Practical Cardiology™ Arrhythmia clinical resource center provides information and insights for those interested in the latest from the field of heart rhythm disorders. From atrial fibrillation to ventricular tachycardia and everything in between, this page is where readers can find articles, videos, podcasts, and conference coverage related to arrhythmias and electrophysiology.

FDA Expands WATCHMAN FLX Approval to Include DAPT Option

September 06, 2022

Announced by Boston Scientific on September 6, the label for the WATCHMAN FLX LAAC device now includes a 45-day DAPT option as an alternative to the 45-day postprocedural OAC plus aspirin regimen for patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation.

Study Suggests Women More Likely to Develop AFib than Men When Accounting for Height and Weight

September 01, 2022

Despite the notion that men were at greater risk than women for developing AFib, new research indicates women were at a 49% greater risk of developing AFib than their male counterparts of the same height and weight.

Using Medical Marijuana for Chronic Pain Could Compromise Cardiovascular Health

August 22, 2022

An analysis of Danish national register data suggests patients using medical cannabis for pain had a 64% greater risk of arrhythmias than their unexposed counterparts.

SMART WARS: KardiaBand Bests Apple Watch Series 4 for Detecting Arrhythmia

July 07, 2022

Data from the SMART WARS study provides insight into the diagnostic utility of the KardiaBand and Apple Watch Series 4 devices for detecting arrhythmias in older adults.

Postoperative AFib Could Signal Increased Risk of Heart Failure Hospitalizations

July 02, 2022

New research suggests occurrence of postoperative atrial fibrillation was associated with a 33% increase in risk of incident heart failure hospitalization in those undergoing cardiac surgery and a doubling in risk among those undergoing noncardiac surgery compared to their counterparts without postoperative atrial fibrillation.

DECAAF II: MRI-Guided Ablation Not A "One-Size-Fits-All" Fix for Persistent AFib

June 23, 2022

Results of DECAAF II, an RCT assessing MRI-guided ablation plus PVI to PVI alone for persistent AFib, suggest the more aggressive approach did not result in a statistically significant difference in arrhythmia recurrence but was associated with increased occurrence of safety events, including stroke.

Rivaroxaban Bests Combination Therapy for Total Event, Mortality Risk in Stable CAD with AFib

June 16, 2022

A secondary analysis of the AFIRE trial provides further detail on the reduction in event risk and mortality associated with rivaroxaban monotherapy compared to combination therapy in patients with atrial fibrillation and stable coronary artery disease.