Health News
Drug Application for Atrial Fibrillation
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and Pfizer Inc. announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for review a New Drug Application (NDA) for Eliquis ( apixaban ), an investigational compound for the prevention of stroke and systemic embolism in patients with atrial fibrillation.
Gout Drug May Love Your Heart
Patients that develop a common heart arrhythmia may benefit from an unexpected drug. A medication used to treat gout appears to reduce the incidence of atrial fibrillation following heart surgery.
Abnormal Heart Rhythm Drug Increases Risk of Dying
A drug that aids patients with intermittent atrial fibrillation, a common heart arrhythmia, increased the risk of death among patients with permanent atrial fibrillation. As a result the study was halted early.
Apixaban Fails to Reduce Blood Clots
An experimental drug designed to aid severely ill patients after hospitalization is not more effective than standard treatments for reducing the risk of blood clots, a study has confirmed.
FDA Approves Xarelto for Irregular Heartbeat
U.S. Food and Drug Administration officials have given the green light to anti-clotting drug Xarelto (rivaroxaban) to reduce the risk of stroke in patients with a common heart arrhythmia called atrial fibrillation.
Safer Airport Screenings for Pacemaker Patients
For patients with pacemakers or implantable cardioverter-defibrillators to control potentially dangerous heart arrhythmias, stepping through airport security could cause anxiety. That's because they weren't sure if it would be safe for them.
FDA Evaluating External Pacemakers
U.S. Food and Drug Administration officials are contemplating a proposal to lower the risk classification of external pacemakers from the highest risk category to labeling them a moderate risk.
Coping With End of Life Pain
There may be a lot of discussion about activating implantable defibrillators that aid patients with life-threatening heart arrhythmias. But there is still little talk about deactivating them in the terminally ill.
Pinpointing Deadly Arrhythmias
Heart arrhythmias can be life-threatening, though for some patients they're just a low-risk nuisance. A new set of criteria can help determine which patients are at risk for sudden death and would benefit from an implanted defibrillator.
Half of Arrhythmia Patients Unaware of Stroke Risk
For patients with atrial fibrillation, a common heart arrhythmia, the most serious risk is their heightened susceptibility to stroke. But half of patients are unaware of the risk or choose to ignore it.