August 24, 2008 6:17 AM CT I talk a lot in my speeches and programs about the financial toll that atrial fibrillation takes on us and our families, and I have mentioned it in previous articles as well. A new study from The Commonwealth Fund shares just how pervasive the financial toll of medical costs has become …
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August 22, 2008 6:12 AM CT If you are considering a procedure of any kind, you'll want to read The Inside of a Time Out, a fascinating case and commentary at Medscape about the importance of time outs in the operating room. This comes from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). In an effort …
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August 14, 2008 6:27 AM CT Stress is a major problem for all of us, whether or not we have atrial fibrillation. Afib just makes it worse. Earlier this year, we had a big stressor. The Internet service provider (ISP) for my speaking and consulting business lost the hard drive to their mail server, so we …
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August 13, 2008 6:12 AM CT Heart Insight is a free quarterly magazine from the American Heart Association for patients, their families and caregivers. Sign up for a complimentary subscription by mail (only available within the U.S. and its possessions) See current and previous issues
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August 11, 2008 6:12 AM CT There is good news for those on amiodarone, or those trying to avoid it. Amiodarone is among the most effective atrial fibrillation medications, but amiodarone has major toxicity issues. Multaq® (dronedarone) is a new drug for atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter that is a potential replacement for amiodarone. Multaq® just received …
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August 9, 2008 9:12 AM CT The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has warned doctors that combining certain cholesterol and atrial fibrillation medications can result in a rare, and sometimes fatal, muscle wasting disorder. Patients taking amiodarone (Cordaroneâ, Paceroneâ) should not receive more than 20 milligrams per day of simvastatin, the active ingredient in cholesterol medications …
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August 7, 2008 6:12 AM CT According to a new study published in the August 5, 2008, issue of Circulation, light exercise, such as walking a few blocks or dancing, can help prevent atrial fibrillation in older people. The researchers studied more than 5,000 older adults. The risk of atrial fibrillation was 22 percent lower in …
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August 1, 2008 6:12 AM CT The next ORLive features Electrophysiologists from The Heart and Diabetes Center North Rhine-Westphalia in Bad Oeynhausen, Germany. The webcast will be the first ever live case with the Artic Front® cryoballoon ablation catheter from CryoCath Technologies. This live event from Munich will take place on Saturday, August 30th, 2008 at 19:00 CEST (1:00 …
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July 29, 2008 7:12 AM CT Mellanie True Hills, CEO of StopAfib.org and author of A Woman's Guide to Saving Her Own Life, was just quoted in BlackBerrys Be Damned: Can You Do Business Without Them?, a story on the FOX Business web site. While the story was not about atrial fibrillation, it is a message that …
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July 24, 2008 7:12 AM CT There is important news just out for those with atrial fibrillation. We already know that there is a greater risk of atrial fibrillation among those with obstructive sleep apnea than even among those with other cardiovascular diseases. And afib patients with untreated sleep apnea are more likely to revert back …
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