Researchers at the Comprehensive Arrhythmia Research and Management Center (CARMA) in Utah have been studying the relationship between atrial fibrillation, atrial fibrosis, and catheter ablation outcomes for many years. Now, they’ve applied their knowledge of quantifying atrial fibrosis to stroke risk assessment and found that the amount of atrial fibrosis, not type of afib, is …
Read MoreCategory Archives: Anticoagulation
New research from Denmark shows that CHADS2 underestimates stroke risk. In the study, atrial fibrillation patients who were at intermediate risk with the CHADS2 scoring system had more than twice the stroke rate of those defined by the enhanced CHA2DS2-VASc tool as being at intermediate risk. While CHADS2 deemed 32.3% of patients to have intermediate …
Read MoreIn this video, Dr. Kenneth Ellenbogen talks about important information presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2010. First he talked about the ROCKET AF clinical trial of rivaroxaban, a new drug that is an alternative to warfarin (Coumadin), as well as another alternative, the recently-approved dabigatran. He provided scenarios as to how these drugs …
Read MoreUp to 30% of patients could have very late recurrence of atrial fibrillation after catheter ablation, according to research highlighted at the recent Boston AF Symposium. Very late recurrence, which is when atrial fibrillation resumes more than one year after ablation, may be the result of age, gender, type of afib, and existence of other …
Read MoreStopAfib.org has published the 2010 Most Popular Atrial Fibrillation News Stories and Videos List. Stroke prevention topped the list and included stories about warfarin (Coumadin) and alternatives such as dabigatran (Pradaxa) and rivaroxaban (Xarelto). Other popular topics included the new European atrial fibrillation guidelines, new antiarrhythmic medications, updates on catheter ablation and afib surgery, and …
Read MoreNew medical guidelines from the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) incorporating the latest afib research put Europe ahead of the U.S. when it comes to standardized treatment of atrial fibrillation. Stroke prevention and symptom relief are at the heart of the new ESC guidelines, which also make it clear that the risk of stroke for …
Read MoreOn the heels of the US FDA approving dabigatran, the long-awaited alternative to Coumadin (warfarin), comes word that Health Canada has as well. In Canada, dabigatran is known as PRADAX™. Because this is the first alternative to warfarin in Canada, it is big news for the afib community there. Learn more at: Health Canada Approves …
Read MoreThe long-awaited alternative to Coumadin (warfarin) has just been approved by the US FDA. The FDA just approved Pradaxa (dabigatran) for use by those with atrial fibrillation for preventing afib-related strokes. The FDA based approval on results of the RE-LY trial, which saw patients on Pradaxa having fewer strokes than those on warfarin. And Pradaxa …
Read MoreAn FDA panel today unanimously recommended that the FDA approve dabigatran (Pradaxa) for reducing the risk of afib strokes. FDA approval is expected quickly, making this the first alternative to warfarin approved in the United States, and also the first atrial fibrillation approval for dabigatran. It is approved in over 70 countries for venous thromboembolisms …
Read MoreA new study exploring ethnic differences in stroke risk for people with atrial fibrillation (AF) showed that Mexican American stroke survivors with afib were more than twice as likely to have another stroke as comparable non-Hispanic white stroke survivors with afib. Researchers were surprised by the study’s finding that severity of recurrent stroke is also …
Read More