An FDA advisory panel voted that the overall benefits outweighed the risks in afib ablations using the AtriCure Synergy bipolar radiofrequency clamp. This was based on the results of the ABLATE clinical trial for ablation of persistent or longstanding persistent atrial fibrillation during other heart surgery. The panel recommended that the FDA approve it, setting …
The US Food and Drug Administration has approved Xarelto (rivaroxaban) to reduce stroke risk in those with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (afib unrelated to heart valve problems). Xarelto is now the second oral alternative to warfarin (Coumadin) and offers an option for those unable to take warfarin or dabigatran. Xarelto is the first once-a-day alternative to …
In this important video interview at Venice Arrhythmias, Professor Gregory Lip discusses the importance of the CHA2DS2-VASc scoring tool for predicting atrial fibrillation stroke risk and why aspirin is not appropriate for preventing strokes. Watch the video at: Professor Gregory Lip Discusses CHA2DS2-VASc Tool for Predicting Stroke Risk in Atrial Fibrillation — Video
Atrial fibrillation is the most common irregular heart rhythm that starts in the atria. While it is often a mere annoyance, it can also be responsible for life-threatening medical emergencies that result in cardiac arrest, stroke and sudden death. Take advantage of this rare opportunity to chat live on October 28 with atrial fibrillation experts …
While the Atrial Fibrillation Resolution will make a difference in our knowledge and understanding of afib, there is so much more that we can do. My dream is that, by aggregating lots of data (not individually identifiable) from those with afib across the world, we can identify clusters of things that individual doctors may not …
The US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) Advisory Committee just voted 9-2, with 1 abstaining, to recommend that the FDA approve rivaroxaban (Xarelto) for prevention of atrial fibrillation strokes. See our full story, now up at: FDA Panel Votes for Rivaroxaban: Atrial Fibrillation Patients May Soon Have Two Alternatives to Warfarin for Stroke Prevention
StopAfib.org is among a group of experts calling today for urgent action to prevent an atrial fibrillation stroke crisis in Latin America. Action for Stroke Prevention, a group of health experts from across the globe, is launching a new report, How Can We Avoid a Stroke Crisis in Latin America?, at the International Society for …
Just ahead of the FDA Advisory Committee hearing on rivaroxaban for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation, we report in more depth on the ROCKET-AF trial results published recently in the New England Journal of Medicine. Rivaroxaban was shown to be as effective as warfarin (Coumadin) for stroke prevention in a high-risk afib population. To learn …
A brand new tool, Atrial Fibrillation in Primary Care (AFIP), was just released at the European Society of Cardiology meeting in Paris. This tool may be useful for afib patients and their caregivers, especially those who are newly-diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, in working with doctors. Two members of the StopAfib.org Global Medical Advisory Board are …
In her first regular Patient Perspective column, which appears in the August issue of EP Lab Digest, StopAfib.org founder Mellanie True Hills explores a concern in the atrial fibrillation patient community that staying in afib long term could be a "death sentence." In addition, she talks about the upcoming National Atrial Fibrillation Awareness Month, which …