Medtronic’s ICDs with Atrial Fibrillation Detection Win FDA Approval Medtronic plc today announced it has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA approval for the Visia AF MRI(TM) SureScan® and Visia AF(TM) single-chamber implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs). The Visia AF devices can detect previously undiagnosed and/or asymptomatic atrial fibrillation (AF) and monitor recurrent AF, while […]

NICE Publish Guidance for Sacubitril valsartan NICE gives green light to new heart failure drug set to benefit 100,000 people with common heart condition In guidance published today NICE has recommended new heart failure drug sacubitril valsartan (Entresto, Novartis), the first drug of its kind, as an option for some people with heart failure. The […]

Tesco now HeartSafe with 900 defibrillators installed in their stores Arrhythmia Alliance has announced that every Tesco shopper is now HeartSafe with the placement of over 900 automated external defibrillators in stores across the UK, supported by the Defibs Save Lives campaign. This follows the launch of the Arrhythmia Alliance manifesto, ‘Now Is The Time… for […]

92-year-old Arthur Whitfield Celebrates his 25th Heart Transplant Birthday At the time of his heart transplant in 1991, Arthur Whitfield then aged 67, was the oldest person to receive a donor heart. 25 years later, determined Arthur today is celebrating being one of oldest, if the not the eldest heart transplant patients in the world! […]

NICE Publish Final Appraisal Determination for Sacubitril valsartan for treating symptomatic chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Recommendations in Final Appraisal Determination for Sacubitril valsartan Recommendations 1.1 Sacubitril valsartan is recommended as an option for treating symptomatic chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, only in people:  […]

Novartis’ new heart failure medicine, Entresto™, sacubitril valsartan accepted for use in Scotland by the Scottish Medicines Consortium  SMC recognised sacubitril valsartan represents a new therapeutic option for adult patients with symptomatic chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction1and may be used instead of the current gold standard treatment for the condition  Heart […]

Ohio State Evaluates First Transcatheter Implant for Diastolic Heart Failure  For the first time in the U.S., a clinical trial is underway that’s evaluating a transcatheter implant device designed to treat diastolic heart failure. The first patient enrolled in the randomized, blinded study is being treated at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. Diastolic […]

Novartis’ new heart failure medicine Sacubitril valsartan is now available in the UK Sacubitril valsartan (Entresto™) is now available for UK adults with symptomatic chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction Largest heart failure study showed Entresto (sacubitril valsartan) saves lives and reduces hospitalisation for people with heart failure when compared to enalapril, an ACE-inhibitor, and […]

£3-a-day heart failure drug Sacubitril valsartan, described as biggest breakthrough in 15 years after reducing death rates by 20%, available tomorrow and on NHS from May Breakthrough heart failure drug Sacubitril valsartan to be made available to private patients from tomorrow The breakthrough drug is expected to be available from the NHS by May 2016 Clnical […]

Public Health England issues guidance as Met Office updates Level 2 cold weather alert As colder weather sweeps across the country, the Met Office has today (13 January 2015) updated the Level 2 cold weather alert. This now affects all parts of England. [Cold Weather Alert: See Pumping Marvellous Winter Survival Kit for Heart Patients – […]

Penn Researchers Identify Cause of Heart Failure in Pregnant Women Data shows genetic mutation in the TITIN protein causes Peripartum Cardiomyopathy Each year approximately 1 in 1,000 pregnant women will experience peripartum cardiomyopathy, PPCM, an uncommon form of often severe heart failure that occurs in the final month of pregnancy or up to five months […]

Scientists have discovered a way to stimulate muscle cell growth in the heart, limiting the damage to this vital organ after a heart attack. It’s hoped this exciting research, where scientists discover how to stimulate heart muscle cell growth (within the theart), which was conducted by Professor Eldad Tzahor from the Weizmann Institute of Science […]

Short daily exposure to “asynchrony” using a pacemaker may jump-start a suite of recovery mechanisms, experiments suggest Johns Hopkins has demonstrated in animals that unsynching the heartbeat, by applying a pacemaker’s mild electrical shocks to push the heart in and out of normal synchronized contraction for part of each day may be an effective way […]