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News, opinions and meeting coverage in cardiology.

MRI Helps ID Heart Risk in Scleroderma

LIVERPOOL -- Cardiac MRI could help provide diagnostic information about potential arrhythmogenic events among patients with scleroderma being considered for implantable cardioverter defibrillators, a researcher said here.

How To Get Medicare To Cover A Spa Trip

Good news for doctors who think their patients need a trip to the spa: Medicare will reimburse, with only two catches.

Can Antibiotics Trigger Arrhythmias?

Azithromycin and levofloxacin were both associated with elevated risks of death and serious cardiac arrhythmias during standard lengths of prescription, a study of mostly male military veterans showed.

CT Appears Safe in Patients With Pacemakers, ICDs

Patients with cardiac rhythm management devices showed no clinically significant major or minor events related to computed tomography imaging over a 10-year period at two large-volume care centers, researchers reported.

CardioBuzz: Turn Off the Wireless on an ICD?

Electrophysiologists described how turning off the wireless function on an ICD -- as former vice-president Dick Cheney had done -- might affect patient care. CardioBuzz is a blog by Todd Neale for readers with an interest in cardiology.

Heart Surgery as Infant Hikes Risk for ADHD Later

Children who underwent surgery for congenital heart disease in the first year of life appeared to carry an increased risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) once they reached school age, researchers found.

Add 'Shrapnel' to Workup for Lightning Strike

A shrapnel-like injury associated with a lightening strike provided a reminder for emergency physicians not to overlook the unexpected when examining patients.

Honey, Cola May Disrupt Heart

A detailed history of patients with arrhythmia or syncope might need to include their cola intake or the origin of the honey they consume, two case studies suggest.

Withdrawal Not a Problem with Phentermine

Patients taking phentermine long-term to treat obesity don't have to worry about withdrawal when they come off it, researchers found.

Afib Benefits Seen with Yoga, Acupressure

Blood pressure and heart rate declined significantly in patients with atrial fibrillation after 3 months of weekly yoga sessions, results of a small clinical study showed.

Cardio Notes: Stress Test Finds Heart Disease in Seniors

Researchers are taking a second look at the accuracy of treadmill exercise testing for women over 65. Also this week, the birth of a subspecialty for adults with congenital heart disease and leg artery stenting.

AHA: No Excess Bleeding Risk with Dabigatran

LOS ANGELES -- Patients starting dabigatran (Pradaxa) did not have a higher risk of bleeding compared with new users of warfarin, according to a postmarketing data review by the FDA.

Cardio Notes: Sex Improves with Stenting

Opening the arteries of those with stable coronary disease also opens the door to an improved sex life. Also this week, bariatric surgery helps remodel the heart.

Most ICD Patients Die of Heart Failure

Patients with implantable defibrillators or resynchronization devices with defibrillator were most likely to die of heart failure or non-cardiac causes, not sudden death, a single-center study found.

Whitney Houston Autopsy Reveals Heart Disease

The death of Whitney Houston in some ways represents a medical "perfect storm" -- heart disease and a plethora of drugs that can accelerate or aggravate that condition, cardiovascular specialists told 麻豆传媒.

Higher LDL Level Linked to Lower Incidence of Afib

Although physicians usually aim to lower patients' total and, in particular, LDL cholesterol, lower LDL levels are associated with developing atrial fibrillation, a study has found.

Airport Metal Detectors Safe for Pacemakers

Metal detector security screening appears safe for people with pacemakers or implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs), researchers found.

Pacemaker Inventor Dies at 92

Wilson Greatbatch, credited with inventing the implantable pacemaker in 1958, died earlier this week at the age of 92, his family said.

FDA Warns Against High-Dose Citalopram

Citing increased risk of cardiac arrhythmias and a lack of therapeutic benefit associated with high doses of the SSRI citalopram hydrobromide (Celexa), the FDA has reduced the recommended maximum to 40 mg/day.

Lab Notes: Red Wine Before Radiation and Red Clover for Hair Loss

Red is the color of the day, as components of red wine and red clover lead this week's Lab Notes, but the blues get their turn in the spotlight, too, as depressed people outshine cheerier folks in some elements of decision making.

Use Dabigatran Within 30 Days of Opening

Unbeknownst to many physicians, bottles of the new oral anticoagulant dabigatran (Pradaxa) must be used within 30 days of opening, according to information from the manufacturer.

AHA: Rivaroxaban Scores Win While Omega-3 Flops

CHICAGO -- Good news and not so good news about investigational treatments for atrial fibrillation are featured in this exclusive InFocus video report from the American Heart Association meeting.

ASH: Hypertension Plus Tachycardia Equals High Risk

NEW YORK -- An elevated resting heart rate is associated with an increased risk of cardiac events in high-risk hypertension, according to a secondary analysis of a large randomized trial.

Hidden Dangers of Herbal Meds Reviewed

Herbal medicines are not always the harmless nostrums that many patients and even some physicians think, but may actually contribute to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, researchers warned.

NBC's Tim Russert Dead at Age 58

WASHINGTON -- Tim Russert, 58, host of NBC's "Meet the Press" and the network's Washington bureau chief, collapsed and died at his office today.

AAPA: Obstructive Sleep Apnea Wearies the Heart

PHILADELPHIA -- The most obvious clinical feature of obstructive sleep apnea may be weariness of mind, but this breathing disorder also slowly and silently wears down the heart, according to researchers.

Magnetic Jewelry May Have Fatal Attraction

ZURICH, Switzerland -- Rare-earth magnets -- now being packaged into necklaces and bracelets -- may have a deadly attraction for patients with pacemakers and implanted defibrillators, warn researchers here.

High-Dose Steroids Linked to Risk of Atrial Fibrillation

ROTTERDAM, The Netherlands 芒鈧€� High dose corticosteroid therapy may increase the risk of atrial fibrillation, researchers here reported.

AHA: Thrill-a-Minute Roller Coasters May Be Dangerous to the Heart

DALLAS - Those heart-stopping roller coasters may be risky for those with existing heart disease, according to a German cardiologist.