Tag Archives: devices

Following the article by Drs Inderjeet Bharaj et al.4 asking whether the medical profession is doing enough to give patients appropriate advice about driving after certain cardiac conditions, we are writing to share our own protocol. Hereford County Hospital is a 208-bed district general hospital that implants around 200–250 cardiac devices yearly, including complex cardiac devices, such as implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD) and cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT) devices. Many implants are in emergency inpatients and our aim was to increase the provision of appropriate driving advice upon discharge. Method and measurements Baselin

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ESC backs regulations for medical devices The European Society of Cardiology has said in a position paper that it welcomes the European Commission’s (EC) proposals for a new Regulation to govern the evaluation and approval of medical devices in Europe as an important step towards improving patient safety. The EC proposal document is available at http://ec.europa.eu/health/medical-devices/documents/revision/index_en.htm New risk analysis scoring system A new risk scoring system, based on the SMART study, allows doctors to determine more accurately the risk of cardiovascular disease patients developing a new event, such as heart attack or str

Neurohormonal blockade A cardiac resynchronisation therapy pacemaker (CRT-P), provides cardiac resynchronisation therapy and diagnostics to assist in patient management The meeting set off to a stimulating start with Professor Theresa McDonagh (Kings College Hospital, Chair of the British Society of Heart Failure) reviewing primarily the growing evidence for aldosterone antagonists in the management of systolic heart failure (HF). Large clinical trials have established the role of aldosterone antagonists, such as spironolactone, in severe systolic HF (Randomised Aldactone Evaluation Study – RALES) and eplerenone in acute myocardial infarcti

Highlights of this year’s European Society of Cardiology Congress, held in Stockholm, Sweden, from August 28th to September 1st included a new drug which benefits heart failure by slowing heart rate, and more exciting results from oral compounds that could replace warfarin in various indications. Highlights of this year’s European Society of Cardiology Congress, held in Stockholm, Sweden, from August 28th to September 1st included a new drug which benefits heart failure by slowing heart rate, and more exciting results from oral compounds that could replace warfarin in various indications. SHIFT: ivabradine shows benefit in heart failure

Coffee consumption shows CHD benefits in women A meta-analysis of a number of cohorts studies published in the International Journal of Cardiology (2009;137:216-25) demonstrates that habitual coffee consumption may be associated with a lower risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) in women. Analysis of data from 21 cohort studies showed that moderate coffee consumption (of up to four cups of coffee per day) were associated with a 18% reduction in risk of CHD in women.  The investigators note that such an effect was unlikely to be caused by chance. Further benefits have been shown from a meta-analysis published in the Archives of Internal Medici