London, Jan 17 (IANS) A type of heartbeat that raises stroke risk five-fold can be spotted with a novel blood pressure monitor, according to British researchers. It identifies atrial fibrillation - the commonest kind of irregular beats - responsible for one in four strokes. Up to two million people, largely elderly, have atrial fibrillation (AF). That causes blood to linger in a heart chamber, forming clots that can then be pushed into arteries and get stuck, resulting in a stroke. Every year some 12,500 people suffer AF-related strokes. But if diagnosed, people can reduce their chance of stroke by taking blood-thinning drugs. However, although it can cause dizziness, palpitations and shortness of breath, hundreds of thousands do not know they have it as they have no symptoms. Of the two million estimated by the Atrial Fibrillation Association to have it, some 600,000 are undiagnosed in Britain alone, the Telegraph reports. Carole Longson, professor at the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, London, said the device "could increase the detection rate of AF compared with taking the pulse by hand. The guidance is not about screening for AF, but about the benefits that the device offers in helping to pick … Continue reading →

ST. PAUL, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- St. Jude Medical, Inc. (STJ), a global medical device company, today announced European CE Mark approval of its AMPLATZER Amulet Left Atrial Appendage Occluder. The Amulet device is used to close the left atrial appendage (LAA) in patients diagnosed with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF). According to research, AF leads to an increased risk for stroke. Sealing off the LAA helps prevent the risk of blood clot formation and release, potentially reducing the risk of stroke. The next-generation percutaneous transcatheter device leverages the design and clinical success of the original AMPLATZER Cardiac Plug with additional features allowing treatment of a wider range of appendage anatomies. St. Jude Medical will be showcasing the new AMPLATZER Amulet device during the eighteenth annual Boston AF Symposium at booth 319. During AF, chaotic electrical signals in the hearts upper chambers (atria) beat erratically and out of sync with the two lower chambers, resulting in poor blood flow. The LAA is a tube-shaped appendage connected to the left atrium of the heart that can potentially hold static blood during an episode of AF, increasing the likelihood of clot formation. Research shows that in AF patients, approximately 90 percent of all cardiac blood … Continue reading →

Public release date: 18-Jan-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Elizabeth Streich estreich@columbia.edu 212-305-3689 Columbia University Medical Center New York, NY A new survey of stroke survivors has shown that those with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are less likely to adhere to treatment regimens that reduce the risk of an additional stroke. Researchers found that 65 percent of stroke survivors with PTSD failed to adhere to treatment, compared with 33 percent of those without PTSD. The survey also suggests that nonadherence in PTSD patients is partly explained by increased ambivalence toward medication. Among stroke survivors with PTSD, approximately one in three (38 percent) had concerns about their medications. Results of the study, led by Columbia University Medical Center researchers, are published today in the British Journal of Health Psychology. According to data from the American Stroke Association, nearly 795,000 Americans each year suffer a new or recurrent stroke. Stroke is the fourth-leading cause of death and the top cause of disability in the United States. Survivors of strokes are often prescribed treatment regiments, including antiplatelet agents, antihypertensive agents, and statins, which help reduce the risk of subsequent strokes. Previous research has shown that PTSD triggered by medical eventswhich affects … Continue reading →