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The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) Centre for Commissioning is launching an online survey for GPs nationwide to shape new developments.

According to a double-blind study,[1] published recently in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, vernakalent possesses superior efficacy to amiodarone in the conversion of atrial fibrillation (AF) to sinus rhythm (SR) for patients with acute symptomatic AF.

A recent study,¹ published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, confirms that parental history of cardiovascular disease nearly doubles a person’s risk in all regions of the world, even after considering all other known risk factors.

According to the results of a study[1] published recently in the Archives of Internal Medicine, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) produces a 41% reduction in fatal and non-fatal first recurrent cardiovascular disease (CVD) events.

Following two case reports of severe liver damage ultimately requiring transplantation in patients taking dronedarone (Multaq®, sanofi-aventis), the European Medicine’s Agency (EMA) has recommended changes to the product information encouraging close monitoring of liver function.[1] The announcement was made at the EMA’s monthly Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP).

Regularly consuming large amounts of alcohol increases the risk of developing atrial fibrillation (AF), according to recently published research[1] from a Japanese team led by Drs Satoru Kodama and Hirohito Sone of the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Tsukuba Institute of Clinical Medicine.

A recent analysis[1] of two genome-wide association studies has shown that certain genetic profiles increase the risk of both coronary artery disease (CAD) and myocardial infarction (MI) in those with CAD. The findings come from a research team led by Dr Muredach P Reilly of the University of Pennsylvania Cardiovascular Institute, Philadelphia.

A recent study[1] by a Dutch research team from the Leiden University Medical Centre asserts that despite the benefits of therapy with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs), inappropriate shocks from the devices are “common” and place patients at a greater risk of arrhythmia and associated mortality. The research examines the incidence, predictors, and patient outcomes of inappropriate ICD shocks in a large, real-world patient population.

The NHS Institute and the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) have recently joined together to form the RCGP Centre for Commissioning. They have developed a ‘Rough Guide to Engagement and Experience for GP Consortia’ on the emerging national framework governing patient interaction.

A manufacturer of medical devices has announced that Croydon University Hospital in London successfully resuscitated a 53-year-old man from sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) using the ZOLL AutoPulse® Non-invasive Cardiac Support Pump for 3.5 hours. The automated CPR machine performed nearly 20,000 chest compressions before the man’s pulse returned.