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Cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT) reduces rates of death and re-hospitalisation among heart failure patients according to the European CRT Survey, follow-up results from which were published recently in the European Journal of Heart Failure.¹

New-onset atrial fibrillation (NOAF) following transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is associated with higher rates of stroke, and can be independently predicted by larger atrial size and transapical approach, according to a study published recently in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.¹

Echocardiography has a central role to play in identifying patients at cardiac risk from cancer therapies, and evaluating potential cardioprotective treatments, according to two studies presented recently at the European Society of Echocardiography’s annual ‘EUROECHO and other Imaging Modalities’ 2011 Congress in Budapest, Hungary.

The British Red Cross has launched a free first aid app, advising smartphone users on how to act in an emergency. The app features advice on 18 everyday first aid scenarios, including cases of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

Two new clinical reference materials for digoxin have been developed by LGC, the UK’s National Measurement Institute for chemical and bioanalytical measurement.

Men aged 70 and older can elude the Grim Reaper by walking at speeds of at least 3 miles (or 5 km) an hour, according to a study published recently in the Christmas issue of bmj.com.

Newspapers tend to over-report cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) success stories, resulting in a skewed public perception of survival and neurological outcome after cardiac arrest, according to research published recently in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine (JRSM).¹

SAGE Publications recently announced a partnership with Which Medical Device (www.whichmedicaldevice.com), an online review site providing independent, expert opinion and reviews of medical devices.

The safety of security screening with hand-held metal detectors for people with pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) has been supported by research published recently in the Annals of Internal Medicine.¹

People taking anti-psychotic and anti-depressant drugs have a much higher risk of fatal coronary events or arrhythmias than the rest of the population, according to a Finnish study published recently in the European Heart Journal.¹ The study showed that the combined use of both types of drug was associated with an even greater risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD) during a coronary event.