A-A Ebulletin November 2006


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Welcome to November's Arrhythmia Alliance e-bulletin
Welcome to November's e-bulletin from the Arrhythmia Alliance . This month you can read about the latest research into heart disease, some useful heart information sources, key dates for your diary and much more. You'll also find links to the month's most relevant news stories from around the world. We're always glad to hear from you so if you'd like to contact us, please email info@arrhythmiaalliance.org.uk at any time.
Raise funds for the AA just by searching the net
To help the Arrhythmia Alliance raise much-needed funds, simply make www.everyclick.com your home page and choose A-A as your nominated charity. Then every time you use Everyclick as a search engine, you’ll be raising money for A-A without it costing you a penny. Here’s how it works: Everyclick allocates 50% of its gross revenue to charity each month. Each listed charity receives a proportion of that sum according to how much its supporters use the website compared with the supporters of other listed charities. So please take this simple action now – just go to www.everyclick.com and click the “Make homepage” button. And why not ask your friends and family to do the same?
New research sheds light on dilated cardiomyopathy
Recent research has thrown light on the causes of dilated cardiomyopathy, a condition where the heart does not pump blood properly: the condition remains largely undetected and often results in heart failure. Researchers have now managed to uncover partial causes for DCM . Published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the study found heart inflammation is the most common reason behind DCM , and British experts say that the study’s results are highly valuable. Read more at http://www.heartzine.com/news/438-Child-Heart-Disease-Cause-Identified.html
Heart information on call...
The British Heart Foundation runs The Heart Information Line, a telephone service which provides information on heart health from cardiac nurses and information officers. Anyone can use the Heart Information Line to find out more about preventing or managing coronary heart disease or lifestyle issues such as healthy eating, physical activity, cholesterol, other heart conditions and their treatment. The Heart Information Line is on 08450 70 80 70, open Monday, Tuesday and Friday from 9am to 5pm and Wednesday and Thursday from 8am to 6pm . Find out more about the BHF Heart Information Line
..and online.
Since its launch in 1999, HeartCenterOnline has become the most-visited cardiovascular-specialized site on the Internet. Take a look at http://heart.healthcentersonline.com/ - in particular, the section on arrhythmias at http://heart.healthcentersonline.com/arrhythmia/
New device enables untrained bystanders to save lives	Pass it on! If you've found this bulletin useful, why not forward it to a friend, colleague or members of your group and make sure as many people as possible know about the Arrhythmia Alliance?
Researchers at the University of Utah have created a prototype device that could make it possible for anyone - even those with no emergency medical training - to perform life-saving actions for victims of sudden cardiac arrest. The just-in-time support (JITS) device provides bystanders with guidance and information on how to administer CPR and assess the state and needs of the victim. Read more at http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/10/061016121743.htm
Hospital experiences “must improve”
A report by the Healthcare commission has found that waiting lists and admission times in NHS trusts have improved dramatically but more needs to be done to improve patients' hospital experiences. Read more
Common, treatable, but often unrecognised - atrial fibrillation, a hidden disease
The Royal College of Physicians this month launched a new guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of Atrial Fibrillation. Dr Michael Rudolf, Consultant Physician and Chair of the Guideline Development Group said "As a general physician working in a busy district general hospital, I see far too many patients with undiagnosed atrial fibrillation admitted with strokes, which could almost certainly have been prevented if only the cardiac arrythmia had been spotted and treated earlier. This new guideline provides a golden opportunity to review how we can improve the early diagnosis and correct management of this common disorder." Visit www.rcp.ac.uk and click on "Clinical Guidelines" to read the details.
Heart disease “could be eliminated”
The CEO and President of the Ottawa Heart Institute has said that modern medicine has the technology and scientific tools to dramatically reduce and probably eliminate heart disease over the next 50 years. He says that significant research underway at the Heart Institute will soon enable scientists to isolate, understand and target the trail of genetic activity that causes coronary artery Disease. This means that in the near future, patients with a predisposition to heart disease could be genetically assessed by a simple blood test and provided with a full preventive prescription to prevent the onset on heart disease. Find out more at http://www.bionity.com/news/e/58853

Forthcoming events
RESUS 2006 – Resuscitation Conference and Skills Showcase County Clare , Ireland , 3 & 4 November 2006. For specialists from all aspects of resuscitation, it will combine models of practice across the medical, nursing, emergency, community and voluntary services. Details from www.mwhb.ie or call - 00353 (0) 65 6865837. Syncope – a one day educational programme. Monday 20 November at the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospital Trust, Education Centre. Suitable for anyone involved in the diagnosis, treatment and management of patients suffering from vasovagal syncope including doctors, clinical physiologists, nurses and physiotherapists. Qualified and student staff members welcome. Heart failure in older patients – the same only different. 24–25 November 2006, Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, London. Organised by the British Society for Heart Failure in association with the British Geriatric Society Cardiovascular Section. Details from Rose-Marie Wilkinson/Michelle Glanville, BSH Secretariat, ‘Nought’ The Farthings, Marcham, Oxfordshire OX13 6QD. Tel: 01993 846475/01865 391215, Email: info@bsh.org.uk Website: www.bsh.org.uk XII International Symposium on Progress in Clinical Pacing 5-8 December, Hotel Cavalieri Hilton, Rome . Congress to improve the knowledge of physicians in electrophysiology and pacing. Phone: +39 06 809681 Fax: +39 06 8088491. Email: pacing2006@aimgroup.it - www.aimgroup.it/2006/pacing Managing Patients with ICDs 17-18 January 2007, St. Bartholomew's Hospital, London . P rovides participants with a working knowledge of Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators and the safe management of this patient group. Places limited to allow for high ratio of tutors to delegates. Details from Ruzena Uddin, Cardiology Research Department at St Bartholomew's Hospital, Dominion House, 60 Bartholomew Close, London EC1A 7BE. www.cardiac-cardiology.org . Tel +44 20 7601 8639 Drugs, Devices and Regulations Conference 2007 5-6 February 2007, London . Organised by t he Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) Promoting debate on the benefits/risks of medicines and medical devices. Details from www.ddr07.co.uk or 020 8466 0380. AntiCoagulation Europe Conference, Birmingham University , 26-27 April 2007. Registration for patients £10 a day. Early bird registration for healthcare professionals is £60 a day or £100 for 2 days for applications received before February 2007 (thereafter £80 and £120). For a registration form, please contact anticoagulation@ntlworld.com Rhythm Congress – Cannes , June 15-17 2007 ARRHYTHMIAS AND HEART FAILURE : pharmacological and non pharmacological therapies. Details from vbergeron@rhythmcongress.com or at www.rhythmcongress.com
Here's a selection of items of interest from the internet. Please note that these are external links and we bear no responsibility for their content. You may need to register to access these sites.
Study: Screening of Young Athletes Can Reduce Risk of Sudden Death- Voice of America - USA Heart tests anguish for grieving family- Blackburn Citizen - UK Screening Program Yields Decline In Sudden Cardiac Deaths In Young ...- Medical News Today (press release) - UK MRI scans can be done safely in pacemaker recipients- Macleans - Toronto,ON,Canada Athlete testing helps reduce suddendeaths: study- CTV.ca - Canada Just one surprise could stop Shaun's heart from beating- ic Liverpool - Southport,England,UK Medtronic Valves Get European Approval- MSN Money - USA Royal College of Physicians: Atrialfibrillation - a hidden ...- Politics.co.uk - London,UK Risk factors for suddencardiacdeath related to the Long QT ...- HeartZine - London,UK High-energy clamp used in a-fib surgery- Science Daily (press release) - USA Incidence Of Hypotension Reduced With Boston Scientific's Carotid ...- Medical News Today (press release) - UK Highlights from EASD 2006: Targeting CV risks in dysglycemic ...- TheHeart.Org - New York,NY,USA Concern on sudden cardiac deaths- Irish Health - Ireland MHM100 Personal ECG Monitor- Medgadget.com - San Francisco,CA,USA Software Helps Doctors Calculate Heart Attack Risk- Science Daily (press release) - USA St. Jude warns doctors of pacemaker software glitch- USA Today - USA Son's death spurs family campaign- Buckinhamshire Free Press - High Wycombe,England,UK Blair's problems with heart 'were an open secret'- Telegraph.co.uk - United Kingdom St Jude Atlas heart failure devices gain European approval- MTBeurope - UK Fish Oil Could Make Huge Impact on Cardiac Death Rate- Natural Products Industry Insider - Phoenix,AZ,USA Heart Patients Can Stay Connected to Their Doctors Even When They ...- PR Newswire (press release) - New York,NY,USA Pediatric heart condition's origin, prevalence mirror adults- EurekAlert (press release) - Washington,DC,USA The long-term management of atrial fibrillation- TheHeart.Org - New York,NY,USA FDA Approves New, Once-a-Day COREG CR(TM) for the Treatment of ...- International News Service - Sydney,Australia Molecular genetic autopsy identified novel mutation in unexplained ...- TheHeart.Org - New York,NY,USA Cell phones and medical equipment - A dangerous mix ?- Canada NewsWire (press release) - Canada Lifesaving device underutilized in heart patients, especially ...- Canada NewsWire (press release) - Canada Treadmills could cut cardio death rates- Irish Medical Times - Dublin,Ireland No funds available for defibrillators - Irish Medical Times - Dublin,Ireland High-energy clamp simplifies heart surgery - Washington University Record - Washington , USA
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