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Embargoed for 9 a.m. – Abstract 10674
MRI risk low for patients with pacemakers, implanted defibrillators
If you need a non-thoracic (chest) MRI and have a pacemaker or implantable cardioverter defibrillator, your risk of death or device failure is low, according to preliminary results of the MagnaSafe Registry.
In 314 MRI studies involving 233 pacemakers and 81 implantable cardioverter defibrillators, researchers found no deaths, device failures, generator/lead replacements or losses of capture as a result of the MRIs. However, 17 percent of MRI studies resulted in at least one relevant change to the device's settings. It should also be noted that only non-thoracic MRI studies at 1.5 tesla were included in this study.
Embargoed for 9:30 a.m. – Abstract 13341
Behavior change interventions inspire cardiac patients to exercise
An intervention focused on changing cardiac rehabilitation patients' daily physical activity routines helped them adopt and maintain an exercise lifestyle, according to a study.
Researchers tested two behavior-change interventions against a usual care group to increase lifestyle exercise after a cardiac event such as a heart attack.
In the intervention focused on behavior change, participants learned how to use a series of small self-designed experiments to change their daily routines associated with exercise – such as walking their young children a mile to school each day instead of driving them or booking a hotel room one mile from their meeting location (and then walk to the meeting) instead of the hotel right next door. It involved changing systems in their lives, rather than relying on motivation or memory.
The second included interventions to increase self-worth, motivation and problem-solving skills.
Researchers assigned 379 patients from cardiac rehab programs to one of the two interventions or a traditional exercise group. Results from the two intervention groups were similar; however, the system-change group excelled in exercise adoption and maintenance compared to the group focused on increasing self-worth and motivation.
The participants' success in adopting and maintaining lifestyle behavior change and exercise was encouraging and supports the need to continue to design and test behavior change interventions that are based on new approaches, researchers said.
SEE ALSO: Embargoed for 9:30 a.m. – Abstract 10781
Cardiac rehab reduces risk of death more than a year after heart attack
In a large study, patients who participated in cardiac rehab had a lower risk of death in the 18 months after their heart attacks compared to those who didn't.
Cardiac rehab attendance was not associated with rehospitalization risk.
Actual presentation of abstract 10781 is 2 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2011.
Embargoed for 9:30 a.m. – Abstract 9616
Women more likely than men to develop 'broken heart syndrome'
Takotsubo cardiomyopathy — known as "broken heart syndrome" — is more likely to occur in women than men, according to new research.
The condition is a transient, reversible, heart attack-like condition that's usually provoked by emotional stress. In a database of 6,229 estimated discharges for Takotsubo cardiomyopathy in 2007, researchers studied 5,558 women and 671 men. They found:
- Women are 7.5 times more likely to develop broken heart syndrome than men.
- Women older than 55 are at 2.9 times higher risk of developing the syndrome compared to women younger than 55.
- Among those younger than 55, women were 9.5 times more likely to develop the syndrome compared to men.
Further research needs to be done on how hormonal influence might affect Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, researchers said.
SEE ALSO: Embargoed for 9:30 a.m. – Abstract 14416
ECG offers noninvasive way to differentiate cardiomyopathy types
The absence of Q wave on electrocardiography can detect if a patient is suffering from Takotsubo cardiomyopathy or ischemic cardiomyopathy, researchers said. This can prevent the need for more invasive procedures to differentiate the two conditions.
Embargoed for 9:30 a.m. – Abstract 11506
Procedure to treat tachycardia is safe, effective for infants, toddlers
Catheter ablation is safe and useful for treating infants and toddlers with tachycardia. Tachycardia is a rapid heart rate, usually defined as greater than 100 beats per minute.
Researchers studied 57 boys and girls under age 5 who had catheter ablation between April 2008 and March 2010.
There were some complications ― including a transient cardiac arrest from which the patient recovered soon ― as in older patients. The researchers found few fatal complications of catheter ablation ascribable to the size of the patients. Furthermore, the treatment results were comparable to those in school-aged children and adults.
Embargoed for 9:30 a.m. – Abstract 14518
Catheter ablation without fluoroscopy eliminates radiation exposure, without reducing quality
Catheter ablation to treat abnormal rapid heart rhythm disorders can be safely and effectively performed without fluoroscopy — greatly reducing/eliminating radiation exposure, researchers said.
The researchers used electroanatomic mapping and intracardiac echo to guide and position catheters through the procedure. Compared to x-ray guided procedures, the non-fluoroscopic approach yielded equally high success rates and similar procedure times.
Patients and staff may experience a significant reduction in radiation exposure if these techniques can be applied more broadly, researchers said.
Embargoed for 9:30 a.m. – Abstract 8724
Most pediatric patients still alive five years after having stroke
About 85 percent of children survive at least five years after suffering a stroke, according to a study.
Researchers reviewed rates of death at 30 days, one and five years of 1,034 children admitted to New Jersey hospitals with stroke diagnoses.
They found death rates among the patients were:
- 10.2 percent at 30 days;
- 13.7 percent at one year; and
- 16.2 percent at five years.
Risk of death from hemorrhagic strokes (caused by bleeding in the brain) was two to three times higher than risk of death from ischemic strokes (caused by blood clots).
Twenty-four percent of the deaths were due to a cardiovascular cause; the remaining 76 percent were due to non-cardiovascular causes such as cancer.
Embargoed for 11 a.m. – Abstract 16887
Blood types may be linked to higher stroke risk
Some blood types appeared to be associated with higher stroke risk than others, according to a study.
Researchers examined the association between the human ABO blood group, which includes types A, B, AB and O, and stroke risk.
Drawing from two large studies, they found:
- Blood type B was associated with a 17 percent increased stoke risk in women, but not in men.
- Blood type AB was associated with a 29 percent increased risk of ischemic stroke among men and women.
When compared to blood type O, blood type AB had a:
- 28 percent increased risk of stroke in women.
- 32 percent increased risk of stroke in men.
Even though we can't change our blood type, this information may help identify people at higher, though moderate, susceptibility to stroke. People with the higher risk blood type should check their other risk factors and it may be recommended that they follow a more intensive, healthy lifestyle, researchers said.
Embargoed for 2 p.m. – Abstract 13371
'Nuisance' bleeding in acute coronary syndrome patients taking blood thinners doesn't raise risk
"Nuisance" bleeding is not associated with increased risk of death, heart attack or stroke among patients with non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndromes who are treated with aspirin plus the blood-thinning medication clopidogrel.
Nuisance bleeding is easy bleeding from small cuts and minor hemorrhages from broken capillary vessels.
Researchers studied 12,562 patients with non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome who were treated with either aspirin and placebo or aspirin plus clopidogrel for one year. They compared differences in bleeding severity and the impact of bleeding on patients' health and found:
- Nuisance bleeding was more common, at 6 percent, among patients in the aspirin plus clopidogrel group compared to 3.5 percent in the placebo plus aspirin group.
- While only 1.2 percent of all patients experienced major bleeding, 3.6 percent had minor and 4.8 percent had nuisance bleeding.
- Frequencies of death, heart attack and stroke didn't differ between patients with and without nuisance bleeding in both groups.
Embargoed for 4 p.m. – Abstract 9328
Living alone may be bad for your heart — unless you're elderly
Living alone may increase the risk of fatal heart syndromes, vascular procedures and limb loss among people at risk for or diagnosed with cardiovascular disease, researchers said. This was especially true in individuals younger than 65 living alone, who had a less favorable cardiovascular disease prognosis than those over 80 who live alone.
The investigators studied 44,617 study participants from 29 countries, with an average age of 69 years and reported that 19 percent were living alone. While age, heart disease risk factors and history of heart attack and stroke accounted for most of the association between living alone and increased risk of major vascular events, living alone was independently associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular death.
Actual presentation is 4:30 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2011.
Author disclosures are on the abstracts.
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