Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is the leading cause of sudden cardiac death in young people (such as the unexpected near fatal cardiac arrest suffered by the-then 23 year old footballer Fabrice Muamba), but the microscopic heart muscle abnormalities behind these tragic events can only be picked up in a post-mortem.

Now, in a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, a team of RDM researchers have borrowed a brain imaging technique to spot the tell-tale disarray in heart muscle fibres that could set off a potentially fatal heart rhythm in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

This is the first time that these tell-tale signs can be spotted in living patients.

The American Heart Association, Laerdal Medical and the Resuscitation Academy Foundation introduce programs for prehospital and public safety responders to help increase out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival.

DALLAS, TX--Home based, medically supervised cardiac rehabilitation may be, for some patients, an alternative to traditional medical center cardiac rehabilitation programs after a heart attack or other heart procedure, according to a joint scientific statement from the American Heart Association, American College of Cardiology and the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation. 

The 2018 American Heart Association (AHA)’s Resuscitation Science Symposium (ReSS), held November 9 to 11, in Chicago, Illinois, brought together thought-provoking research from basic science to clinical trials and frontline work in the public health space. Across 16 sessions, more than 50 oral presentations were given on topics ranging from a first-person narrative from a patient’s perspective of surviving cardiac arrest to the transcriptional profiling of the neuropro-tective mechanisms of inhaled nitric oxide in pediatric arrest. A total of 275 posters and 27 oral presentations on 40 topics were presented.

First of its kind study presented at Heart Rhythm 2019 shows travelers with common cardiac devices can pass through without restrictions or precautions.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA--Results from new research show that passengers with cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs), such as pacemakers or defibrillators, can safely travel through airport security checkpoints. This is the first study to look at the relationship between body scanners and the impact on functionality of devices. The results are scheduled to be presented on Friday, May 10 at Heart Rhythm 2019, the Heart Rhythm Society’s 40th Annual Scientific Sessions and show no negative interference after analyzing more than 1,000 scans.

PITTSBURGH, PA--Susan Koeppen, KDKA TV (CBS) news anchor and Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation National Spokesperson, ran 6.5 miles as part of a relay team at the Pittsburgh Marathon on Sunday. She and fellow survivor, Bruce Benda, ran on behalf of an American Heart Association team.

This was Susan’s third time running the relay since surviving out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in November 2011.

The Steering Committee of the National Cardiac Arrest Collaborative recently reported on current activities related to the recommendations of the IOM Report: Strategies to Improve Cardiac Arrest Survival – A Time to Act.

Resuscitation quality improvement program, protocols for telecommunicators core components to improve survival rates

How can people brought back from death after cardiac arrest report having experienced lucid and vivid memories and recollections without a functioning brain? The study of near-death experiences is challenging the idea our consciousness fades to black when our body expires.

He could see a nurse and doctor, a bald, “chunky fella” dressed in blue hospital scrubs. He watched as they frantically worked on his body, which was remarkable, considering he was, essentially, dead.

The man had suffered a cardiac arrest. Normally there is no measurable, meaningful brain activity after the heart stops beating. Within two to 20 seconds the brain “flatlines.”

When someone calls 911, the time it takes for paramedics to arrive can be the difference between life and death.

Minnesota lawmaker Julie Sandstede knows this. She represents a rural area, where ambulances may take longer to arrive on the scene of a medical emergency.