Do you see anything wrong with this picture? (Hint: right column) It is certainly true that atrial fibrillation management guidelines needed an update; the last comprehensive update was in 2006. Much has changed in AF therapy, including the expanded role of catheter ablation and the soon-to-be warfarin substitutes. I guess the European electrophysiologists couldn’t wait […]
Category: Atrial fibrillation
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Thank You!…
Now that I have been writing this blog for a full year, it is time for a year-end review. It is a time to say thank you to those people and web sites that I not only learn from nearly every day, but more importantly, have helped me find my way in this new forest. […]
I hear it every day. The pattern is so repetitive. “I am so fatigued. I just wear out so easily. At the end the day, I am done.” The spouse may often add, “he is so short-winded, even little things.” Doc, I thought it was just my age, or stress, or that I am not […]
This morning I am told, “Dr Mandrola, there are two ladies from this company, Boehinger Ingelheim, who need to to give you a secret, sealed envelope.” I wonder whether the department of Health and Human Services knows about this exciting new potential warfarin substitute. Surely they do, as replacing the ubiquitous blood thinner warfarin with […]
Have you ever had a cold beer after a mountain bike ride? Oh my! But does such indulgence put one at risk for an arrhythmia? Does alcohol exacerbate an existing arrhythmia? How much, if any, alcohol is acceptable? These are questions I am asked frequently. And for those asking, they are very important questions. I […]
Is there a flawless medical therapy: a “wonder-drug” devoid of adverse effects, or a procedure without complications? Of course not. It’s why we have clinical trials. An intervention for a disease is determined beneficial or not by a clinical trial–the new treatment versus no treatment, or the current treatment. It really is that simple. […]
In cancer treatment, detection of a tumor in an early stage markedly increases the chance of favorable outcomes. Can the much-maligned blood thinner, warfarin, occasionally help in early detection of cancer? Few pharmacologic agents receive more bad press than warfarin. Stories, which are too numerous to count, like “Did warfarin kill my father,” can […]
After reading this Washington Post story on the complexity of AF ablation decisions, I wrote, and wrote, and it just didn’t come together well. Â Not well enough to do the topic of AF ablation justice. Â Then this thoughtful email came. My question: How does a patient have even the faintest idea whose advice is better […]
Can a consumer (patient) really comparison shop for their health-care needs? It seems there are entrepreneurs who want to help. Check the specifics at this website. It will not take long. In this age of monopoly-money like health care charges, isn’t the notion of comparison shopping a joke? Sure, you might find one doctor charges […]
Atrial fibrillation remains one of the most common cardiac diagnosis, and dementia is one of Neurology’s most frequent diagnosis. Â Recently, a study from a Utah group of electrophysiologists showed that AF predisposes to all forms of dementia, especially Alzheimer’s disease. The study involved 37.000 patients, and was published in the prominent and well respected Heart […]
What do I mean when I say, “rapidly conducting AF?” Explaining AF in a short blog is impossible. Massively thick books have been written, and week long symposium are routinely given on AF . That said, here is my best impression of Sal Khan, who can explain nearly anything in a 10 min video. When […]