The irregular heart rhythm atrial fibrillation increases the risk of death in patients in the intensive care unit.

Vanderbilt Heart and Vascular Institute now offers patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) an alternative treatment to reduce their risk of stroke, potentially avoiding the long-term use of blood thinners such as warfarin.

Growing evidence suggests that fish oil, thought to directly prevent inflammation, oxidative stress and heart disease, may have limited clinical utility.

New findings suggest that misfolded proteins accumulate in the heart atria, particularly in patients with hypertension, and may contribute to atrial heart disease.

A particular anti-arrhythmia drug provides a targeted treatment for certain forms of atrial fibrillation.

A technique called whole-exome sequencing (WES) has been used for the first time at Vanderbilt University to identify new genetic variations associated with a common disease — a heart rhythm abnormality called atrial fibrillation (AF).

Variation in the gene for the beta-1 adrenergic receptor increases the risk that a patient will have an abnormal heart rhythm after cardiac surgery.