St Jude Medical study shows benefits of devices in stroke monitoring

St Jude Medical has published a new study which showcases the benefits of its pacemakers and implantable defibrillators in monitoring and predicting strokes.

The firm recently sponsored the Assert clinical study, which aimed to establish whether arrhythmias detection among pacemaker-equipped elderly patients without a previous history of atrial fibrillation represents an effective method of predicting a heightened stroke risk.

It was found that patients who demonstrated device-detected arrhythmias were 2.5 times more likely to suffer a stroke than those who did not.

According to principal investigator Dr Jeff Healey, this shows that the link between arrhythmias and stroke is much higher than previously thought, as well as illustrating the potential of implantable medical devices to mitigate this risk.

Dr Mark Carlson, chief medical officer and senior vice-president of research and clinical affairs for St Jude Medical's cardiac rhythm management division, said: "This study reaffirms our commitment to providing physicians with the clinically relevant information that allows them to deliver more timely and effective care."

Last month, the company published its financial results for the third quarter of 2010, reporting a seven percent year-on-year sales increase.