Medtronic study shows benefits of Reveal XT cardiac monitor

Medtronic has announced data from a new clinical study that demonstrates the benefits of its insertable cardiac monitors in detecting atrial fibrillation in stroke patients.

Data from the Crystal AF trial have shown that continuous cardiac monitoring with the Reveal XT Insertable Cardiac Monitor discovered atrial fibrillation in 6.4 times more patients than standard care after six months.

It was also revealed that Medtronic's device detected the condition in 7.3 times more patients at 12 months and 8.8 times more patients at 36 months, demonstrating the device's efficacy in diagnosing a heart problem that is not associated with any observable symptoms.

Dr Richard Bernstein of Northwestern University, a member of the trial's steering committee, said: "These study results should make us reconsider how we approach cryptogenic stroke patients. Compared to standard care, continuous monitoring is superior when attempting to diagnose atrial fibrillation in this at-risk patient population."

This comes after the firm announced the launch of its new Total Across crossing catheter in Europe last week, after receiving CE Mark approval for the device.