FRIDAY, Dec. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Medtronic's Arctic Front
Cardiac CryoAblation Catheter system has been approved by the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration to treat atrial fibrillation, the
company said in a news release.
Atrial fibrillation, an erratic heartbeat, is the most common
heart rhythm disorder in the United States, affecting some 3
million people, the company said. Medtronic also noted that about
40 percent don't have symptoms and may be under-diagnosed.
The newly approved device isolates the pulmonary vein, the
source of errant electrical signals that cause the problem,
Medtronic said. The device delivers a coolant via an inflated
balloon that freezes tissue and stops the conduction of atrial
fibrillation.
Clinical studies showed that about 70 percent of people treated
with the Arctic Front system no longer had atrial fibrillation
after one year, compared with 7.3 percent of patients treated only
with drug therapy, the company said.
More information
To learn more about atrial fibrillation, visit the U.S.
National Heart Lung and Blood Institute.