Successful catheter ablation resulted in a low risk of stroke associated with atrial fibrillation (AFib), a type of irregular heart rhythm, according to an international study.

A one-month course of dual clot-preventing therapy followed by a single clot-prevention medication for the remainder of the standard 12-month regimen in adults with atrial fibrillation (AFib) who received a coronary stent was as effective as one year of continuous dual therapy for preventing stroke, heart attack and death.

Standard care, which included medication for those eligible, was better than a promising minimally invasive procedure for people with irregular heart rhythms who had high stroke and bleeding risk.

For people who have experienced a heart attack or stroke, or who are at high risk of one and need further cholesterol lowering, a new daily pill may be a more convenient yet similarly effective option to injectable therapies.

Results from the international VESALIUS-CV (TIMI 66) clinical trial found that among adults with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) or diabetes and no history of a prior heart attack or stroke, the PCSK9 inhibitor evolocumab reduced the risk of coronary heart disease death, heart attack, or ischemic stroke by 25%.