Boston Scientific has informed doctors of a potential problem with their Cognis or Teligen defibrillators. Some patients (15) have been delivered inappropriate shocks - a very small number of the 8,000 who might be affected.

I read about this in the morning newspaper. Further investigation led me to an AP news release dated March 27.

There is no mention of this release on Boston Scientific's own website. They have a media page of information and news releases. Their press release the previous day, March 26, gave the schedule of major announcements at the March 28-31 58th Annual Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology, and their press release the following day, March 29, was entitled SYNTAX Analysis Finds Treatment With TAXUS® Express2™ Stents More Cost Effective Than Bypass Surgery in Many Patients With Complex Coronary Artery Disease.

Their News Release page states that "Boston Scientific Corporation is not obligated to update the press releases and information contained in this section of the Site."

Boston Scientific purchased Guidant in 2006, and Cognis and Teligen are the first defibrillators launched under its own name.

Boston Scientific, one of the leaders in the medical device field, might think about the impact of allowing AP to share their news that will create anxiety, and saving their own website just for their good news.

If you don't manage your own reputation, others will manage it for you.

Brugada Syndrome and Prostate Cancer

This attention-getting title is partially explained in an abstract on a blog that posts about arrhythmias. Males with Brugada Syndrome are at higher risk for prostate cancer, even when other elements are factored in (age, smoking, etc).

As always, use caution when reading any online information about anything. In this particular abstract, I do see at least one familiar name, Dr. Charles Antzelevitch, who is Director of Research at the Masonic Medical Research Laboratory. So I would predict that this is probably a solid study.

If you are concerned, contact the authors or researchers that are listed following the article.

Online Article about Brugada Syndrome

I like to search the web for new or interesting information about Brugada Syndrome.

Here is a recent article that gives a good overview of the disease. It appeared in an online blog named maintained by the Faculty of Medicine at Odlar University located in Baku, Azerbaijan.

One symptom that I had not known before has to do with disrupted sleeping. The article mentions nightmares and thrashing during the night in some Brugada Syndrome patients. I know the cardiac event happens most frequently when a person is at rest, but wonder what, if any, relationship there is between the disrupted sleep and cardiac arrest from Brugada Syndrome. In other words, is the actual syndrome associated with the nightmares or thrashing, or are those symptoms independent of the disease?