Chapman Arter

[Benjamin Hibbert @benhibbertMDPhD]

CHAMPION AF is out at ACC - (https://t.co/Z7h2jUDfU9) and there are gonna be some hurt feelings on both sides!

Thanks @TCTMD (https://t.co/20UhpWHj48) for the commentary.

My thoughts having read the paper a couple of times:

1. LAAO seems to invoke passions in people – I think this study won’t sway either counter party. If you believe in this approach you will be reassured by no increased risk of stroke, reduction in bleeding and the excellent safety profile of the procedure. If you are an LAAO heretic I think you’ll worry about the low event rate – although the absolute differences in stroke/SE maybe approaching clinical irrelevance (1%over three years, 0.3% a year). The differences either way are so small for a patient/clinician this effect isn't going to factor in my decision making.

2. So who won CHAMPION-AF? – patients. I think this solidifies LAAO as an alternative to DOAC. Patients can now meet with their cardiologist and discuss the trade-offs of each strategy. If patients are procedurally oriented they may be willing to accept a potential very small increased risk of stroke/SE to get off medications. Conversely, patients taking DOAC can be reassured that their risk of major bleeds/ICH are comparable to having a device – although they are much more likely to have bleeding events that need medical attention. Both strategies are acceptable and those discussions will really center around patient preference.

3. How does this fit in existing literature? Procedures are not drugs – and device type and procedural hygiene matter. Making sure we minimize complications from both the procedure and post-procedure care are paramount. This continues to improve with device iterations and studies optimizing post-implant medical regimens. CHAMPION proves this is an incredibly safe procedure in the right hands.

4. What comes next? – this sets the stage for important 5 year data. The primary outcome of that is ischemic stroke and systemic embolization. In theory ischemic risk and bleeding risk could continue to diverge. CATALYST will also be set to present – with a similar design but unfortunately an older generation device. LAAOS4 - adding DOAC to Watchman is a compelling hypothesis and we are recruiting!

Either way - LAAO is now mainstream and with all therapies patient preference is going to rule the day.

[NEJM @NEJM]

Presented at #ACC26:

In patients with atrial fibrillation, left atrial appendage closure was noninferior to NOACs in an analysis of death from cardiovascular causes, stroke, or systemic embolism and was superior for non–procedure-related bleeding. Full CHAMPION-AF trial results: https://t.co/5Uv4N1HXXn

Editorial: Left Atrial Appendage Closure — Should Recommendations Be Expanded? https://t.co/afTN59ySIA

@ACCinTouch

[BostonSci Cardiology @BSCCardiology]

ALL ENDPOINTS MET! We are excited to announce the positive results from the CHAMPION-AF clinical trial – the WATCHMAN FLX™ LAAC Device met all 3-year trial endpoints as a first-line option vs. NOACs, including a superior net clinical benefit*, 1.1% annualized ischemic stroke rate and significantly reduced bleeding (including procedural).

View the results now: https://t.co/SLN4jRNo7B

WATCHMAN FLX Pro Left Atrial Appendage Closure Device Indications, Safety, and Warnings: https://t.co/eV4ii0HuvR
#ACC26 #ACC2026

[Rhythm Interventions Online @RIOCongress]

Zero-fluoro PFA in action with Devi Nair!

ICE guides left atrial access, confirms catheter contact, and supports precise lesion delivery using a pentaspline system.

A streamlined workflow for safer AF ablation.

#EPeeps

[Kamala Tamirisa MD @KTamirisaMD]

#WesternAFib
@EPLabDigest
Here we go! Day #1

Elevate PF trial
Impedance based (not force sensing)
Lesion durability with
Faraflex + feasibility/effectiveness Dr. Vivek Reddy
@nmarrouche @netta_doc
#EPeeps
Wait for final data at @HRSonline annual meeting!

[gueber_fer @gueber_fer]

@MoussaMansour10 shares case examples from #ReMATCH trial: case using large-area basket and focal #PFA for #PVI and #lines, respectively.

More discussions with @PierreJais #AFSymposium2026 @VivekReddyMD

[gueber_fer @gueber_fer]

Concomitant #PVI and #LAAO #AFSymposium2026

[BostonSci Cardiology @BSCCardiology]

Today at #AFSymposium2026, @Drdevignair shared her first clinical experience using the next-generation ACUNAV Luxera 4D ICE Catheter* in a WATCHMAN™ LAAC case. Developed through close collaboration with Siemens Healthineers, we're excited to continue advancing ICE imaging for WATCHMAN™ LAAC procedures.

*The device referenced is an investigational device, limited by U.S. law to investigational use. It is not cleared or approved by the FDA and is not available for commercial sale.

WATCHMAN FLX Pro Left Atrial Appendage Closure Device Indications, Safety, and Warnings: https://t.co/eV4ii0HuvR

[Thomas Massie for Congress @MassieforKY]

This is for real. Almost a million dollars of negative ads against me from unregistered foreign lobbyists dropped in my district within hours of the Epstein file release. Are we a sovereign country or not? My election is the litmus test.

I need your help! https://t.co/AgJY01IWPL

[BostonSci Cardiology @BSCCardiology]

📢 NEW FDA APPROVAL marks a milestone for #PFA.

Introducing the FARAPOINT™ Pulsed Field Ablation (PFA) Catheter—the first and only focal catheter designed and optimized for PFA—built on the proven FARAPULSE™ PFA Platform. FARAPOINT creates deep, durable focal and linear-shaped lesions in a single catheter, unlocking new possibilities for optimized point-by-point workflows for CTI ablations.

Explore FARAPOINT: https://t.co/rKkllURy92

#Epeeps #PulsedFieldAblation

FARAPULSE™ Pulsed Field Ablation System Indications, Safety, and Warnings: https://t.co/A64fZE9GVn
OPAL HDx™ Mapping System Indications, Safety, and Warnings: https://t.co/wu777PHkBb

[Real Doc Speaks @realdocspeaks]

I didn't understand the PBMs until a couple of years ago.
But once you see what a scam they are, you can't unsee it!

They are an unusual middleman because they do the following:
• Increase the costs of drugs
• Restrict the access of drugs
• Underpay the independent and unaffiliated
pharmacies and put them out of business

They have no unique role, and yet we spend hundreds of billions of dollars on them each year.

We are the only country that uses them, and that needs to end!

[Rand Paul @RandPaul]

Not sure what’s in my Health Marketplace and Savings Accounts for All Act?

Just ask @grok. It lays out exactly how my bill would make healthcare affordable for every American. ⬇️

[Beef Support | BeefMaps.com @BeefMaps]

🚨 “They funded my competition and killed my market.”

Trump’s Treasury gave $40 BILLION to Argentina — where Cargill is king.

U.S. farmers? Still selling below cost.

Don’t listen to what they say. Watch what they do.

[Nishaki Mehta MD @Nishaki1]

#AHA2025: strong PFA debate in HF patients.
@nmarrouche: minimal saline, quick procedures, no strain impact, @TulaneTriad showed 31 percent drop in HF admissions 15 percent lower recurrence. Min AF burden reduction w actionable CV outcomes. Great work👏

[BostonSci Cardiology @BSCCardiology]

LATE-BREAKING CLINICAL DATA: FARADISE real-world global registry highlights the safety and effectiveness of the FARAPULSE™ PFA system in over 1,100 patients.
🔵 1.5% primary adverse event rate
🔵 80.8% 12-month clinical effectiveness in paroxysmal AF

See the study: https://t.co/q8DqHeQYxf

FARAPULSE™ Pulsed Field Ablation System Indications, Safety, and Warnings: https://t.co/A64fZE9GVn
#ESCCongress

[University of Iowa Health Care @uihealthcare]

Arrhythmia specialists at our Heart and Vascular Center recently performed their 800th procedure using the Farapulse pulsed field ablation system—a new, advanced treatment option developed at @IowaMed and now used around the world. https://t.co/W5YTqf7MCg

[Holden Culotta @Holden_Culotta]

Mike Rowe: “We’ve been telling kids for 15 years to learn to code.”

“Well, AI is coming for the coders.”

“It’s not coming for the welders, the plumbers, the steamfitters, the pipefitters, the HVAC, or the electricians.”

“In Aspen, I sat and listened to Larry Fink say we need 500,000 electricians in the next couple of years—not hyperbole.”

“The BlueForge Alliance, who oversees our maritime industrial base—that’s 15,000 individual companies who are collectively charged with building and delivering nuclear-powered subs to the Navy … calls and says, we’re having a hell of a time finding tradespeople. Can you help?”

“I said, I don’t know, man … how many do you need? He says, 140,000.”

“These are our submarines. Things go hypersonic, a little sideways with China, Taiwan, our aircraft carriers are no longer the point of the spear. They’re vulnerable.”

“Our submarines matter, and these guys have a pinch point because they can’t find welders and electricians to get them built.”

“The automotive industry needs 80,000 collision repair and technicians.”

“Energy, I don’t even know what the number is, I hear 300,000, I hear 500,000.”

“There is a clear and present freakout going on right now. I’ve heard from six governors in the last six months. I’ve heard from the heads of major companies.”

@mikeroweworks

[Natalie F Danelishen @Chesschick01]

“Why do we never cut spending?” -@RepThomasMassie

[MeatEater @MeatEaterTV]

Though he did change the bill, Senator Mike Lee is still determined to sell off our public lands and this is still on the table.

Check out the details here.

https://t.co/ACST0C6oFc

[MAHA PAC🗽 @MAHA_PAC]

Today, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz announced a new pledge from top health insurers to fix the broken prior authorization system.

UnitedHealthcare, Aetna, Cigna, Humana, Kaiser Permanente, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and others signed on.

Together, they cover over 80% of U.S. patients.

Insurers committed to six major changes:

1. Use standardized electronic prior authorization tools (FHIR-based APIs).

2. Cut the number of services requiring prior auth by January 1, 2026.

3. Guarantee 90-day continuity when patients switch insurers.

4. Improve transparency around decisions and appeals.

5. Provide real-time responses for most requests by 2027.

6. Require clinical review for all denials.

The pledge is voluntary, but CMS says regulation will follow if insurers don’t deliver.