Study Links Key St. Jude Medical Heart Devices to One Death

Changes that St. Jude Medical Inc made to its heart defibrillator leads do not protect against insulation defects that could potentially lead to device failure and death, according to a report published online on Tuesday in medical journal Europace. The report, by prominent cardiologist Robert Hauser of the Minneapolis Heart Institute, found that St. Jude's Riata ST Optim and its newer Durata ICD leads had sometimes failed due to insulation problems. Leads transmit electricity to the heart from the implantable defibrillator, which is designed to deliver a life-saving shock if it detects a dangerous cardiac rhythm.

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