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A new kind of device shocks the heart back into normal rhythm without the need for implanted wires that actually touch the heart, a study finds. The device is called a subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). A standard ICD is implanted under the skin and is attached to wires that touch the heart. The wire on the new device is implanted under the skin. The study included 314 people using the new device. In a 6-month period, 21 people had episodes of a fast heart rhythm that can lead to cardiac arrest. This occurred 38 times in all. Each time, the device shocked the heart back to a normal rhythm. The device detected and fixed 100% of the life-threatening rhythms. However, 41 patients received shocks at times when there was no dangerous rhythm. Cameron Health Inc. makes the device. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved it last year.

A screening program using 2 tests appears to catch ovarian cancer at early stages, new research shows. About 3 out of 4 cases of ovarian cancer now are diagnosed after they have spread. Survival rates are low. The new research uses 2 tests that have been tried before. But in earlier studies the tests had abnormal results for many women who did not have ovarian cancer. The new study included more than 4,000 women, ages 50 and older. All were given a blood test each year for a protein called CA-125. Researchers compared their test results and ages with a database to assess their risk of ovarian cancer. They looked at not only the CA-125 level but how it changed over time. In 11 years of follow-up, only 3% of the women were found to be at high risk. They received a second test called a transvaginal ultrasound. Ten women had suspicious results.