Heart rhythm disorder to soon become history

Awearable patch that acts like a sensor can effectively improve the diagnosis rate for heart rhythm disorder without interfering with routine activities, scientists have found. Atrial fibrillation (Afib) disorder, is characterised by increased or irregular heart rhythm that increases the risk of stroke, heart failure and other cardiovascular diseases.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved wearable patch acts like a sensor and performs active electrocardiography (ECG) screening to detect irregular heart rhythm condition as well as recent heart attacks.

The device resulted in more people receiving critical preventive therapies, which might have gone undiagnosed, said the researchers while emphasising the use of digital medicine technologies to identify undiagnosed Afib disorder in at-risk populations.

“Our study shows an almost threefold improvement in the rate of diagnosis of AFib in the those actively monitored compared to usual care,” said Steven Steinhubl, Director of digital medicine at Scripps Translational Science Institute (STSI) in California, US.

“Timely diagnosis of AFib more effectively can enable the initiation of effective therapies and help reduce strokes and death,” added Steinhubl.