New ‘vest’ treatment for heart condition

A NEW treatment for the most common heart rhythm problem could be on the horizon after a breakthrough by British scientists.

Around one million people in Britain suffer atrial fibrillation (AF) where the heartbeat is irregular and often abnormally fast in.

Patients can often feel their heart pounding in their chest – known as palpitations – for a few seconds at a time and is a potential killer.

But researchers have now invented a new method to identify the origin of the electrical “storm waves” that cause it.

The team used a virtual human heart-torso and a 64-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) vest to study the link between the origin of the storm waves and the features of the ECG signals.

Using a computer algorithm, they developed a method which can pin down the location of AF non-invasively with up to 93 per cent accuracy, and identify different types of the condition.

Study leader Professor Henggui Zhang, of the University of Manchester, said: “This is very exciting research, which we think could lead to new developments to tackle heart problems more effectively and simply.”

The study could have major implications for the future treatment of the disease, a major cause of stroke.

It increases the risk of blood clots forming inside the heart and occurs in up to two per cent of people.

AF occurs when abnormal electrical impulses suddenly start firing in the atria, the heart’s upper chambers.

These impulses override the heart’s natural pacemaker, which can no longer control the heart’s rhythm.

People with high blood pressure or furred arteries can be more at risk.

Studies have shown it is on the rise in the developed world but can only be treated with invasive surgery.