A new wearable necklace can be used to detect atrial fibrillation (AFib), according to new findings published through the European Society of Cardiology’s EHRA Essentials 4 You platform.
“Wearable ECG devices could enable repetitive rhythm monitoring over a long term and thus improve the probability of AF detection,” wrote lead author Elmeri Santala, a medical student at the University of Eastern Finland, and colleagues. “Wearable devices have the advantage of being easily available. However, they also need to be reliable and their design should appeal customers.”
The study involved data from 145 patients who measured their own heart rhythm with the device. Using the necklace took 30 seconds for each recording. Traditional ECG recordings were collected to provide a gold standard.
An AI algorithm was then used to assess the ECG data—it could read 93.1% of the recordings overall—with two cardiologists independently interpreting each one. Overall, using the necklace’s recordings, the algorithm and cardiologists both achieved sensitivities of more than 94% and a specificity of 100%.
“The necklace ECG is simple to use and allows repetitive self-monitoring of heart rhythm, thereby improving the likelihood of detecting AFib,” Elmeri Santala said in a prepared statement. “The ESC recommends screening for AFib in people over 65 years of age and in those at high risk of stroke;1 automated analysis by the necklace ECG is well suited for this purpose. Diagnosis of AFib should always be confirmed by a physician using the ECG report.”
Content from the EHRA Essentials 4 You platform is available online here.
Michael has more than 16 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.