Status: 05/27/2022 2:04 p.m
Atrial fibrillation is one of the most common cardiac arrhythmias. Symptoms such as palpitations (tachycardia) or palpitations do not always occur. Rhythm patches and smartwatches with an ECG function promise better early detection.
With atrial fibrillation, 300,000 people in Germany end up at the doctor’s or in the hospital every year. The auricles only flicker and no longer move properly. This allows the blood to form clots there and travel with the bloodstream to the brain. Then a stroke occurs. To eliminate this risk, it is important to detect and treat the disease early.
Why does atrial fibrillation often go unnoticed?
Atrial fibrillation often goes unnoticed for a long time. The two most important reasons:
- Especially at the beginning, atrial fibrillation often only occurs in attacks, lasting minutes or a few hours, even at night. During the routine ECG, the heart then beats completely normally again. However, in order to be able to make the diagnosis “atrial fibrillation”, it must be documented with a high-quality ECG.
- Older people often lack the typical symptoms of heart palpitations or palpitations. Certain heart cells in the so-called AV node work more slowly in them, so they feel less restlessness in their hearts. There are more unspecific signs such as dizziness or weakness. Pressure on the chest, tight heart and shortness of breath can also be signs of atrial fibrillation. Because if the atria only fibrillate, cardiac output drops by 15 percent. A previously damaged heart with hardening of the arteries in the coronary arteries cannot compensate for this and sounds the alarm.
Rhythm patches and smartwatches for early detection
Long-term records are therefore important. A new mobile rhythm patch could help in the future. And smartwatches are also becoming increasingly important for early detection. Because if atrial fibrillation is found earlier, anticoagulant medication (“blood thinners”) is a good way to prevent strokes.
Long-term ECG and event recorder for cardiac arrhythmias
So far, the classic long-term ECG has mostly been used. The device records the rhythm over 24 hours or seven days. Electrodes are attached to the skin for the measurement. However, it is not always possible to detect the arrhythmias in this short period of time. There is also an event recorder. A device that patients can take home with them for three months. When an arrhythmia occurs, you can hold this device on your upper body’s bare skin, press a button, and record an ECG for 30 seconds.
There are also implantable loop recorders (ILRs) that are placed under the skin to continuously monitor the heart and can find rare abnormal heart rhythms even when the heart is not complaining. They are used, for example, after a stroke to detect whether atrial fibrillation was the reason and there is a risk of another stroke. But the method often leads to false alarms, is invasive and expensive.
Rhythm patch for long-term recording
In order to find arrhythmias that have not yet caused any symptoms, the University of Göttingen is testing a mobile rhythm patch that is stuck to the chest and records the heartbeat for two weeks using an integrated ECG recording unit. The long recording period makes it possible to detect atrial fibrillation from short periods of time. In addition, the patch is not a restriction in everyday life for those affected. First results to the patch, which is still being tested, show that it is well tolerated in the group of elderly patients with high blood pressure, atrial fibrillation was found ten times more frequently than with the classic examination methods.
Smartwatch: heart palpitations can be recorded at any time
And there is another way to record arrhythmias: with a smartwatch with an ECG function. For the ECG, these so-called wearables use the electrical impulse that is triggered with every heartbeat. The measurement process takes around 30 seconds and should best be carried out in peace. The ECG can then be saved on the cell phone and the data can then be evaluated by a doctor. In this way, those affected can create an ECG in the event of symptoms. Experts warn, however, that patient data can also become a confusing flood of data for the medical profession. In fact, according to the German Cardiac Society, atrial fibrillation can be detected with a smartwatch with a certainty of over 90 percent. In addition to Samsung and Apple, the smartwatch manufacturers who have this ECG function in their watches also include the US company Fitbit.
Rhythm patches and wearables are still being tested and further developed. But these mobile, external ECG systems are becoming more powerful and more widely available. Due to their easy handling, they will become more and more important in the future.
