A new wearable-based technology has been designed that has the potential to detect heart disease earlier than ever before. Researchers at University College London have created electrocardiogram imaging (ECGI) vests to monitor electrical impulses in the heart.
The ECGI vest we developed is expanding our ability to understand the electrical function of the heart and more precisely assess people's risk of developing life-threatening heart rhythms," said Gaby Captur, senior author of this new article detailing vest technology.
Researchers have created a reusable vest to diagnose hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a genetic disorder caused by abnormal thickening of the heart muscle wall. This thickness makes it difficult for the heart to pump blood efficiently.
According to the press release, this condition is known to affect at least one in every 300 people. The ECGI vest has the potential to identify electrical changes caused by this abnormal muscle condition. In addition, it can detect these changes early when routine tests may not detect signs of disease.
With 256 sensors embedded in the vest, it takes only five minutes to perform detailed electrical imaging of the heart. The researchers tested the vest technology on 174 patients and 37 healthy participants. The ECGI vest detects an electrical abnormality in one out of every four people, even though standard tests show no symptoms of the disease.
In addition, the researchers used machine learning algorithms to assess the severity of the disease and the risk of sudden cardiac death in detected individuals.
By using our new technology to detect subtle electrical abnormalities, we are able to detect hypertrophic cardiomyopathy earlier. This is important because it means we can act earlier, offer new ways to slow the disease, and fast-track individuals for clinical trials that have the potential to stop the disease altogether," lead author George Joy said in a press release.
This vest technology offers hope for early intervention and ** of this hereditary disease. The press release states that most people do not show any symptoms, which is a cause for concern as the condition can progress to heart failure.
It further added that this condition "is often cited as the most common cause of sudden and unexpected death in young people". With this vest, early detection of the condition is possible. In the past, this detailed mapping of the heart's electrical activity was "rare."
Because it involves inserting a catheter into the heart chambers or using a disposable device. Both methods are costly and time-consuming to set up, limiting their utility. **10,000 Powder Incentive Program Therefore, due to its efficiency, reusability, cost-effectiveness, and ease of use, the vest has the potential to become a standard screening tool. The team's goal is to evaluate the vest in a larger cohort of patients in the upcoming phase.
In addition, the scientists intend to make follow-up observations to better understand the impact of these early electrical changes on the likelihood of a life-threatening heart rhythm occurring in the future.
The findings were published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.