Cardiovascular disease, including coronary artery disease, currently affects around seven million people in the UK.
A new study has been published. Nature MedicineResearch led by the cardAIc Group at the University of Birmingham has found that commercially available wearable trackers can provide clinically useful information for heart disease patients.
Cardiovascular disease (CVD), which affects the heart and circulatory system, affects around seven million people in the UK and is a major cause of disability and death.
Coronary artery disease, the most common heart and circulatory system disease, affects approximately 2.3 million people and occurs when fatty material builds up within the walls of the coronary arteries, narrowing them.
The wearable device, consisting of a wristband and connected smartphone, collected data on responses to two medications – digoxin and the beta-blocker Zebeta (bisoprolol) – prescribed to 160 patients aged 60 years or older with permanent atrial fibrillation and shortness of breath as part of the RATE-AF clinical trial to determine whether it could continuously monitor responses to the medications and provide similar clinical information as in-person evaluations in a clinic.
Funded as part of the EU’s Innovative Medicines Initiative’s BigData@Heart consortium, the researchers used artificial intelligence (AI) to analyse more than 140 million data points on the heart rates of 53 people over a 20-week period.
The research team found that digoxin and beta-blockers had a similar effect on heart rate, and also found that the wearable device was comparable to standard tests often used in hospitals and clinical trials, which require staff time and resources.
“This study shows the potential for using this novel technology to assess response to treatment and have a positive impact on routine patient care,” said lead author Professor Deepak Kotecha, from the University of Birmingham’s Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences. “It’s an exciting example of how AI can support new ways of improving patient care.”
A study conducted in June by European researchers from the Universities of Glasgow, Oxford, KU Leuven and Leicester found that BMJ Revealed Changing trends and persistent challenges in heart health and CVD in the UK.
