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Issue link: https://digital.macdirectory.com/i/1496181
According to epidemiology experts in Europe, the estimated rate of atrial fibrillation (AFib) in the European Union is expected to double by 2060. AFib is a common heart arrhythmia that can have serious impacts — such as a higher risk of stroke or heart failure — if left untreated. At the Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Dr. Sebastiaan Blok, director of eHealth at the Cardiology Centers of the Netherlands, and his colleagues are exploring ways to detect AFib earlier. The researchers have developed a randomized controlled study as part of a larger initiative called HartWacht, the first reimbursable eHealth concept. In the Netherlands, “There are about 300,000 people who have been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation,” said Dr. Nicole van Steijn, an investigator on the research team. “But there’s also an estimated 100,000 people who have it but don’t know, likely because they haven’t experienced symptoms.” As part of their study, they plan to enroll more than 300 patients over the age of 65 who meet a risk threshold for AFib. Half of the participants — the intervention group — will wear Apple Watch for at least 12 hours per day. “Apple Watch is such a widely used, reliable consumer wearable that we thought it would be a great device for us to integrate into our research to better understand how we could potentially integrate it into the larger health system,” Dr. Blok shares. As part of the group’s study design, participants are expected to take an ECG once every three weeks, or if they begin feeling symptoms. If the participant receives an irregular rhythm notification, the researchers will connect with the participant and instruct them to take an ECG and share the results. Within three weeks of the study, researchers were able to identify a participant with AFib in the intervention group who wasn’t experiencing any symptoms. This study marks the beginning of what they hope to understand using Apple Watch. In the future, they plan to explore ways to identify possible opportunities to use the ECG app to monitor patients from home, as certain medications can alter a heart rhythm. They’re also considering how Apple Watch could possibly be used to monitor heart failure patients from home, given it’s a costly disease, and identify predictive biomarkers for exacerbations. “We are continuing to grow and innovate with new opportunities, based in science and technology,” said Dr. Blok. Note 1. The ECG app is cleared for use in adult patients. Pediatric use is limited to investigational use only.