Continuous home monitoring with mobile health devices equipped with photoplethysmography (PPG) technology could be a feasible approach for screening and early detection of atrial fibrillation (AFib) in large populations, according to new data presented at ESC Congress 2019 and simultaneously published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

The HUAWEI Heart study investigated the use of AFib screening using smart devices with PPG technology, combined with a mobile health approach to managing AFib care. A total of 187,912 individuals (ages 18+) from across China used smart devices, including a wristband or wristwatch, to monitor their pulse rhythm for at least 14 days between Oct. 26, 2018 and May 20, 2019. Patients identified with "possible AF" episodes using the PPG algorithm were further confirmed by health providers within the MAFA (mobile AF App) Telecare center and network hospitals, with clinical evaluation, electrocardiogram (ECG) or 24-hour Holter monitoring.

Overall results found that among those with PPG monitoring (mean age 35 years, 86.7 percent male), 424 (mean age 54 years, 87.0 percent male) received a "suspected" AFib notification. Of those effectively followed up, 227 individuals (87.0 percent) were identified as having AFib, with the positive predictive value (PPV) of PPG signals being 91.6 percent. Of these identified individuals, 216 (95.1 percent) subsequently entered an integrated AFib management program using a mobile AFib application and roughly 80 percent of high-risk patients were successfully anticoagulated.

In other findings, Yutao Guo, MD, PhD, FACC, and colleagues noted that suspected AFib and identified AFib markedly increased with age (p for trend <0.001). They also found that individuals in Northeast China had the highest proportion of detected AFib.

"Low detection and nonadherence are major problems in current management approaches for patients with suspected [AFib]," researchers said. "Mobile health devices may enable earlier AFib detection, and improved AFib management." They also highlight that mobile health devices may be able to help with early interventions and reducing stroke and other AFib-related complications.

Clinical Topics: Arrhythmias and Clinical EP, Cardiac Surgery, Heart Failure and Cardiomyopathies, Invasive Cardiovascular Angiography and Intervention, Noninvasive Imaging, Prevention, Stable Ischemic Heart Disease, Atrial Fibrillation/Supraventricular Arrhythmias, Aortic Surgery, Cardiac Surgery and Arrhythmias, Cardiac Surgery and Heart Failure, Cardiac Surgery and SIHD, Acute Heart Failure, Interventions and Imaging, Angiography, Nuclear Imaging, Hypertension, Chronic Angina

Keywords: ESC 19, ESC Congress, Telemedicine, Hypertension, Primary Prevention, Angiography, Coronary Angiography, Percutaneous Coronary Intervention, Heart Failure, Atrial Fibrillation, Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement, Aortic Valve, Heart Valve Prosthesis, Registries, Myocardial Perfusion Imaging, Angina, Stable

< Back to Listings