Fitness trackers are as good as hospital tests at monitoring heart health and giving the devices to patients could save them time-consuming clinic visits, new research suggests.
Experts at the University of Birmingham tested the devices on patients with two common heart problems, atrial fibrillation and heart failure, which affect millions of patients in the UK.
The goal was to see if the trackers could monitor how well they were responding to medication, something that typically involves testing in a hospital clinic.
Most of the patients involved in the research were between 70 and 80 years old, leading researchers to suggest that age was not a barrier to using technology to improve health.
Researchers have found that devices like Fitbits that monitor heart rate and physical activity have clinical value for comparing response to two treatments for atrial fibrillation and heart failure.
The trackers were evaluated during a clinical trial testing two common heart medications, digoxin and beta blockers.
Instead of regular hospital checks on the 160 patients involved, who had heart failure or atrial fibrillation, they were given a Fitbit Charge 2 that constantly monitored their heart rhythm.
Fitbit did not provide the devices, which were paid for by a research organization, and the company that made them was also not involved in the study.
The information collected by the devices indicated the effectiveness of the drugs. The team then used artificial intelligence to analyse the data collected.
The tracers were found to be as good as standard tests typically used in clinics that require staff time and resources.
Heart failure affects one million Britons. Unlike a heart attack, which is a sudden event that occurs when part of the heart muscle dies due to a blockage in circulation, heart failure is a long-term condition.
It often occurs due to a heart attack and means that the muscle is not as effective at pumping blood around the body as it should.
Although medications can relieve symptoms, it is incurable and patients suffer debilitating symptoms including shortness of breath and fatigue.
Atrial fibrillation, which causes the heart to beat erratically, affects 1.4 million people in the UK and increases the risk of stroke.
In both cases, being able to verify that medication adequately controls symptoms is essential to keeping patients well and out of the hospital.
Professor Dipak Kotecha, from the Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences at the University of Birmingham and senior author of the study, said: “This study shows the potential of using this new technology to assess treatment response and make a positive contribution to routine patient care.”
Professor Kotecha added: ‘Cardiac diseases such as atrial fibrillation and heart failure are expected to double in prevalence over the next few decades, resulting in a huge burden on patients as well as substantial healthcare costs.
‘This study is an interesting example of how artificial intelligence can support new ways to better treat patients.’
