Wearable Monitors Are Effective in Diagnosing Atrial Fibrillation

According to a study conducted by the Duke Clinical Research Institute, the use of wearable devices for prolonged heart rhythm monitoring led to a 52% increase in detected cases of atrial fibrillation compared to traditional diagnostic methods. However, despite earlier diagnosis, the number of hospitalizations related to stroke did not decrease.

The results published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology from the study conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic did not yield statistically significant data on the impact of atrial fibrillation screening on stroke rates.

Expert Opinions

“Atrial fibrillation is often undiagnosed and can increase the risk of ischemic stroke, which is largely reversible with oral anticoagulants,” said lead author Renato Lopes, MD, professor of medicine and member of the Duke Clinical Research Institute.

“We still need definitive evidence that diagnosing atrial fibrillation through systematic screening can lead to subsequent treatment with oral anticoagulants and, therefore, a reduction in stroke risk.”

Renato Lopes, Professor of Medicine, Duke Clinical Research Institute

More About the Study

In a large study involving about 12,000 Americans aged over 70 without previously diagnosed atrial fibrillation, researchers compared the effectiveness of long-term heart rhythm monitoring using specialized devices with standard medical observation. The study showed that the use of monitors allowed for the detection of 52% more cases of atrial fibrillation. Nevertheless, this significant increase in diagnosis was not accompanied by a decrease in hospitalizations related to stroke. The study, which was initially planned for a much larger number of participants, was prematurely terminated due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This did not allow for sufficient data to draw definitive conclusions about the impact of such screening on reducing stroke risk.

“Despite the inconclusive results, we learned many lessons that may be useful for future research,” Lopes said. He noted that the study's principle, which allowed patients to register and undergo screening online in a virtual format using self-applied patches at home with remote support, could be replicated in future studies.