Mobile application detecting atrial fibrillation reduces the risk of stroke
A new smartphone application developed at the University of Turku, Finland, can detect atrial fibrillation that causes strokes. Atrial fibrillation can now be detected without any extra equipment. The mobile application can save lives all over the world, as timely diagnosis of atrial fibrillation is crucial for effective stroke prevention.
The joint research project of the University of Turku and the Heart Centre of the Turku University Hospital involved 300 heart patients, half of whom had atrial fibrillation. The researchers managed to identify the patients with atrial fibrillation from the other group using the app.
The mobile application detected which patients had atrial fibrillation with 96% accuracy. In other words, the application recognized automatically near all cases with atrial fibrillation and the number of false alarms was very low.
The application has been under development for quite some time, requiring seven years of careful research. Detecting atrial fibrillation has been a worldwide medical challenge for years, but affordable solutions available for all have been lacking.
When technology researchers at the University of Turku were designing new solutions in collaboration with cardiologists of Turku University Hospital back in 2011, they decided to investigate whether it was possible to detect atrial fibrillation from the micro-movements in the chest using small accelerometers. They determined that it is possible.
According to Chief Physician and Professor of Cardiology Juhani Airaksinen from Turku University Hospital, this is the first time that ordinary consumer electronics have achieved such reliable results that they can be actually beneficial for the patient’s medical care.
The researchers want to make the application available for all as quickly as possible, and they believe that it will also spread to the international market.
The results of the study was published in the Circulation journal.
