A PROJECT at a teaching hospital to test how effective smart devices are at detecting heart rhythm problems has received a grant of almost £150,000 from a national research charity.

The project, carried out by Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, has received the grant from Heart Research UK to push new technologies with hopes of finding better ways of detecting and treating atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common heart rhythm problem.

It causes an irregular and fast heartbeat, which makes the heart pump poorly, and is thought to affect around 2m people in the UK.

As a result of the condition, blood clots may form inside the heart and, if they travel to the brain, can lead to an AF-related stroke.

Anticoagulants medication plays a major role in the management of AF and work by making the blood less likely to clot, therefore reducing the risk of a stroke.

However, the medication make patients more prone to bleeding, and a significant number of patients on anticoagulants have a major bleed and some, such as brain bleeds, can cause death or severe disability.

Currently, those with AF are advised to take anticoagulation treatment all the time, therefore many end up taking it when they are in a normal rhythm.

As AF doesn’t always cause symptoms, new technologies are being developed to find an accurate and reliable way to detect an issue and alert the patient, and to ensure that anticoagulants are taken only when needed.

An example is the invention of small heart monitors which are placed under the skin, watches, and rings to track the heart rhythm continuously and send alerts.

The Medtronic LINQ II implantable cardiac monitor (ICM) is a device the size of a paperclip that is injected under the skin and monitors the heart rhythm and can accurately detect AF.

The latest Apple Watch has the ability to detect AF, as does the Sky Labs CART ring, all of which connect to a smartphone.

The study, led by Professor Timothy Betts, will recruit 50 patients with AF and follow them for six months, all of whom will receive an ICM.

Professor Betts said: “It is always fascinating to see advances in new technology and the wide range of applications that they can have.

“This project will allow us to understand if these new and innovative technologies can aid us in improving the treatment of the millions of people with AF in the UK.

“If successful, we will be able to tailor treatment to individual patients, increase the efficacy of treatment and reduce unnecessary medication. We are extremely grateful to Heart Research UK for funding this research.”

The risk of stroke in patients with AF is five-fold higher than in people with normal rhythm, and some people are in AF all the time but many have intermittent, infrequent episodes.

In the first three months, Professor Betts and his team will see how well the ICM alerts the patient when AF is detected and how promptly the patient acknowledges the alert.

After three months, each patient will then be given either a Sky Labs CART ring or Apple Watch which will send alerts during AF episodes.

The ICM will continue to monitor AF episodes and the team will see if the ring and watch are as good as the ICM at detecting AF, how well the ring and watch alert patients and if the alerts are acknowledged.

The ultimate goal is to use the data collected to guide anticoagulant treatment so that AF patients take anticoagulation only when they need it.

Kate Bratt-Farrar, Chief Executive of Heart Research UK, said: “We are delighted to be supporting the work of Professor Betts and his team, who are using cutting-edge technology to hopefully improve the lives of people living with the UK’s most common heart rhythm problem.

“Our grants are all about helping patients. They aim to bring the latest developments to those who need them as soon as possible.

"We are confident that Professor Betts’s project can bring about real and tangible improvements in how we treat patients, using technology that is both non-invasive and simple to use.

“The dedication we see from UK researchers is both encouraging and inspiring, and we at Heart Research UK are proud to be part of it.”