Khaberni - The media office of Saratov Medical University reported that the university scientists have invented a new wearable device that alerts the imminent exacerbation of chronic heart failure and detects the critical condition before symptoms appear.
It should be noted that some people suffer from chronic heart failure (a condition in which the heart is unable to pump sufficient blood volume to other organs). Some data indicate that half of them die within five years of diagnosis. This disease usually affects older adults and is one of the leading causes of death worldwide.
Professor Natalia Akimova, from the Department of Therapy at the Medical College of the University, says, "Today, doctors can primarily monitor these patients' condition during their outpatient visits. However, their condition usually begins to worsen at home, before any clear symptoms appear, and by the time the patient feels any discomfort, it might be too late."
She notes that the university scientists have created a body-worn device to assess heart and peripheral vascular activity, for monitoring patients with congestive heart failure. This innovative device, unlike similar ones, combines physical and software components, is compact, and relies on a comprehensive and integrated assessment of clinical, physiological electrical, and blood dynamics indicators.
She says, "The device allows for the monitoring of critical moments and immediate adjustment of treatment. Our main innovation lies in the synchronous automatic analysis of biometric signals of both electrical and mechanical heart activities, as well as the state of peripheral blood vessels. This provides a comprehensive picture that allows us to predict the likelihood of exacerbation of congestive heart failure and to detect any worsening early on, which could lead to severe consequences."
According to her, timely intervention based on these monitoring data can reduce hospital readmission rates by 30-80 percent. It also reduces costs and saves time for doctors, and of course, improves the quality of life for patients and reduces the risk of them needing emergency hospital admissions.
