Cardiac Monitoring – Atrial Fibrillation (AF) monitoring device

A principal cause of mortality in the UK and across the developed world is cardiac failure (“heart-attack“) and this has been the case for many years. The clinical need and burden of disease is therefore clear and Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained cardiac problem. PSL is working with Surrey University, UCL, their associated hospitals and other medical advisors, to develop an AF monitoring device, based on the latest micro-electronics and wireless-engineering technology. AF is predominantly a disease of the elderly and its prevalence increases with age from 0.5% at age 50-59 to almost 9% at age 80. The population prevalence of AF has risen over time and is likely to increase in the future (University of Birmingham).

Patients with atrial fibrillation may be asymptomatic or may have symptoms such as palpitations, dizziness and breathlessness. Atrial Fibrillation (AF) carries an increased risk of stroke, so monitoring of early signs will enable corrective measures to be taken; also avoiding the use of medication with dangerous side-effects, such as warfarin. Expert opinion suggests that approximately 75% of patients with AF are eligible for anticoagulation therapy such as warfarin, but only an estimated 25% of eligible patients receive it. The dose-response of warfarin is complex and its activity is easily altered by concurrent medications, food interactions, alcohol and illness. Many patients decline treatment with warfarin for a wide variety of reasons, including the inconvenience of dosing adjustments and regular blood tests, dietary restrictions, the risks of minor and major bleeding, under-appreciation or lack of knowledge regarding the risk of stroke, or poor adherence to the treatment regimen.

Progress with this PSL development will be regularly reported via this website.