How the latest diagnostic technologies are leading the charge in stroke prevention

Justin Hall, vice president EMEA and general manager UK, iRhythm, highlights how technologies are aiding stroke prevention.   

It is estimated that there are currently more than 100,000 people suffering from strokes in the UK each year. That’s one stroke every five minutes. As well as being potentially devastating for patients and their families, incidences of stroke put additional strain on the NHS’s already tight resources. In fact, reports indicate that strokes alone cost the NHS around £3 billion per year, with an additional cost to the UK’s economy of £4 billion in terms of lost productivity, disability and informal care.    

Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is currently the leading independent risk factor of stroke, contributing to one in five across the UK alone. Suffering from AF means that blood clots are more likely to form in your heart and, although some people are asymptomatic, it can cause heart palpitations, tiredness and shortness of breath. AF also often increases the severity of a stroke, with research discovering that those suffering are twice as likely to die, and three times more likely to become disabled as a result. 

As with many heart conditions, the key to improving the outcome of AF – and therefore the associated risk of stroke – is through earlier and more accurate detection. The sooner an individual is diagnosed; the sooner medical practitioners can deploy the best course of treatment. This is something that intelligent technologies can help to achieve.   

Modernising diagnostics   

Today, modern, AI-driven solutions are making it possible to provide earlier warning signs when it comes to AF and other serious heart conditions, enabling the identification and management of patients who might otherwise go undiagnosed with a heart condition, until they experience a cardiac event.   

Take iRhythm’s Zio service, for example. This digital patch-like device provides uninterrupted, comprehensive monitoring and ECG interpretation. Unlike traditional monitoring devices, such as the Holter, it is both patient friendly and able to deliver on accuracy. It can be worn comfortably at all times – even when exercising, showering and sleeping – to ensure there are no critical knowledge gaps from poor signal quality or data interruptions. With no loose wires, batteries or maintenance needed, the Zio service can be worn by patients for up to 14 days. This results in a median 99% analysable time, ensuring a more reliable data set is achieved - something that is critical when it comes to providing a clear and detailed look into a patient’s heart rhythm.   

Not only does this streamlined service reduce the need for repeat testing – which results in greater pressure on the NHS – it can accelerate time-to-treatment for patients. This means they get the help they need in a much shorter timeframe, potentially reducing their risk of stroke and other serious heart conditions.   

Pandemic-proof  

Against the backdrop of the ongoing health crisis, many individuals have, understandably, delayed seeking medical advice, either because of concerns about exposure to the virus, or in an effort to avoid putting additional strain on the NHS. In fact, the latest NHS Digital statistics estimate that there have been around 26 million fewer GP visits during this time.    

Unfortunately, the entire healthcare system and the general public are likely to feel the impact of these missed appointments for many years to come, especially when it comes to cardiac health. There’s no way of knowing at the moment just how many underlying conditions will have gone undiagnosed during this time period and the potential backlog that that could create for medical staff moving forward. 

Although COVID-19 is a huge focus at the moment, we still need to find ways to ensure that individuals can access the healthcare they need. As a result, many providers of diagnostic technologies have changed the way that they deliver their services in order to ensure that patients can still access them, even during a national lockdown.  

For some, this has meant launching direct to patient shipping models – enabling those who are most vulnerable to still access the care that they need without leaving their homes. By helping to minimise any interaction between patients and healthcare staff, whilst still producing accurate reports, self-application diagnostic tools have proven to be very successful during this uncertain time. The adaptability of this new remote delivery model has helped to keep all parties safe, while also reducing some of the strain being placed on other healthcare resources. 

Beating a hidden killer   

Despite AF being such a serious condition, it is also one that few of us will have heard of, unless we have experienced it personally or know of someone who has been diagnosed. Many sufferers won’t even know they have the condition until they actually experience a stroke, in fact, it’s thought that up to a third of those currently living with the condition are undiagnosed.  

This is what makes raising awareness around the condition and the most effective diagnostic tools even more important. With modern technologies, diagnosis can be pain free for both patients and doctors alike, even during the current pandemic. By providing uninterrupted, comprehensive monitoring of a patient's heart – even in a remote setting – these technologies have the power to redefine how serious illnesses are clinically diagnosed and therefore treated, saving lives whilst reducing the pressure on NHS resources.