Glasgow study unveils non-invasive heart monitor hope for Scottish patients

For the study, scientists strapped a non-invasive, bluetooth-connected device to the chests of 66 patients who were admitted to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) and the Scottish National Advanced Heart Failure Unit.

A new heart failure device could remotely monitor patients and prevent hospitalisation for Scottish heart patients, researchers in Glasgow have found.

For the study, scientists strapped a non-invasive, bluetooth-connected device to the chests of 66 patients who were admitted to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) and the Scottish National Advanced Heart Failure Unit.

Researchers found the device may be able to detect signs of fluid overload, and could be used to monitor patients and help prevent hospital admissions.

File picture of a surgical monitor showing heart arteries during angiogram procedure

According to the Scottish Health Survey in 2021, it is estimated that around seven per cent of men and four per cent of women are living with coronary heart disease in Scotland.

Currently, patients with heart failure are admitted to hospital many times during their disease for treatment with intravenous diuretics for the relief of congestion, and the methods to detect congestion rely on expensive, invasive monitoring.

Now, researchers are hopeful the device, called Sensinel, and produced by Analog Devices Inc (ADI), can detect changes in fluid in patients with heart failure who had been admitted to hospital to receive fluid removal, either by decongestion therapy or haemodialysis.

The results show that the device performed well, with researchers believing the new device shows “promise” for Scotland’s heart patients.

Dr James Curtain, honorary clinical research fellow at the University of Glasgow’s School of Cardiovascular & Metabolic Health, said Sensinel was “able to detect important changes in the fluid status in our patients”.

“Many of the measurements taken by the device were able to detect changes in our patients as they had fluid removed,” Dr Curtain added.

Professor Pardeep Jhund, professor of Cardiology and Epidemiology at the University of Glasgow, said the team are “very excited” by the results of the Sensinel study.

“This innovative system captures numerous vital patient measurements, aligning closely with the metrics we rely on in clinical practice to identify fluid overload,” Professor Jhund said.

“As the device is designed to be used by patients at home, we hope that in the future that we can give the device to patients and detect fluid accumulation early, thereby allowing us to alter their medication and prevent them from needing a costly hospital admission.

“As the device is only worn for less than five minutes twice a day this could be a real alternative to expensive implanted monitors or monitors that have to be worn all the time.

“The next step will be to conduct a large trial to determine if the device can detect fluid accumulation in patients who use it at home and provide sufficient warning so that we can reduce hospitalisations in those patients who use the device.”