According to the CDC, AFib is the most common arrhythmia diagnosed in clinical practices today. High blood pressure accounts for about 1 in 5 cases of AFib.
It can take months to years to find the right combination of medication and lifestyle changes to gain long-term control over a patient’s blood pressure. If a patient is at highest risk for AFib during times of uncontrolled hypertension, doesn’t it make sense to monitor a daily ECG along with a blood pressure check?
Last year, we shared information from our Sedona Series -- a 3-part blog series reviewing our time spent at the Mayo Clinic Cardiology Update: The Heart of the Matter. Below are excerpts and updates from that series.
The RIGHT DATA for the RIGHT PATIENT
Millions of patients fall into the “at-risk for arrhythmias” category, yet they are not given the tools they need to be monitored for these life-threatening events. More importantly, providers are missing an opportunity for early intervention.
When providers have access to critical cardiac data, they have a chance to hit the rewind button on a diagnosis… a hospitalization… or even a death.
The RIGHT PATIENT: Connecting the Dots
We know that patients with high blood pressure are at risk for AFib, and that risk increases substantially with uncontrolled hypertension. In a global four-year study of 15,400 emergency department patients, 66.5% of AFib patients had hypertension. Although 93% of these AFib patients with hypertension were on at least one antihypertensive medication, fewer than half of the patients had blood pressure levels less than 140/90 (1). If a patient is at highest risk for AFib during times of uncontrolled hypertension, doesn’t it make sense to monitor a daily ECG along with a blood pressure check?
Dr. Rekha Mankad, Director at the Women’s Heart Clinic, has presented on the “Unique Aspects to the Assessment and Management of Heart Disease in Women.” She's highlighted a case study that showed women aged 30-54 years diagnosed with a myocardial infarction (MI) had longer lengths of inpatient stays, more complications including arrhythmias, and higher mortality rates than men (3). Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) presents a two-fold risk of MI (4), so we ask again, doesn’t it make sense to expand cardiac monitoring to this subset of patients as a potential for early diagnosis and intervention?
The RIGHT DATA: Quick Access to Rewind
Patients with hypertension and young women at risk for MI are only a fraction of those with an increased risk of AFib. This arrhythmia is prevalent in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), congestive heart failure (CHF), older adults, and the list goes on.
By properly identifying the at-risk patient population, we have a unique opportunity to prevent the sequalae associated with AFib.
ECG data, that is sent directly from the patient’s device to a provider, allows for quick access to crucial information that providers have been missing in their decision tree. Healthcare providers can hit the rewind button on costly admissions and emergency department visits, and intervene before dangerous sequelae such as stroke, heart failure, and even death occur. It is time we safeguard these unserved patients and give them a cardiac monitoring solution that focuses on prevention.
Explore the HomECG+ as the Missing Link
For healthcare providers searching for the missing link to their cardiac monitoring solution, ECG data is often the missing piece of the clinical puzzle and is a game changer in triage and decision-making, especially for patients at risk for dangerous arrhythmias like atrial fibrillation.
Here is a quick video to help understand how the HomECG+ fits between outpatient continuous monitoring solutions and higher priority cardiac inpatient treatment plans.
For more information about the Hom ECG+ solution, click here.
References:
Ombani, Stefano, et al. (2020). Evidence and Recommendations on the Use of Telemedicine for the Management of Arterial Hypertension. American Heart Association. https://doi.org/10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.120.15873
Amy Pollack, MD. Updates in Hypertension Management for Primary and Secondary Prevention of Coronary Artery Disease. Presented at Mayo Clinic Cardiology Update: The Heart of the Matter 2022. August 2022.
Rekha Mankad, MD FACC. Unique Aspects to the Assessment and Management of Heart Disease in Women. Presented at Mayo Clinic Cardiology Update: The Heart of the Matter 2022. August 2022.
Soliman, E., et al. (2014). Atrial Fibrillation and the Risk of Myocardial Infarction. JAMA Internal Medicine. Jamanetwork.com/journals/internalmedicine/fullarticle/1764008