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Heart rhythm disorders are Britain’s biggest killers with 100,000 deaths in the UK annually [1]
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People with Atrial Fibrillation, a heart rhythm disorder , have a 500 percent higher risk of stroke [2]
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The AliveCor Kardia Band, available from today, allows you to take a medical grade single lead ECG from your wrist and discover if you are in possible Atrial Fibrillation
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80 percent of heart rhythm disorder deaths can be prevented through discovery and treatment [3]
London, United Kingdom, Friday 28 October 2016 – AliveCor , the leader in FDA-cleared mobile electrocardiogram (ECG) technology for mobile devices, today announces the availability of Kardia Band, the world’s smallest single lead medical grade ECG. Kardia Band works with Apple Watch to provide a single lead medical grade ECG of the user’s heart rhythm to identify possible Atrial Fibrillation - a leading cause of AF-related stroke in the UK.
People over 40 have a one in four lifetime risk of developing Atrial Fibrillation, which leads to a 500 percent increased risk of AF-related stroke. Despite this, research commissioned by AliveCor of 2,000 UK adults found that only 9 percent identified it as a cause of stroke, with a further 24 percent saying stroke can’t be prevented and 7 percent believing stroke is just ‘bad luck’.
100,000 people in the UK die annually because of heart rhythm disorders, even though 80 percent of deaths could be prevented. Only 16 percent of Britons questioned agreed that monitoring heart rhythm can help prevent AF-related stroke.
Dr. Matthew Fay, a GP in Bradford , has been using the AliveCor Kardia technology at his practice and estimates it has reduced appointments related to palpitations and atrial fibrillation by 50 percent. He said, “The huge benefit of this technology is that it saves appointments because we’re making a diagnosis in a single step. I can diagnose a patient when they first come in with heart palpitations with Kardia – which means less time and money wasted on nurse appointments and follow ups for us and the patient. Ultimately it makes for a far more efficient process for symptoms that can cause serious worry to a lot of people.”
Trudie Lobban MBE, Founder and CEO of Arrhythmia Alliance welcomes the news of the Kardia Band: “This represents a big step forward for everyone – not just for patients with heart rhythm disorders but for a lot of people with as yet undiagnosed arrhythmias. Wearing a medical grade ECG on your wrist will ultimately help towards earlier detection and treatment of potentially fatal heart rhythm disorders so this has the potential to save a lot of lives. Having the control to take an ECG at anytime also means people can feel closer to their heart health which will also help take away some of their anxiety.”
The Kardia Band measures heart rhythm with a quick touch of the watch strap and can reveal instantly if it is normal or irregular. It operates directly with Apple Watch via the Kardia app (downloadable from Apple App Store ) and can immediately sync this heart rhythm analysis with other devices such as an iPad or iPhone. Results can also be directly shared with a healthcare professional or person’s circle of care.
Vic Gundotra, CEO of AliveCor, said: “Despite the widespread knowledge of AF-related stroke, it is very concerning that so many people in the UK believe it can’t be prevented. This could be a dangerous assumption. Imagine wearing something on your wrist that could detect one of the leading causes? Kardia Band gives people the assurance that they are taking a proactive role in their own heart health, plus the ability to access that level of care anytime and anywhere, which is huge.”
Kardia technology has the potential to save hundreds of lives a year and the mobile version, Kardia Mobile, was shown as an example of MedTech innovation by the Head of NHS England, Simon Stevens at the NHS Confederation, June 2016.
He said: “From April next year, we will add a piece to the national tariff system, specifically for new MedTech innovations which have been shown to be cost saving or help patients with supportive self-management, [as] a way of trying to fast track innovation into front line clinical practice.”
The AliveCor Kardia Band is available to pre-order from alivecor.com/kardiaband from Friday 28 th October. RRP £199 / €229.
Currently not available for sale in the U.S. Pending FDA clearance.
Notes to editors
Research commissioned by AliveCor of 2,000 UK adults also found:
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24 percent think stroke cannot be prevented and it can happen to anyone
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10 percent think it is impossible to know the causes of stroke
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9 percent identified Atrial Fibrillation as a leading cause of stroke
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Stroke is in the top three worries we have about our older loved one’s health: 29 percent say it’s their biggest worry, alongside developing Alzheimer’s (40 percent) and mental deterioration (31 percent)
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21 percent do not think irregular heart rhythm is a major concern for people over 50
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55 percent would feel better if they knew a loved one was wearing a device that monitored their heart health
Research carried out by Opinium in October 2016 among 2000 UK adults.
For more information, please contact:
Maddie.donnan@brands2life.com 020 7592 1200
About AliveCor, Inc.
AliveCor, Inc. is pioneering the creation of FDA-cleared ‘machine learning’ techniques to enable proactive heart care and is recognized around the world for transforming cardiac care. The FDA-cleared Kardia Mobile is the most clinically validated mobile ECG solution on the market and is recommended by leading cardiologists and used by people worldwide for accurate ECG recordings. This simple to use mobile device and app-based service provides instant analysis for detecting atrial fibrillation (AF) and normal sinus rhythm in an ECG. AliveCor was recognized as a 2015 Tech Pioneer by the World Economic Forum and one of the 50 Smartest Companies in 2015 by the MIT Technology Review (#14). AliveCor is a privately-held company headquartered in Mountain View, Calif. For more information, please visit alivecor.com.
[1] NHS Choices