(Webdesk) – Researchers at University College London (UCL) have unveiled a breakthrough electrocardiogram imaging (ECGI) vest that has the potential to become a standard of care.

This reusable, time-efficient device takes just 5 minutes per patient and is designed to map the heart’s complex electrical impulses, which are associated with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a life-threatening condition. This may enable early detection of abnormalities.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a heart disease characterized by thickening and stiffening of the heart’s muscular wall, impairing its ability to efficiently pump blood throughout the body.

Although it affects approximately 1 in 300 adults, some individuals with a genetic predisposition to the disease may not show symptoms.

UCL-led research suggests this innovative vest has the ability to identify signs of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy at an earlier stage than current diagnostic methods, providing an important window for intervention. I am.

Considering that hypertrophic cardiomyopathy can lead to heart failure and is often the cause of sudden, unexpected death in young people, the development of this technology represents a major step towards preventive and timely medical care. indicate.

The reusability and rapid evaluation of this vest further increases its potential for widespread adoption in everyday medical practice.

“Using our new technology to spot subtle electrical abnormalities allows for early detection of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy,” said lead author Dr George Joy, director of the UCL Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Bart’s Heart Center) said.

“This means we may be able to take action earlier and provide new treatments to slow the progression of the disease, as well as quickly enter clinical trials that have the potential to stop the disease altogether. It’s important because of what it means.”

A reusable ECGI vest, which has the potential to become a standard screening tool, was tested in a cohort of 174 patients and 37 healthy volunteers, including those who underwent genetic testing, recruited from three London hospitals. I was tested.

Participants included people who had already been diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, as well as people who carried the genetic mutation that causes the disease but showed no obvious symptoms.

The results showed that ECGI VEST was successful in identifying electrical abnormalities in 25% of people with the genetic mutation, even when traditional cardiac imaging and electrocardiography tests failed to detect signs of the disease. I did.

Best revealed an irregular pattern of electrical signal recovery in these cases, slowing the conduction of electrical signals through the heart.

In a notable development, the researchers also used machine learning to create a model that assesses disease severity and risk of sudden cardiac death based on 12 markers from the ECGI vest.

Remarkably, this grading system was consistent with risk estimates derived from standard protocols that incorporate factors such as age and certain structural features of the heart.

This breakthrough suggests that ECGI Vest has the potential to provide valuable insights and complement existing diagnostic methods.