Detecting Atrial Fibrillation Using Video Technology in Mobile Devices

After more than a decade on faculty at the University of California, San Diego, Sanjiv M. Narayan, MD, Ph.D. became a professor of medicine at Stanford University. A cardiologist, Dr. Sanjiv Narayan focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of atrial fibrillation.

Wearable and mobile devices may play a bigger role in the diagnosis of arrhythmias like atrial fibrillation. A recent study showed the efficacy of using smartphones to monitor for atrial fibrillation. The researchers used videoplethysmography software on smartphones that can use the selfie video function to identify irregular pulse rates. This sort of technology has become more important in recent months with telemedicine becoming more prevalent due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The video technology makes it possible to intermittently monitor for atrial fibrillation in a long-term fashion without the need for wearable devices. The software detects very subtle changes in skin color of the face during heartbeats to determine pulse rate. When compared to a standard ECG patch, the mean difference in pulse and heart rate between the technologies was only 0.3 beats per minute, indicating the efficacy of using smartphones as a contactless monitoring device.

T Wave Alternans Can Help Detect Potential Heart Defects

Board-certified in Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology, Dr Sanjiv Narayan serves as the professor of cardiovascular medicine at the Stanford University Medical Center. Sanjiv Narayan, PhD, has written several medical papers, including the role of alternating repolarization in causing rhythm problems.

Repolarization changes can cause arrhythmias. This was previously part of the surface electrocardiogram phenomenon of "T wave (repolarization) alternans" and is now increasingly noticed in the atrium. This is detectable using clinical tools but also several research tools. These are being explored to better understand the heart rhythm problem, and also to improve therapy of patients.

Ventricular arrhythmia can cause asymptomatic heart failure, leading to death without prior notice. In some cases, however, ventricular arrhythmia may present with less potent lethal complications such as ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia. Current treatments for ventricular arrhythmia involve device therapy and ablation. These can be effective, but it is difficult to identify which patients may benefit from each form of therapy.

Can Heart Attacks Trigger Arrhythmia?

A member of the Heart Rhythm Society, Dr. Sanjiv Narayan is a professor of cardiovascular medicine at Stanford University. Sanjiv M Narayan is dedicated to helping cardiologists develop cutting-edge therapies for treating patients with arrhythmia.

A condition that occurs when electrical impulses in the heart become irregular, arrhythmia results in the heart beating too slow, too fast, or without a normal pattern. Symptoms of arrhythmia may include sweating, chest pain, dizziness, or shortness of breath. Certain medical conditions, such as diabetes, sleep apnea, high blood pressure, or thyroid disease can increase a person's chance of having an arrhythmia.

At the University of California, a group of researchers has also investigated the potential genetic link between heart attacks and arrhythmia, as these two medical issues only occur in a subset of the population. During the research study, the actions of mutated versions of a gene called 9p21 were investigated. It was discovered that when a heart attack occurs, the mutated gene activates a signaling protein called JNK that performs a key role in triggering arrhythmia. JNK sends signals that break the connection between heart cells, thus causing the heart to beat irregularly