The University Hospital Basel has started a cooperation with company Cardiomatics on the SWISS-AF-Burden study. They are investigating the impact of atrial fibrillation burden on incidents such as stroke, heart failure and dementia. Broader knowledge about patients with AF could help to tailor medical treatment to the individual characteristics of each patient in the future.
Despite the evidence currently available on the association between AF, stroke, and systemic embolism, the underlying mechanisms are still largely unknown. Moreover, therapy increasingly requires personalization and an individual approach to each patient.
The Swiss AF-Burden study will analyze variations in the frequency and intensity of atrial fibrillation and the impact of these events.
The aim of this study is to increase our knowledge of the association between AF burden and changes in AF burden and its health consequences, which are mainly stroke, systemic embolism and cognitive dysfunction. – underlines Prof. Michael Kühne.
The research question of the current AF burden will be answered by using 7-day Holter-ECG recordings and continuous ILR (implantable loop recorders) recording, while cMRI (cardiac magnetic resonance imaging) examination will give results on cardiac dimensions and function. In order to optimize the research process and ensure the highest quality of 7-day Holter-ECG analysis, the University Hospital Basel invited Cardiomatics to cooperate with them.
Cardiomatics has created innovative software for automatic analysis and interpretation of ECG signals. As a standard, the analysis of Holter ECG is performed manually by medics, which can be time-consuming. Cardiomatics significantly reduces this time by allowing you to load an ECG record into an application and perform detailed analysis and interpretation of the data using its algorithm. Finally, the doctor receives a detailed test report on which he can base his diagnosis.
We help to save researchers time while ensuring high-quality ECG reports. We are proud that Cardiomatics is trusted by the University Hospital Basel. – underlines Rafał Samborski
Atrial fibrillation is a serious – and still growing – health problem due to aging societies in highly developed countries. It is expected that the prevalence of AF will double or triple within the next few decades and this will have serious socio-economic implications. Proper management of patients in the “epidemic” of AF is extremely important because, if not treated, it may result in serious complications.
Patients suffering from AF are at an increased risk of major adverse cardiovascular events, such as a 5-fold increased risk of stroke, a more than 10-fold increased risk of heart failure, and a more than 2-fold increased risk of death, compared to individuals without AF. Furthermore, atrial fibrillation is associated with increased risk of dementia. It may also be assumed that the duration of atrial fibrillation affects the number of these clinical events.
About University Hospital Basel
The University Hospital Basel is one of the leading medical centers in Switzerland with an internationally recognized standard. Thanks to close collaboration with various partners in the healthcare sector and at the University of Basel, as well as our proximity to leading global life science companies, the University Hospital Basel is part of an innovative and future-oriented knowledge transfer at the highest level in research, teaching, and patient care.
About Cardiomatics
Cardiomatics offers cutting-edge, cloud AI-based digital analysis of data from Holter ECGs. It is a medical-grade system, based on accurate algorithms, ensuring high-quality and trusted outcomes. As a digital health technology developer, Cardiomatics cooperates with physicians, manufacturers, and providers of Holter devices globally.
