The ECG Wearable That Could Cut Down Preventable Heart Attack Deaths
Nearly half of people who have heart attacks don’t realize what’s happening until it’s too late. This device could greatly reduce those preventable deaths:
New wearable ECG device could help prevent heart attacks
At a glance:
- Dry electrodes (no gel) are comfortable, durable, and unlikely to cause skin irritation
- The electrodes, which are less than one tenth the width of a human hair, are highly sensitive to the cardiac signals of the user
- The device can capture ECG signals even when it is fitted hidden out of the way behind a person’s neck
- The electrodes are also hydrophobic, meaning they don’t get wet— even if worn in the shower, swimming pool, etc
- It communicates with a smartphone app by Bluetooth (yes, it has a tiny Bluetooth chip in it)
Read more about the study, the device, the various versions tested, and which version won out as optimal:
Dry electrode geometry optimization for wearable ECG devices
(you can also see pictures of it, if you’re curious!)
In the meantime…
That device isn’t available to the public yet (the study was published literally yesterday), so if you’d like to be ahead of the game with regard to recognizing heart attack signs, read on:
Heart Attack: His & Hers (Be Prepared!)
Heart attack symptoms vary by sex. This is governed by hormones, so if you are for example a postmenopausal woman and not on HRT, your symptoms might be nearer that of men.
The following symptom list is intended as a rough “most likely” guide. You may not get all of the symptoms you “should”. You could get symptoms from the “wrong” category. So don’t sweat the minutiae, but do be aware of…
Symptoms for everyone:
- Jaw, neck, and/or back pain
- Nausea and/or vomiting
- Shortness of breath
Additional symptoms (mostly) just for men:
- Pressure and/or pain in the upper chest
- Discomfort and/or tingling in the arms
- Sudden cold sweat
Additional symptoms (mostly) just for women:
- Pressure and/or pain in the lower chest and/or abdomen
- Feeling of fullness and/or indigestion
- Fatigue, dizziness, possibly fainting
In the event of experiencing symptoms…
Call 911 or your local equivalent.This is not the time to wait to see if it goes away by itself. If unsure, call. Better safe than sorry/dead.
If you are not alone, or if it is someone with you who is having the suspected heart attack, it may be quicker to go to the Emergency Room by car, than wait for an ambulance.
Even if you choose to do that, you should still call 911 anyway, as the responder will be able to instruct you in real-time, not something we can do in a newsletter.
Note that if available, this means three people in the car is ideal:
Driver, patient, and third person on the phone giving information and following instructions.
Emergency situations rarely go entirely by-the-book, but with a little foreknowledge and at least one person with a calm head, preventable deaths can be avoided.
