- World's most-capped rugby union player was living with an
undetected, irregular heart rhythm called atrial fibrillation (AF),
whilst still playing professional rugby
- Let's Talk Rhythm campaign aims to raise awareness of
the early warning signs of AF and encourage people to talk about
their heart health
- Alun Wyn believes personal heart
monitoring can play an important role in the early detection of
cardiac abnormalities
MOUNTAIN
VIEW, Calif., July 23,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- AliveCor, the global
leader in AI-powered cardiology, has partnered with former
Wales rugby captain, Alun Wyn Jones, to launch 'Let's Talk
Rhythm', a new campaign to raise awareness of the early
symptoms of atrial fibrillation (AF) and encourage people to talk
about their heart health.
AF is a condition that causes an irregular heart rhythm. It
affects around 1.5 million people in the UK, and it is estimated
that there are least another 270,000 people who remain undiagnosed,
putting them at increased risk of serious
complications.[i]
"During my rugby career I was used to training hard and pushing
my body to its limits. When I was told during a routine medical
that my tiredness was the result of a heart condition, I was
surprised to say the least", said Alun
Wyn. "Through the 'Let's Talk Rhythm' campaign, I
want to share my personal experience and practical advice to help
people recognise the early warning signs of AF and talk about their
concerns".
Following his AF diagnosis, Alun
Wyn's wife purchased a KardiaMobile® personal
heart monitoring ECG device to help him track his heart rhythm.
KardiaMobile, a clinically validated personal ECG device, allows
individuals to track their heart rhythm in just 30 seconds using
their smartphone anytime and anywhere. It detects six of the most
common heart arrhythmias – atrial fibrillation, bradycardia,
tachycardia, sinus rhythm with supraventricular ectopy, sinus
rhythm with premature ventricular contractions and sinus rhythm
with wide QRS – in addition to normal heart rhythm. Each
KardiaMobile reading is stored on a user's smartphone, which can
then be shared with their doctor at the press of a button.
"I have always invested in my health and longevity is an
absolute priority to me at this stage of life. Personal heart
monitoring allows me to track my heart rhythm, providing me with
the reassurance I need to live my life to the fullest. With
KardiaMobile I can take a medical grade ECG in 30 seconds using my
smartphone, in the comfort of my own home," said Alun Wyn.
AF can affect adults of any age, but it's more common in older
people, and more men than women are currently diagnosed with the
condition.[ii] Symptoms of AF include heart
palpitations, dizziness, fatigue, and shortness of
breath.[ii] With someone suffering an AF-related stroke
every 15 seconds in the UK, improving AF detection and diagnosis
rates is essential to saving lives.[iii] However,
people may not be aware of the early warning signs of AF or know
how to monitor it effectively.[iv] [v]
Commenting on the partnership, Chris
Shelford, Senior Marketing Director at AliveCor said, "We
are delighted to partner with Alun Wyn
Jones to further our mission to advancing heart health and
reducing the growing burden of cardiovascular diseases. We hope
that through spotlighting Alun Wyn's
powerful story, we can help accelerate the early detection of AF,
and other arrhythmias."
Alun Wyn will be sharing his
story across his social channels and encouraging others to look out
for the signs and symptoms of AF using #LetsTalkRhythm.
To get involved, follow Alun
Wyn's journey on his Instagram channel (alun.wyn.jones).
More information can be found at
www.alivecor.co.uk/letstalkrhythm
Kardia devices are available to order directly from the AliveCor
website, Amazon, Boots, or any official reseller, from £99.
About KardiaMobile®
KardiaMobile® is the first personal ECG to be recommended by
NICE for use within the National Health Service (NHS) in
England and Wales.[vi] KardiaMobile® would be
prescribed by a healthcare professional for people experiencing
arrhythmia (irregular heart rhythm) symptoms more than 24 hours
apart. The instructions for use state that all interpretations of
ECG recordings are reviewed by a healthcare professional and used
to support clinical decision making.
The user starts a 30-second ECG recording on their smartphone
via the Kardia app, by placing two fingers from each hand on each
of the two top electrodes - enabling the patient to remotely
capture a recording of their heart activity. KardiaMobile® provides
instant detection of AF, bradycardia (slow heart rhythm) and
tachycardia (fast heart rhythm) which are leading indicators of
cardiovascular disease.
Once a recording has been taken by KardiaMobile®, the artificial
intelligence algorithm performs an automatic analysis and informs
the patient whether AF, bradycardia, tachycardia or a normal rhythm
is detected. The data collected can be sent directly to a clinician
for further analysis and consultation. This allows patients to take
positive steps to remotely monitor their own heart health as early
diagnosis of AF is essential to avoid the potential consequences of
an AF-related stroke.
About AliveCor
AliveCor, Inc., the leading provider of FDA-cleared personal
electrocardiogram (ECG) technology, is transforming cardiology with
its medical-grade AI solutions. AliveCor is committed to providing
innovative devices and services that empower patients and
physicians with personalized and actionable heart data. With over
250 million ECGs recorded, the company's Kardia devices are the
most clinically validated personal ECGs in the world and can
remotely detect six of the most common heart arrhythmias in just 30
seconds. The company's latest offering, Kardia 12L ECG System,
powered by KAI 12L to detect 35 cardiac conditions (14 arrhythmias
and 21 morphologies), was designed exclusively for use by
healthcare providers. AliveCor's enterprise platform allows
third-party providers to manage their patients' and customers'
heart conditions simply using state-of-the-art tools that provide
easy front-end and back-end integration to AliveCor technologies,
addressing gaps in care and improving the treatment experience for
patients across a range of disease areas. AliveCor is a privately
held company headquartered in Mountain
View, Calif. For more information,
visit alivecor.com and follow us
on LinkedIn, X, Instagram and Facebook.
[i] British Heart Foundation (2023). Heart and
Circulatory Disease Statistics 2023 Published by British Heart
Foundation (BHF). [online] Available at:
https://www.bhf.org.uk/-/media/files/for-professionals/research/heart-statistics/bhf-statistics-compendium-2023.pdf. Last
accessed: June 2024.
[ii] nhs.uk. (2017). Atrial fibrillation.
[online] Available at:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/atrial-fibrillation/. Last accessed:
June 2024.
[iii] www.england.nhs.uk. NHS England —
Midlands» 73 lives saved across East
Midlands thanks to drive to reduce strokes. [online]
Available at:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/midlands/2020/02/20/73-lives-saved-across-east-midlands-thanks-to-drive-to-reduce-strokes/.
Last accessed: June 2024.
[iv] www.nhsinform.scot. Atrial
fibrillation. [online] Available at:
https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/heart-and-blood-vessels/conditions/atrial-fibrillation/.
Last accessed: June 2024.
[v] McCabe, P.J., Barton, D.L. and DeVon, H.A.
(2017). Older Adults at Risk for Atrial Fibrillation Lack Knowledge
and Confidence to Seek Treatment for Signs and
Symptoms. SAGE Open Nursing, 3, p.237796081772032.
https://doi.org/10.1177/2377960817720324. Last accessed:
June 2024.
[vi] www.nice.org.uk. KardiaMobile for detecting
atrial fibrillation. [online] Available at
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/mtg64/chapter/1-Recommendations.
Last accessed: July 2024.
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