PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A researcher from Liverpool, England has been looking at ways to effectively screen the public for heart disease and it looks promising as a tool for identifying a major health concern.
The researcher took standard shopping carts — called trollies in the U.K. — and put sensors in the handles that could detect atrial fibrillation (AF), a potentially deadly irregular heart rhythm that can be treated.
About 2,000 volunteer shoppers used the carts and 39 were found to have AF. These people were offered potentially lifesaving treatment.
As technology improves, there may be opportunities to help screen those who wish to take advantage of tools like this.
