Web cam test for heart trouble could save thousands
A SIMPLE test could save the lives of thousands of heart victims every year.
It was devised by scientists who were able to use it to diagnose an irregular heartbeat – atrial fibrillation – using a web camera.
The device scans the face and detects changes in skin colour caused by uneven blood flow which are imperceptible to the naked eye.
The study found skin colour changes corresponded with heart rate detected on an ECG
It was developed by the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry in the US, and Xerox. Published online in the journal Heart Rhythm, the study found skin colour changes corresponded with heart rate detected on an ECG.
More than a million Britons suffer from the condition – up 20 per cent in five years.
It triples the risk of heart failure and causes 22,500 strokes a year.