Its use is well established in cardiology practice. It is capable of storing ECG data automatically in response to any significant change in heart rhythm, or in response to patient activation when symptoms are experienced. This heart monitor (also known as an implantable loop recorder) is a subcutaneous, single-lead, electrocardiographic (ECG) monitoring device used to diagnose heart rhythm abnormalities. 'Early diagnosis and treatment to reduce the risk of complications is therefore essential and crucial for a positive outcome,' she added. 'We know that cardiac involvement in Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) is associated with a very poor prognosis, accounting for between 14 and 55% of deaths among patients with SSc,', said Dr Lesley-Anne Bissell of the Musculoskeletal Biomedical Research Unit, University of Leeds, United Kingdom. Cardiac involvement is thought to be common in patients with SSc, although there are often no symptoms or signs.

Damage to the heart as a direct consequence of SSc may involve the conduction system that controls the heartbeat, the heart muscle, heart valves and/or the external lining of the heart. SSc is an autoimmune rheumatic disease affecting multiple organs, including the heart. The findings support the need to identify SSc patients at risk of heart problems that would benefit from this implanted recorder. London, United Kingdom, June 9, 2016: The results of a study presented today at the European League Against Rheumatism Annual Congress (EULAR 2016) showed that use of an easy to insert heart monitor in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) and no known heart disease enables early detection and treatment of potentially fatal cardiac arrhythmias.

Heart monitor implant