Heart monitors for cellphones have definitely
been around, but a new option is about to surface for AT&T customers. The service, which will be offered up starting April 21st by MedNet Healthcare Technologies, will somehow let patients monitor their own heartbeats and automatically send that information to their cardiologists using Bluetooth-enabled phones. Reportedly, the information will be sent out to a central monitoring center, which then transfers the data to the doctor. As expected, there will be a monthly fee for the service (exact pricing has yet to be disclosed), and doctors must also be signed on to receive the information. Sounds good and all, but seriously, good luck getting your
M.D. to be attentive to your every data dump.
[Via
textually]
posted Mar 28th 2009 11:52PM
baby mama.
I don't understand why people just don't change their eating habits and then most modern first world illnesses such as heart disease will no longer be a problem for 90% of people.
I don't need to monitor my heart-rate, in fact I can guarantee you that I will never get heart disease as my cholesterol is 130, and there is no recorded cases of heart disease with people under 150. Something for you obese Americans to think about the next time you order a BigMac.
Most work is sedentary.
Most people don't have time to cook.
Most ready-made, microwavable, pre-cooked, and fast food is unhealthy
Most people want to save money
Eating healthy is more expensive, and more time consuming
@GV
check your stats. they are grossly wrong.
you dont seem to have a clue about cardiac arrhythmias, do you? and people with rheumatic heart disease reading that are probably laughing at your stupidity as well.
@babbaganush & Eddy Alvarez . If you re-read my first comment you may realize that I didn't say a vegan diet will 100% cure all forms of heart disease, most yes but a low percentage of cases will be hereditary and other exceptions such as rheumatic heart disease and birth defects etc.
BTW Eddy, which stats were you referring to and I will back my statements with professional evidence?
"A low-fat plant-based diet would not only lower
the heart attack rate about 85 percent,
but would lower the cancer rate 60 percent."
WILLIAM CASTELLI, M.D.
Director, Framingham Health Study;
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Oh no, a pretentious stuck-up vegan, ugh! ; )
More like GoAway
Meat is delicious. So are eggs, milk and pudding. I'll change my eating habits when health food tastes good.
Asshole
You're still gonna die, and I would have enjoyed my food more.
First of all, perhaps you didn't notice that the person in the picture was holding a baby. The monitor would be very handy for babies with congenital heart defects or silent arrhythmias. The latter of which can account for a small percentage of "crib" deaths annually, because it is undiagnosed.
This instrument will be very handy because it will decrease the man-power needed to have the baby monitored on a 24-hour basis in the hospital when there are no events occurring.
And by the way Vegan, although most adult heart problems could be decreased by a reduction in the intake of animal proteins/fat, it is not unknown that Vegans suffer from heart disease for other reasons -- Vitamin B12 deficiency. Not to mention the neurological complications that can also produce severe and debilitating illness. Additionally, the Vegan lifestyle is not exempt from other disease processes which can indirectly relate to heart disease -- DIABETES. It is well known that in order to compensate for the decrease in fat intake, many Vegetarians need to supplement their caloric intake with carbohydrates. Many choose processed foods to supplement their needs while I would presume that you engage in rice/potatoes and pasta to supplement this need. What occurs is an increased release of insulin that will eventually lead to Type II Diabetes in some patients. As proof, I have two Vegans who are now insulin dependent diabetics on account of their rather large intake in carbohydrates during this phase of their lives. As you probably know, the intake of carbohydrates without protein or fat leads to a larger insulin release, increased cortisol production and eventual insulin resistance. As you well know also, this latter problem can lead indirectly to heart disease.
It is my contention that a well balanced diet - even if it is Vegan- is the answer to the problem. Your simplistic response to the heart rate monitor posting is in every sense noncontributory to either sound advice on nutrition and heart disease or to the benefits that can be found with a heart rate monitor.
LDD.
You are going on a techblog to advertise veganism.
You are in the wrong place.
Try some place else with better luck, like People Magazine or Lifetime Movie Network.
GoVegan, 8 out of 10 of your most recent posts have a reference to health or animals, some of which are in articles that have nothing to do with either.
Why aren't you yet banned?
I don't have problems with vegans or vegetarians, but with vegans and vegetarians who don't shut up.
shut the hell up. i'm American, and 6'2" 145 pounds, so don't make statements like that. also, i plan on eating twice as much meat as usual for the next month because you're such a prick.
Yes because the cardiologist just can't have a life, can he? He has to keep track of each heartbeat of his 100 patients all day.
Another gimmick that will be used to sue us.
If healthy food tasted half as good as the unhealthy food I would be in the olympics.
If healthy food tasted half as good as the unhealthy food I would be in the olympics.
Sounds very much like these guys:
http://www.lifewatch.com/siteFiles/1/282/5005.asp
They are on Verizon and try to get their patients through the day with HUGE custom battery packs on Windows phones. Constant EV-DO and Bluetooth activity is very demanding and it is difficult to go longer than 15 hours without a recharge. I wonder how MedNet does cope with the most power hungry cell phone app imaginable...
My sister used lifewatch for a month. The phone didn't seem any bulkier battery wise.
Now your doc can text you live when he sees a problem: OMG UR having
Forgot engadget hates the carrot symbol. HRT ATTCK!
Interesting...this photo is in Brazil! ;oD
Yeah... =]
As a future physician, I am sorry, but I would have to give a HUGE "Fuck No!" to any patient who would ask me to sign up to this service. The last thing any physician needs is another way for people to "monitor" their health so that they can text a crap load of data to you every time their cellphone says they had an arrhythmia.
I wonder what type of person would be willing to do this.
1. Heart rhythm problems are separate to coronary artery disease, but there are links. Ultra-fit people seem prone to certain rhythm problems such as atrial fibrillation so do people with coronary disease.
2. Us cardiologists are already using such services. It has the capacity to be much better for cardiologists and patients. We already implant monitors which wirelessly communicate with central management servers and the relevant rhythm problems are passed to us so we can take action.
3. Cholesterol is not the only reason people get coronary disease.
4. This is potentially a step forward if its set up properly. Looking forward to seeing it in the UK.
Beats a trip to Johns Hopkins Hospital: http://adventuresincardiology.com/
THIS is the use of technology I envisioned years ago. Not chatting with friends and social sites. Wiring in monitors to everyone that will alert emergency services depending upon the status. Be able to find/locate lost children and such, too. This will be helpful, not fun.
This is a terrible idea. What doctor would want to be able to access a patient's help? When the buzzer goes off at 4 am that something is wrong, they're going to have to get out and do something or else risk a lawsuit.
Hah, I think that was covered years ago, since not a single doctor in the US does house-calls any more AFAIK and none of them ever get into trouble because of it.
Since it's AT&T a copy of the results will reach the NSA first, so you can have the warm feeling the government is watching over your health, sorta.
is that a nokia E71????
yes it is
I think that it's a really good idea for patients who are undergoing cardiac monitoring. I knew a girl who had to perform data-dumps using a land-line so for the cell service to offer this option, it's great.
Can we develop an 'early warning system' by which it can be determined with a good probability that under a certain set of circumstances, a user of this technology could be informed they need to visit the hospital NOW?
1. This technology already exists and has a CPT code. It would actually save the health care system a lot of money for people to have the ability to transmit their heart rhythm like this, however:
a. heart rate is not the useful unless we can see heart rhythm too
b. you have to wear EKG electrodes to transmit your EKG strips or heart rhythm strips
c. doctors, like myself, that specialize in heart rhythms and went through 12 years of post college training and owe almost $200,000 in medical school debt are unlikely to agree to read such studies for free
This technology would be useful for people that have heart rhythm disorders that manifest less than once every few months. Current event monitors are pretty cheap, probably less than the software to run this over a cell phone service.
There would a be a small niche for this.
GoVegan is correct that their individual risk for heart disease is low but they are referring to coronary disease. This is about arrhythmia's. Very different topics. I would caution that I have met many patients with "no coronary risk factors" that had heart attacks or coronary disease. I agree that risk reduction is essential, but we can all be humbled by the things we can't control and heart disease is one of them. We can't live for ever.
I agree with Andrew that this could open physicians up for law suits --- we need to fix the legal system.
Wwhat: there are physicians that do house calls. I learned a lot by doing house calls in residency. However, I do love my family and am not sure how I would fit house calls in my daily life. We can only work so many hours.
1. This technology already exists and has a CPT code. It would
actually save the health care system a lot of money for people to
have the ability to transmit their heart rhythm like this, however:
a. heart rate is not the useful unless we can see heart rhythm too
b. you have to wear EKG electrodes to transmit your EKG strips or
heart rhythm strips
c. doctors, like myself, that specialize in heart rhythms and went
through 12 years of post college training and owe almost $200,000 in
medical school debt are unlikely to agree to read such studies for
free especially if it potentially carries legal risks.
This technology would be useful for people that have heart rhythm
disorders that manifest less than once every few months. Current
event monitors are pretty cheap, probably less than the software to
run this over a cell phone service.
There would a be a small niche for this in clinical practice but is more than likely to be used by people with anxiety disorders and perceived arrhythmia's.
GoVegan is correct that their individual risk for heart disease is
low but they are referring to coronary disease. This is about
arrhythmia's. Very different topics. I would caution that I have
met many patients with "no coronary risk factors" that had heart
attacks or coronary disease. I agree that risk reduction is
essential, but we can all be humbled by the things we can't control
and heart disease is one of them. We can't live for ever.
I agree with Andrew that this could open physicians up for law suits
--- we need to fix the legal system.
Wwhat: there are physicians that do house calls. I learned a lot by
doing house calls in residency. However, I do love my family and am
not sure how I would fit house calls in my daily life. We can only
work so many hours.
Mr. walters. that is a sad story but has nothing to do with this thread. I hope you find some peace.