James Ip, a cardiologist at Weill Cornell Medical College and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, detailed the strange story in the New England Journal of Medicine over the weekend. The man’s bedside alerted him that his heartbeat had become abnormally slow, prompting him to go to the emergency room, where he was diagnosed with life-threatening complete heart block. Thankfully, doctors successfully treated his condition with the help of a pacemaker.
“These direct-to-consumer devices have ushered in a new era of therapy, when patients are now empowered to help diagnose their own arrhythmias,” Ip told Gizmodo in an email.
life support bed
According to reports, the man visited the ER for a few hours due to a slow heart rate, also known as bradycardia, and shortness of breath. The normal range of a resting heartbeat is around 60 to 100 beats per minute, while severe bradycardia starts below 40 beats per minute.
Earlier that day, the man’s bedside had alerted him that the previous night his average heart rate (42 beats per minute) was much slower than normal (78 beats per minute). The man confirmed bedside heart rate readings from a smartwatch and a home blood pressure machine. When he became short of breath, he called his doctor and explained his symptoms, who told him to seek emergency care immediately.
Upon arriving there, doctors once again confirmed his bradycardia, and an electrocardiogram (ECG) test revealed that his heart was completely blocked. This condition, also known as third-degree heart block, occurs when electrical signals from the heart’s upper chambers (atria) are completely blocked from reaching the lower chambers (ventricles). This blockage causes both parts of the heart to beat independently of each other, resulting in a slow heart rate. If left untreated, this bradycardia can lead to fatal cardiac arrest or heart failure.
Fortunately, the man sought medical care in time. He was fitted with a dual-chambered leadless pacemaker, a standard treatment for complete heart block, after which his symptoms disappeared.
future of heart monitoring
The smart bed detected the man’s bradycardia through ballistocardiography (BCG), which uses subtle body movements to estimate heart rate. In this case, it was definitely right to be concerned about the man’s heart in bed.
“Although asymptomatic bradycardia during sleep is common, the sudden occurrence of unexpected, symptomatic bradycardia requires evaluation, especially with confirmatory electrocardiography,” the IP wrote in its report.
BCG monitoring is a feature that is increasingly being added to consumer products such as bedding and wearables. And while you shouldn’t generally rely on your bed or wearables alone to diagnose any medical problem, this type of technology can act as an early warning sign to bring you to your doctor.
“Increased awareness of these devices may help patients and physicians manage cardiac arrhythmias based on wearable-guided medical care,” Ip said.
Boy, if I were that guy, I would never throw away that bed.
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