La Princesa Hospital, in collaboration with three health centres in Madrid, has launched the DESCAFIB project, which employs artificial intelligence and smartwatches to detect the risk of atrial fibrillation early in people over 65 years old.
The University Hospital of La Princesa, a public centre in the Community of Madrid, has initiated a pioneering study that combines artificial intelligence and wearable technology to anticipate one of the most common and dangerous arrhythmias: atrial fibrillation. The project, called DESCAFIB (Detection of Early SubClinical Atrial FIBrillation), aims to identify individuals who, unknowingly, have a high risk of developing this condition, which can lead to strokes.
Driven by Dr. L. Jesús Jiménez Borreguero, a cardiologist, and Dr. Guillermo Ortega, a physicist, the study is funded by the Carlos III Health Institute (ISCIII) through competitive funds. It actively involves the health centres of Las Águilas, Montesa, and Goya, which are part of the Primary Care Management of the Community of Madrid, responsible for recruiting volunteers.
Atrial fibrillation is an arrhythmia that significantly increases the risk of cardioembolic stroke. It often occurs silently, without obvious symptoms, delaying diagnosis and the initiation of preventive treatments. The approach of the DESCAFIB project aims to get ahead of that moment by assessing the risk before the arrhythmia manifests.
The study, which is already underway, plans to recruit 1,200 volunteers over 65 years old with no known history of atrial fibrillation. Participants come from the three mentioned health centres and the hospital's own consultations. All undergo an initial conventional electrocardiogram and a follow-up one after a year.
The key to the project lies in the analysis of these electrocardiograms using artificial intelligence. The algorithm developed by the researchers can estimate the individual risk of developing atrial fibrillation in the future. Based on this analysis, individuals with the highest estimated risk—around 120, or 10% of the total—will be selected for closer and continuous monitoring using a smartwatch.
This device allows for constant monitoring of the patient's heart rate during daily life, detecting possible episodes of atrial fibrillation even if they do not produce symptoms. The remaining participants, with a lower estimated risk, will continue with standard follow-up and will be re-evaluated in a year with a new electrocardiogram.
So far, the study has recruited 340 volunteers, of whom 32 have been identified as high risk and are already wearing a smartwatch for continuous monitoring. “Until now, doctors diagnosed atrial fibrillation when it was already established and we managed to record it in an electrocardiogram. Our goal is to take a step back: to see if we can identify who is at greater risk of developing it and to follow those individuals continuously with a tool as simple as a smartwatch that they wear every day,” explains Dr. Jiménez Borreguero.
The DESCAFIB project represents a step towards personalised medicine. The idea is that, in the future, a test as simple and accessible as an electrocardiogram could be used to tailor follow-up to each person's individual risk. Those at high risk would benefit from closer monitoring, while those at low risk would avoid unnecessary tests.
Early detection of silent arrhythmias would allow for the earlier implementation of necessary medical measures, such as anticoagulants, to reduce associated complications, especially cardioembolic strokes. The project combines cardiology, physics, artificial intelligence, and data analysis with a clear goal: to anticipate disease.
For residents of the Community of Madrid, this study represents an opportunity to participate in cutting-edge research that could change the way cardiovascular diseases are prevented. The health centres of Las Águilas, Montesa, and Goya continue to recruit volunteers over 65 years old with no known atrial fibrillation. Those interested can inquire at their primary care centre.
The hospital expects to complete the recruitment of 1,200 participants in the coming months, and the first results from the smartwatch follow-up could be known throughout the next year. If the study confirms the effectiveness of the predictive model, it could be extended to other health centres in the region and the country.
You may also like
