SAN FRANCISCO, June 21, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- iRhythm Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:IRTC), a leading digital health care solutions company focused on the advancement of cardiac care, announced that an expert consensus statement by 10 professional organizations has recognized extended continuous patch monitors, such as Zio by iRhythm, to be an effective tool for atrial fibrillation (AF) monitoring following a cardiac ablation procedure.
The statement, presented at the Heart Rhythm Society’s 38th Annual Scientific Sessions with the goal of providing recommendations for the care of patients with AF, was jointly developed by the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS), European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA), European Cardiac Arrhythmia Society (ECAS), Asia Pacific Heart Rhythm Society (APHRS), and Sociedad Latinoamericana de Estimulación Cardíaca y Electrofisiología (SOLAECE), among others.
Cardiac ablation has become a regularly administered procedure and effective treatment option for controlling symptomatic AF in patients, which works by destroying the heart tissue that has triggered an abnormal heart rhythm. In addition to treating symptomatic AF, the new guidelines recommend ablation of asymptomatic paroxysmal AF patients, as well.
Electrocardiographic monitoring post-ablation is recommended at a minimum of three months post procedure and annually thereafter. The proportion of asymptomatic compared with symptomatic events may be higher after AF ablation. Therefore, monitoring post-ablation can also be of value in asymptomatic patients and can influence decision making regarding anticoagulation therapy. The guideline classifies extended continuous patch monitors, such as Zio by iRhythm, as a unique category of cardiac monitoring devices to be used in post-ablation monitoring, noting that they can provide continuous data for up to several weeks and show improved patient compliance without lead wires.
Zio by iRhythm is proven to deliver 57% higher diagnostic yield than the former clinical standard Holter monitors. The Zio monitor achieves high patient compliance for clinically actionable results from a single testing period by combining leading biosensor technology for long-term uninterrupted recording with an easy-to-wear patch form factor.
This consensus statement confirms how essential it is to monitor symptomatic and asymptomatic patients post-ablation, as recurrences following a procedure are predictive of later recurrence of AF, said Andre Gauri, Chief of Cardiac Electrophysiology at Spectrum Health. Extended continuous monitoring, enabled by patch monitors like Zio by iRhythm, helps accurately assess true AF burden, leading to a more accurate and actionable evaluation post-ablation.
The Atrial Fibrillation Consensus Statement further establishes the Zio system by iRhythm as an efficient tool for accurately assessing AF burden in patients who have had an ablation procedure, helping to quickly identify and rule-out arrhythmias to determine next steps for care, said Judy Lenane, RN, MHA, Executive Vice President of Operations and Chief Clinical Officer of iRhythm. The leadless Zio monitor can comfortably be worn while sleeping, showering, and exercising, leading to increased uptake and compliance among patients for superior monitoring results, as noted in the consensus statement.
A 2014 study1 demonstrated that extended continuous monitoring with the Zio system has been particularly effective in detecting asymptomatic atrial fibrillation episodes. In addition, other recent statements such as The American College of Cardiology (ACC) guideline on Syncope and the ISHNE/HRS Consensus Statement on external ambulatory monitors have corroborated the Zio system’s efficacy in accurately assessing arrhythmia burden, and its ability to act as a first-line monitor.
1Eisenberg EE, Carlson, SK, Doshi RN, Shinbane JS, Change, PM, and Saxon LA. Chronic
Ambulatory Monitoring: Results of a Large Single-Center Experience. The Journal of Innovations
in Cardiac Rhythm Management. (5) 2014: 1818-1823.
About iRhythm Technologies, Inc.
iRhythm is a leading digital health care company redefining the way cardiac arrhythmias are clinically diagnosed. The company combines wearable biosensor devices worn for up to 14 days and cloud-based data analytics with powerful proprietary algorithms that distill data from millions of heartbeats into clinically actionable information. The company believes improvements in arrhythmia detection and characterization have the potential to change clinical management of patients.
Investor Relations Contact Lynn Pieper Lewis or Leigh Salvo (415) 937-5404 investors@irhythmtech.com Media Contact Aaron Murphy (415) 229-3331 media@irhythmtech.com