Every little helps: Supermarket trolley sensors could ‘save lives’

New research has found that supermarket trolleys with specially fitted sensors can help detect a hidden heart-rhythm condition that can increase people’s risk of a stroke.

Grabbed without hesitation or a second thought to do your weekly food shop every week, supermarket trolleys have previously been nothing to shout about. However, researchers say the carts could now be used to save lives by helping identify people at risk of a stroke through their handles.

Experts, who are based in Liverpool, revealed results last week from a study that included 2,155 participants at Sainsbury’s stores. During the three months of the study, 39 people were newly identified as having atrial fibrillation (AF) – a condition that causes an irregular heart rate – and were referred to a doctor for advice.

According to recent research AF is thought to affect more than a million people in the UK and 40 million globally. Anti-clotting medication for the blood may be recommended to lower the risk of possible complications, such as a stroke.

As part of the experiment, participants were instructed to hold the trolley handle, which had an electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor installed – for at least 60 seconds. If the sensors picked up signs of AF, a red cross flashed up on the cart’s handle, while a green tick showed if no signs were detected.

The results, which were presented at Acnap 2023 on Friday, a European Society of Cardiology conference, found when ECG data for 220 participants who consented to have their data analysed and were flagged as possibly having AF were considered by a cardiologist, 59 participants were diagnosed as having the condition, of which 39 had no idea that were previously affected.

Professor Ian Jones of Liverpool John Moores University and author of the study claimed the research was promising in that it is making people aware of a potentially life-threatening condition, but he challenged the idea that some communities were hard to reach.

Professor Jones said: ‘My response is they’re not hard to reach; we’re just difficult to access. By adopting this kind of approach [to health screening], we’ve become more accessible, and therefore we’re much more likely to identify healthcare problems.’

However, the team behind the research stated that further work needs to be done to improve the accuracy of the approach, noting that 20% of the 220 ECGs were unclear, due to hand movements complicating readings.

Following this, while the method correctly identified between 70% and 93% of the time those with AF, it was less accurate at spotting those without the condition.

Image: Markus Spiske