E!114299 WATCH-IT: 24/7 smart monitoring of cardio-respiratory function in patients at risk of cardiovascular events

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in almost all areas of the world. Three 'relatively invisible' factors that increase the risk of serious cardiovascular events are: Atrial Fibrillation, sleep apnea and hypertension. These factors cannot be monitored using simple, widely-available and cost-effective tools at the general practitioner or specialist doctors. With the increasing rates of cardiovascular diseases it is timely to make simple and effective monitoring tools available for clinicians. The WATCH-IT project will develop an innovative smartwatch allowing continuous, long-term, cost-efficient and convenient monitoring of cardio-respiratory function. This tool will improve the quality of life of patients suffering from cardiovascular diseases by early detection and enabling timely treatment of their disease. Hereby the impact and fatality of cardiovascular diseases caused by atrial fibrillation, sleep apnea and hypertension will be reduced.

The WATCH-IT project will bring to market an innovative comprehensive solution enabling 24/7 monitoring of cardio-respiratory function in patients at risk of CV events. To achieve this the consortium will develop and clinically validate a comprehensive care solution (‘WATCH-IT’). The solution consists of a smartwatch with dedicated software to continuously record the pulse wave, blood pressure (BP) changes, respiration rate and activity level, validated algorithms to detect Atrial Fibrillation, sleep apnea and hypertension, and telecare verification support. Atrial Fibrillation, sleep apnea and hypertension increase a patient’s risk for serious CV events, the leading causes of death (3.9M/year) and healthcare costs (€111B/year) in Europe. For these conditions effective treatment is available to reduce risk of CV events. Yet, as these conditions come without clear symptoms, most patients remain undiagnosed, untreated and preventable CV deaths are not avoided. Early detection will result in effective prevention through timely treatment, thereby reducing CV burden. Yet, current monitoring technologies are suboptimal, inconvenient, often hospital-bound and costly. The WATCH-IT project will bring an innovative comprehensive solution to allow continuous, long-term, cost-efficient and convenient monitoring of cardio-respiratory function.