Smart toilets ‘as effective as NHS scan’ spots HEART problems before symptoms strike – and they already on sale

FORGET smartwatches and rings – smart toilets that spot heart issues before symptoms appear could be as effective as NHS scans, scientists claim. These high-tech loo seats conduct a rapid scan of your heart rate, blood pressure, blood oxygen levels and the organ’s electrical activity – simply while you go about your daily business. Smart toilets could help spot heart issues before symptoms even appear Credit: Casana Care It’s been suggested one type works as well as an ECG to spot heart issues Credit: Getty Scientists claim the toilets could be as effective as electrocardiograms (ECG) – a test used by the NHS to record the electrical activity of the heart when conditions like coronary heart disease or arrhythmia are suspected. And they’re already on sale. Sign up for the Health newsletter Thank you! German company Hamberger Medical developed its smart loo seat with the hopes it can spot atrial fibrillation – a common type of abnormal heart rhythm that affects around 1.4 million people in the UK. It causes the heart to beat irregularly or abnormally fast, which over time can increase the risk of stroke or heart failure. Read more on heart health Many people with the condition won’t have symptoms. Or if they do, signs can be subtle and include feeling tired, breathless or dizzy and noticing pain or heart palpitations. As a result, atrial fibrillation is often not spotted until it’s too late. Diagnosing the condition can also be challenging, with patients undergoing several scans or needing to wear a cumbersome device called a Holter monitor. Most read in Health Hamberger Medical said it hoped to “save lives” with its reinvention of the “humble toilet seat”. When someone sits down, the seat records the heart’s electrical activity for 30 seconds, before sending the results to a smartphone app that can transmit them to a doctor. Hamberger Medical’s smart toilet seat records the heart’s electrical activity for 30 seconds Credit: Hamberger Medical Atrial fibrillation explained YOUR heart is controlled by a conduction system, which sends out electrical signals. This is what causes a heartbeat. Atrial fibrillation is a type of arrhythmia – a problem with the conduction system that can make your heart beat too slowly, too quickly or in an irregular way. Atrial fibrillation happens when the electrical signals in the top chambers (atria) of your heart do not get sent out properly. They should be steady and regular, but instead they quiver or twitch (fibrillation). This causes your heart to beat randomly, which means it does not pump blood as well as it should. Atrial fibrillation is not life-threatening itself, but it can create blood clots in the heart that may cause a stroke. Many people won’t experience any symptoms at all, but some have palpitations, chest pain, tiredness, shortness of breath and dizziness. The cause is not always known, but the most common is damage to the heart. This can be caused by things like high blood pressure, heart valve disease, coronary heart disease, obesity, stress and diabetes. It is also associated with other medical conditions, including asthma, COPD, lung cancer and carbon monoxide poisoning. But not everyone with atrial fibrillation is unwell, and it can sometimes affect people who are physically very fit, such as athletes. Treatment may include medication, ablation, cardioversion and having a pacemaker fitted. Source: British Heart Foundation Hamberger Medical said a recent clinical trial comparing the loo seat ECG with a conventional hospital ECG – where electrodes are attached to the chest – showed it was equally effective at detecting heart rhythm abnormalities. But the findings have not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal. The company said the seat and accompanying app were also easy to use – with the oldest participants in their usability study being 91 years old. The battery-powered seat costs just over £1,000 and is currently available only in Germany. Dr Klaus Witte, a consultant cardiologist at the Leeds Institute of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine, told the Daily Mail that the smart toilet seat was an “interesting concept”. “An abnormal heart rhythm is one risk factor for stroke and atrial fibrillation is the most common type. “But it’s often not found until it’s too late.’ Dr Witte said some smartwatches already use similar technology, but it’s harder for these devices to maintain consistent contact with the skin – possibly making readings less reliable. “For those people for whom a watch isn’t acceptable but who nevertheless want a reliable ECG, a smart loo seat could be a reasonable alternative,” he said. Hamberger Medical’s product isn’t the only high tech toilet seat on the market. New York-based health tech firm Casana rolled out its $199 ‘Smart Seat’ this week. Designed to replace your toilet seat, it tracks your heart rate, blood pressure and blood oxygen levels every time you sit down. The company stresses that the seat is a “wellness device”. “It helps you notice when something’s worth a conversation with your doctor,” it noted. “It doesn’t diagnose or replace a doctor.” Other tech companies have developed small gadgets you can clip onto your toilet bowl to lift the lid on your health. Other gadgets out there include a clip-on device by Throne Science Credit: Throne Science It monitors your wee and poo for signs of disease Credit: Throne Science Texas-based Throne Science developed a camera that analyses the colour and consistency of your poo, looking for signs of blood. It also scans the colour and concentration of your pee, with a built in microphone analysing your stream to give clues about prostate issues in men. A weaker or inconsistent stream could be a sign of an enlarged prostate or even cancer. The device costs $400 in the US but is not yet available in the UK. Dr James Kinross, a colorectal surgeon at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and spokesman for the charity Bowel Research UK, told the Daily Mail smart loos may be useful in future for screening for diseases such as bowel cancer. They may also be useful in tracking how patients respond to treatments such as dietary changes, he says – and be more reliable than going off patients’ recollections. Comment now