The History and Impact of the American Heart Association (AHA)

Sanjiv M Narayan, an MD and PhD holder, is an experienced physician and cardiologist. Since 2014, he has worked at Stanford University, California, as a professor of medicine. Sanjiv Narayan is a member of the Heart Rhythm Society and a fellow of the American Heart Association (AHA).

The American Heart Association was formed in 1924 through a collaboration of physicians and social workers seeking to improve heart disease prevention, treatment, and possibly cure. The need for this arose due to the high death rate caused by heart disease and the limited knowledge of its treatment. The organization began as a professional, scientific society with the contributions of several scientists and physicians. In 1925, it kicked off its annual scientific sessions, where various professionals converged to learn about the latest developments in the field.

Later in 1948, the AHA transformed into a voluntary health organization. Since then, the organization has comprised volunteers and professional staff and has expanded nationally and internationally. The American Heart Association has maintained its core mission of fighting heart disease and stroke in the country. So far, the body has provided quality care for over 19 million individuals with high blood pressure. It trains up to 22 million people in CPR every year, and in the past 74 years, it has invested up to $5 billion in research funding.

Genetics and Age Two Major Factors in Developing Atrial Fibrillation

California cardiologist Sanjiv M. Narayan, MD, PhD, serves as Stanford University professor of medicine and guides the Atrial Fibrillation Program. Having served as co-director of electrophysiology with the University of California, San Diego and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in San Diego, Sanjiv M. Narayan, MD, has contributed to novel therapy for many arrhythmias.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) involves irregular heartbeat and is one of the most prevalent cardiac arrhythmias tied to malfunction of the heart’s electrical system. Unfortunately, today’s risk prediction tools may not reflect the most recent research on AF rates and risk factors. From 2006 to 2010, data of participants 40 to 69 years old was collected by the UK Biobank. Of the study’s subjects, 348,904 were free from AF and were followed up at milestones such as first AF occurrence, death, the end of ten-year follow-up, or March 31, 2021.

Key takeaways were that heart failure or myocardial infarction history was the greatest risk factor for participants across the entire age range of patients. Diabetes mellitus and alcohol consumption were the next two on the list. In general, men with a high risk factor burden had the greatest 10-year risk, with age the critical factor. In addition, it was found that genetic predisposition has a pivotal role in defining AF risk, particularly among those who developed it at an early age. This suggests an avenue for further research, looking at men with genetic factors that may make them susceptible to the condition.

Medical Wearables Poised for Greater Practicality and Adoption

Sanjiv M. Narayan, MD, PhD, is a cardiologist and professor at Stanford University who is responsible for the bioengineering of new arrhythmia medicine technologies. He also served the University of California, San Diego and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in San Diego as co-director of electrophysiology. Among the areas in which Dr. Sanjiv M. Narayan has a sustained interest is wearable medical technologies.

In a March 2023 interview, Thrive Wearables CEO Will Berriss described his team’s approach to device creation, which draws on a background in electrophysiology sensors and applications at the University of Sussex. He describes a consumerization of medical devices, from those used in physician offices to those worn by patients and monitored remotely. While wearables are still manufactured to strict standards and medical device certified, they often do not perform critical tasks, but rather enable health monitoring and the support of virtual wards.

As Berriss views it, accessibility is a hallmark of this approach, as is multi functionality: the Apple Watch is both a consumer electronics device and a medical device capable of measuring the body’s ECG signals. Thus far, not much standardization across devices has been implemented, and this is preventing even greater consumer adoption. When true standards exist, personalized treatment through tailored apps will become even more fine tuned and responsive. For example, massive troves of data from Medicare or Medicaid could be shared, intelligently processed, and used to treat a tumor in a patient in ways that reflect best practices among others with similar conditions and physiologies.

AI Drives Innovation in the Health Care Sector

Leading the Stanford University Atrial Fibrillation Program as director, Sanjiv M. Narayan, MD, PhD, is a longtime cardiologist who has also guided the electrophysiology program at the University of California, San Diego, and the electrophysiology and arrhythmia service with the Veteran Affairs Medical Center in San Diego. One of Dr. Sanjiv Narayan’s primary interests is the intersection of digital health and artificial intelligence (AI).

One primary use of AI systems within medical practices is in automating the classification and diagnosis of disease, such that clinicians have more time to focus on primary care. Through accessing large data sets spanning personal history and the health parameters of those with similar conditions, AI detects patterns that would otherwise not be noticed. This helps diagnose current conditions, as well as anticipate potential issues before they arise.

At the same time, AI-guided equipment, from insulin pumps to pacemakers, apply data generated in real time to provide practical insight on existing conditions. As out of the ordinary readings appear (often in home settings through wearable technologies) alerts are generated that inform care providers and enable the delivery of timely treatment.

Naturally, with data-dependent AI systems in place, the need for effective data privacy around wearable devices, genetic testing, and medical records is ever more critical. To this end, strict protocols have been developed, with data sets siloed and shared as appropriate, that help ensure that sensitive health data is not accessed and misused by unauthorized parties.

Researchers Study Aspects of Heart Health Using Apple Watch

A Stanford University professor and cardiologist, Sanjiv M. Narayan, MD, PhD, delivers bioengineering advancements spanning arrhythmia medicine and the digital health sphere. He has also served as a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Diego, and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in San Diego’s co-director of electrophysiology. Having driven atrial fibrillation (AF) mapping innovation, Dr. Sanjiv Narayan follows developments in the uses of technology in monitoring health.

One ongoing research project at Australia’s Murdoch Children’s Research Institute involves monitoring the sensitivity of the Apple Watch ECG app with a group of 40 children and adolescent patients. The aim is to find ways in which patients can maintain access to ECGs wherever they travel, and receive responsive interventions in cases of cardiac toxicity.

Another Apple-sponsored program is led by Texas A&M University and Stanford Medicine researchers, and involves providing 200 firefighters with Apple Watches that enable wildfire smoke’s impact on cardiac health to be assessed in the field. The watch app monitors aspects of health such as sleep, activity, and blood oxygen levels, as well as heart rate and rhythm. Participating firefighters are also being equipped with wearable air quality monitors, while taking surveys on health issues that arise. The end result will be a fuller understanding of how inhaling smoke and other fumes while performing strenuous physical work affects heart health.

Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation by Identifying Sources

Sanjiv M. Narayan, Ph.D. is a professor of medicine at Stanford University. He was a director of electrophysiology at Veterans Affairs Medical Center in San Diego and a medicine professor at the University of California San Diego. As a cardiologist, Sanjiv Narayan, MD has significantly contributed by researching sources for atrial fibrillation using techniques like AF mapping.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common heart problem characterized by heart palpitations, shortness of breath, and dizziness and can cause serious health issues if left untreated. One approach to treating AF is identifying the sources of the arrhythmia (irregular heartbeats) using Focal Impulse and Rotor Mapping (FIRM) technique.

In this technique, doctors use a specialized catheter (A 64-electrode basket catheter) to detect focal impulses and rotors in the heart. Once they have identified these sources, they can use the catheter to disrupt the abnormal electrical pathways and restore normal sinus rhythm, a procedure called catheter ablation.

Doctors have compared FIRM-guided ablation to a more common treatment called pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) for people with persistent atrial fibrillation (AF). Results have shown that FIRM-guided ablation can change how the heart’s electrical signals look and move (i.e., the heart’s waveform morphology and activation patterns).

By targeting patient-specific AF driver regions (in the atria) during ablation, doctors can use this technique to improve the success rate of AF ablation procedures and reduce the need for repeat procedures. FIRM-guided ablation can also lower the risk of stroke and other medical conditions by reducing the recurrence of AF.