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LifeWatch Corp. (LWC) Auto-Trigger Cardiac Monitors Provide Highest Diagnostic Yield for Detecting Asymptomatic Arrhythmias

Buffalo Grove, IL - May 5, 2005 – An important study published in the May 1st edition of the American Journal of Cardiology concludes that 30-day auto-trigger monitoring (LifeStar AF monitors) provides better arrhythmia detection than Holter and standard looping monitors.

Led by Dr. James A. Reiffel (Columbia University, New York, NY), researchers examined the records of 1,800 patients randomly selected from the LWC 2003 database. Of these patients, 600 each were monitored on three different methods of ambulatory cardiac monitoring, including Holter, Looping Memory and auto-trigger Looping Memory. Holter monitors are worn for 24 or 48 hours and record every heart beat over that span. Standard Looping-Memory monitors are worn for up to 30 days and are manually activated by the patient to record ECG information both immediately before and after a symptom is detected. The Auto-Trigger Looping-Memory monitors (LifeStar AF monitors), also worn for up to 30 days, can self-activate in the event of irregularities not detected by the patient (auto-trigger devices can be manually activated as well). "We determined that the auto-trigger devices produced twice the diagnostic yield of standard looping-memory devices and six times the yield of Holter devices," said Dr. Reiffel.

Dr. Robert Schwarzberg (Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL and Chief Medical Officer of LWC), a co-author on the study, explained the important clinical advantage of auto-trigger monitors. "Millions of Americans experience arrhythmias, yet we often don't know when our hearts are beating irregularly. LifeStar's auto-triggering capabilities allow physicians to catch asymptomatic cardiac events that other traditional monitors miss."

This is particularly important for detecting Atrial Fibrillation (AF), a common arrhythmia affecting more than 2.2 million Americans. AF is a major cause of stroke and is difficult for physicians to diagnose because those afflicted are often symptom-free. "We found that 53% of AF episodes were asymptomatic. This technology sets a new standard for AF detection.." said Dr. Reiffel.

LWC was the first service provider to offer AF auto-trigger monitoring services. With more than 40,000 patients monitored on our LifeStar AF auto-trigger devices, our experience supports Dr. Reiffel's conclusions. These devices are the best ambulatory cardiac monitors available and have allowed LWC to dramatically enhance our clinical expertise and leadership position in the industry.