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Equine veterinary journal2022; 55(2); 336-343; doi: 10.1111/evj.13565

Validation of an equine fitness tracker: ECG quality and arrhythmia detection.

Abstract: Cardiac arrhythmias in exercising horses are the focus of much interest, both in terms of what is considered normal and potential associations with poor performance and sudden cardiac death. One barrier to performing large-scale studies is the lack of an easily applicable device, to allow recording of large numbers of high-quality exercising electrocardiograms (ECGs). The Equimetre is a new wearable device which records a single lead ECG, amongst other parameters. Validation of such wearable devices is essential before further studies are undertaken. Objective: To evaluate the quality of ECG using the Equimetre and compare arrhythmia detection during exercise with the reference Televet system. Methods: Prospective blinded clinical study. Methods: Simultaneous ECGs were recorded with both systems in 49 healthy horses during exercise. High intensity exercise (>40km/h) was performed by 29 racehorses, and lower intensity exercise for the remainder of the racehorses and show jumpers. Tracings were excluded if >10% artefact was present (duration of artefact relative to duration of exercise). For included ECGs, the duration of artefact was recorded and compared. ECGs were evaluated using Kubios premium software. Arrhythmia detection (yes/no) and arrhythmia classification (sinus arrhythmia, narrow complex of similar morphology to the sinus complexes or wide complex with a different morphology) were compared using Cohen's Kappa coefficient. Results: Nine Televet ECGs and 3 Equimetre ECGs were excluded due to artefact >10%. Televet ECGs included significantly more artefact during exercise than Equimetre ECGs (5% vs. 0.25% p40km/h), while the rest of the racehorses and obstacle horses performed moderate‐to‐low‐intensity exercise. Tracking recordings were excluded if >10% artifacts (artifact duration relative to motion duration) were present. For included ECGs, the duration of the artifact was recorded and compared. Electrocardiograms were assessed using Kubios advanced software. Arrhythmias (presence/absence) and classification of arrhythmias (sinus arrhythmias, narrow complexes similar to sinus complexes, or broad complexes with different morphology) were detected using Cohen’s Kappa coefficient. Due to artifacts, 9 Televet ECGs, and 3 Equimetre ECGs were excluded. During exercise, the Televet system produced significantly more artifacts than the Equimetre system (5% vs 0.25%, < 0.001). Cardiac arrhythmia analysis was performed on the electrocardiograms of 38 horses. Kappa correlation coefficient results were good: arrhythmia detection (K = 0.97) and arrhythmia classification (K = 0.93). The number of arrhythmic horses included was relatively small (n = 21). ECG recordings provide only 1 lead, making arrhythmia typing difficult in some cases. The Equimeter device provides a reliable ECG for the detection of arrhythmias during exercise. The system could be used for large‐scale studies on topics such as the occurrence and significance of equine exercise arrhythmias in the future.
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Publication Date: 2022-02-09 PubMed ID: 35138653PubMed Central: PMC10078706DOI: 10.1111/evj.13565Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research evaluated a wearable device, Equimetre, intended for recording horse’s electrocardiograms (ECGs) and detecting potential exercise-induced cardiac arrhythmias. The study concluded that the Equimetre provides accurate ECG recordings making it a useful tool for large-scale studies on equine exercise arrhythmias.

About the Study

  • The research was a prospective blinded clinical study focused on finding a dependable solution for recording large numbers of high-quality exercising electrocardiograms (ECGs) in horses. The study aims to address the lack of convenient devices for this purpose.
  • The research involved 49 healthy horses, which included racehorses and show jumpers. 29 racehorses were put through high-intensity exercise over 40 km/h, while the rest performed lower-intensity exercises.

The Equimetre Device

  • The Equimetre is a wearable device that records a single lead ECG alongside other parameters. The device was compared with the reference Televet system, and ECGs from both were recorded simultaneously during exercises.
  • The researchers evaluated the ECGs using Kubios premium software, recorded the duration of any artifact, and compared it. An ECG was excluded if more than 10% artifact was present relative to the duration of exercise.

Results of the Study

  • A total of 9 Televet ECGs and 3 Equimetre ECGs had to be excluded due to more than 10% artifact. However, overall, ECGs recorded with the Equimetre had significantly fewer artifacts during exercise than the Televet ECGs (0.25% compared to 5%).
  • The ECGs of 38 horses were used for arrhythmia analysis. It found that the Equimetre had an excellent kappa coefficient for both arrhythmia detection (K=0.97) and arrhythmia classification (K=0.93).

Limitations and Conclusions of the Study

  • One of the identified limitations of the study was that the ECG recordings provided only one lead, making arrhythmia classification challenging in some cases. Also, only a relatively small number of horses with arrhythmias (n=21) were included in the study.
  • In conclusion, the research found that the Equimetre device provides a reliable ECG for arrhythmia detection during the exercise of horses. This makes the device potentially useful for clinical purposes, and for future large-scale investigations into the occurrence and significance of exercising arrhythmias in horses.

Cite This Article

APA
Ter Woort F, Dubois G, Tansley G, Didier M, Verdegaal L, Franklin S, Van Erck-Westergren E. (2022). Validation of an equine fitness tracker: ECG quality and arrhythmia detection. Equine Vet J, 55(2), 336-343. https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.13565

Publication

Equine veterinary journal
ISSN: 2042-3306
NlmUniqueID: 0173320
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 55
Issue: 2
Pages: 336-343

Researcher Affiliations

Ter Woort, Fe
  • Equine Sports Medicine Practice, 83 avenue Beau Sejour, 1410, Waterloo, Belgium.
Dubois, Guillaume
  • Arioneo, 6 rue Claude Farrère, 75016, Paris, France.
Tansley, Grace
  • Equine Health and Performance Center, University of Adelaide, Roseworthy Campus, South Australia, 5371, Australia.
Didier, Marie
  • Arioneo, 6 rue Claude Farrère, 75016, Paris, France.
Verdegaal, Lidwien
  • Equine Health and Performance Center, University of Adelaide, Roseworthy Campus, South Australia, 5371, Australia.
Franklin, Samantha
  • Equine Health and Performance Center, University of Adelaide, Roseworthy Campus, South Australia, 5371, Australia.
Van Erck-Westergren, Emmanuelle
  • Equine Sports Medicine Practice, 83 avenue Beau Sejour, 1410, Waterloo, Belgium.

Conflict of Interest Statement

G. Dubois and M. Didier are employed by Arioneo, the company that manufactures and commercialises the equine fitness tracker studied. F. ter Woort and E. van Erck‐Westergren are external consultants for Arioneo participating in the beta testing and optimisation of the device. No fees were received for the data collection, data analysis or manuscript preparation of this study.

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Citations

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