Development and Pilot Evaluation of a Wearable 12-Lead ECG System for Multilead Feature Analysis in Individuals with...

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Cardiology
• Metabolic Disorders

Background:

• Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and prediabetes often go undiagnosed due to silent progression.
• Limited accessibility to laboratory-based screening in certain regions necessitates alternative diagnostic approaches.
• Disturbances in glucose metabolism may manifest physiologically, potentially detectable through advanced monitoring.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the potential of multilead electrocardiography (ECG) in identifying markers associated with glucose metabolism disturbances.
• To develop and test a wearable 12-lead ECG system for synchronized multichannel recordings.
• To analyze ECG parameters, particularly ventricular repolarization indices, in relation to glycemic status.

Main Methods:

• Developed and validated a wearable 12-lead ECG system with synchronized multichannel recording capabilities.
• Acquired ECG signals in sitting and standing positions at 500 Hz sampling frequency.
• Focused signal processing on rhythm-related and morphological parameters, including QT interval, QTc, and QT dispersion (QTd).

Main Results:

• Preliminary, descriptive analysis noted differences in QT-related indices between glycemic status categories in a pilot cohort.
• Automated T-wave end detection showed close agreement with cardiologist assessment (mean difference -1 to -2 ms).
• Technical feasibility of synchronized 12-lead wearable ECG acquisition and repolarization analysis was demonstrated.

Conclusions:

• The wearable 12-lead ECG system is technically feasible for synchronized acquisition and repolarization analysis.
• QT-related indices show potential as markers for glucose metabolism disturbances, warranting further investigation.
• The system serves as a research platform for clinical validation, not a finished screening solution.