Novel Vitality Indices Derived From the Hexoskin in Patients Affected With Angina Undergoing Coronary Revascularization or Medical Therapy

The first and foremost manifestation of ischemic heart disease (IHD) is angina. At a global level, patients with chronic angina are at risk of poor vital status and deconditioning. Medical therapy and coronary revascularization using coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) can effectively relieve angina . In spite of all the available treatment options, the assessment of angina remains a challenge. Angina has a cyclical pattern and will naturally worsen and improve as days go by. Likewise, angina can be significantly biased by the placebo effect. Clinically angina is most frequently quantified with the Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS) classes system. In research protocols, angina is often quantified with health-related quality of life questionnaires and diaries. None of the tool available accounts for an important phenomenon called ischemic threshold adaptation, which could be defined as a limitation of their activity level under the ischemic level, which will translate into fewer angina episodes and a seemingly stable condition. Better clinical assessment tools that take into consideration the ischemic threshold adaption are needed. Despite increased interest in wearable biometrics clothing in medicine, no prospective study has documented their utility to assess angina and to monitor the rehabilitation in cardiac patients. The Hexoskin™ is a biometric vest that can collect physiological data from individuals in their natural daily living environment. Currently, the use of biometric clothing is confined to a niche exploited exclusively by health enthusiasts, athletes or astronauts. As we enter this new age of virtual healthcare, tools like wearable biometrics could represent a giant leap forward in assisting healthcare professionals and patients. This will translate a better assessment of their health status, will allow physicians to target the right treatment strategy, ultimately improving case-selection and outcomes.