Researchers at the University of Liverpool explored an innovative approach to spotting atrial fibrillation by equipping grocery carts with ECG sensors in their handle areas. The work was shared with the medical community at the European Society of Cardiology Scientific Congress ACNAP 2023, signaling a novel intersection between everyday shopping and cardiovascular screening.
The SHOPS-AF project asked whether embedded ECG sensors in supermarket cart handles could effectively flag shoppers who have atrial fibrillation. Participants used a modified vehicle setup and were instructed to maintain a firm hold on one arm for a minimum of 60 seconds while engaging with the cart in a typical shopping scenario.
The sensor’s status was straightforward: a non-detect of an irregular rhythm caused the indicator to show green, while the detection of an irregular heartbeat tripped a red alert. In such cases, a pharmacist on-site performed a manual pulse check and a traditional electrocardiogram using a separate device to confirm the finding.
Across the study, 2,155 adults interacted with the shopping carts. In 220 cases, the sensor indicated a red alert. Further clinical evaluation identified 74 individuals with atrial fibrillation, of whom only 20 were previously aware of their condition.
The investigators concluded that the grocery-cart screening concept could contribute to earlier identification of atrial fibrillation in the general population. Atrial fibrillation remains a major global health concern, affecting an estimated 40 million people worldwide. The condition markedly raises the risk of stroke, by about five times, and strokes associated with atrial fibrillation can result in significant disability or death. While anticoagulant therapies can substantially reduce stroke risk, many individuals only learn about their AF after a cerebrovascular event. This underscored the potential value of screening programs that can detect the condition earlier, enabling timely preventive treatment for those at risk.
Additional context from the research highlights how everyday devices and environments might be repurposed to support public health objectives. The study invites further exploration into how unobtrusive, widely available technologies could integrate with routine healthcare workflows to identify asymptomatic cases and prompt appropriate follow-up care, all while maintaining privacy and user comfort.