AHA Scientific Sessions 2026 AbstractNov 9, 2026, 01:59 GMT

Virtual heart monitoring reached Medicare patients nationwide

Mailed monitors found heart rhythm problems warranting clinical action in over 2% of 60,526 high-risk Medicare participants in an observational program.

Paper by Pei-Chun McGregor, Douglas Callahan, Roger Kerzner, +3Jeff Wessler · Heartbeat Health

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Interventions

Studied:: Cohort study of 60,526 high-risk Medicare beneficiaries, 14-day monitoring
What changed:: Nationwide virtual heart monitoring included 60,526 Medicare participants in its final analysis
The catch:: The analysis excluded participants who wore monitors for less than 48 hours (4.7%)

Editor of record: Boris Djordjevic · AgingResearch.News

Paper

Medicare beneficiaries at high risk of atrial fibrillation, an irregular heartbeat, were offered mailed 14-day heart monitors in an observational cohort program from March 2024 through March 2026. The program enrolled 63,543 people; the final analysis included 60,526. Their median age was 78, and 39.2% were male. People aged 65–74 qualified through a remote history of unspecified rhythm problems or symptoms. Those 75 or older qualified through specified risk factors or symptoms.

Monitors detected atrial fibrillation in 1,089 participants (1.80%) and atrial flutter, another abnormal heart rhythm, in 188 (0.31%). The median turnaround time for reading monitors was 3.9 hours. The authors concluded that the fully remote cardiology model could support nationwide detection. Participants diagnosed with atrial fibrillation had a high risk of blood clots.

Why it matters

Early detection of atrial fibrillation in high-risk older adults may have clinical value, the authors suggested, given the high blood-clot risk among those diagnosed.

Caveats

The conference abstract reported detection, not whether the program improved health outcomes. The analysis excluded participants who wore monitors for less than 48 hours (4.7%) and covered selected high-risk Medicare beneficiaries.