Quantifying the Impact of Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome with Cardiovascular and Physical Activity Characteristics Measured with a Wearable Device in Free-Living Settings

Music City Center 

Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) is a disorder of orthostatic intolerance (OI) characterized by an excessive heart rate increase when transitioning from supine to upright, accompanied by symptoms such as lightheadedness. Orthostatic characteristics measured in-clinic and patient-reported data on symptoms and negative impacts on quality of life have been published, but minimal objective data collected in free-living settings are available. Wearable devices that continuously collect ambulatory electrocardiography (ECG) and accelerometry may improve characterization of POTS by capturing physical activity and heart rate characteristics. We further hypothesize that joint modeling of ECG and accelerometry data can capture free-living orthostatic characteristics. We will discuss how accelerometry data were used to estimate objective characteristics of free-living physical activity in POTS patients and healthy controls using arctools, including total amount per day and intensity. In addition, we will cover a novel algorithm that uses ECG modelled jointly with accelerometry to dynamically characterize heart rate during postural transitions. We hope that this novel approach will allow for better characterization of this disorder enabling more efficient clinical trial designs and improved patient care. These results complement published patient survey data on the significant negative impact of POTS on quality of life.