AI T-shirt could detect hidden heart risks

U.K. researchers developed an AI-powered T-shirt that monitors electrical signals continuously, addressing gaps in traditional ECG testing methods. Health AI T-shirt could detect hidden heart risks A washable smart shirt designed to spot inherited heart rhythm disorders before tragedy strikes By Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report Fox News Published March 6, 2026 8:21am EST Facebook Twitter Threads Flipboard Comments Print Email Add Fox News on Google close Video Fox News Flash top headlines for March 6 Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on FoxNews.com. NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Your next heart test might not happen in a hospital. It could start with something you pull from your dresser. Researchers at Imperial College London are developing an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered T-shirt that monitors the heart for days at a time. The mission is straightforward: detect inherited heart rhythm disorders that often remain hidden until it is too late. These conditions can sit quietly for years. Then they strike without warning. That unpredictability is what makes them so dangerous.Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy ReportGet my best tech tips, urgent security alerts and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox. Plus, you'll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide – free when you join my CYBERGUY.COM newsletter. A member of the Imperial College London cardiology team and a research volunteer hold the AI-powered T-shirt designed for long-term heart rhythm monitoring. (British Heart Foundation)Why traditional heart tests miss warning signs Most people who receive an electrocardiogram spend only a few minutes connected to sensors in a clinic. The test captures a brief snapshot of the heart's electrical activity. That snapshot works well for many common heart issues. It creates blind spots when it comes to inherited rhythm disorders. Cardiologists understand that these abnormalities can be intermittent. A dangerous pattern may surface for a short period, then disappear. If your ECG happens during a calm phase, the results can appear completely normal.Current home ECG monitors rely on adhesive electrodes placed precisely on the chest, with leads connected to a waist-worn monitor. Patients must carefully remove and reattach the system to shower. That process can make extended monitoring inconvenient and difficult to maintain. Extended monitoring changes that equation. When doctors review days or weeks of heart rhythm data, they gain context. Subtle irregularities become visible. Patterns emerge. Risks that once slipped through the cracks can come into focus.How the AI T-shirt worksThis project combines medical science with wearable design. The shirt uses soft sportswear-style fabric with up to 50 ECG-style sensors woven into the material. You can wear it under everyday clothing. You can sleep in it. You can wash it and put it back on. Instead of collecting a quick reading, the shirt records continuous electrical signals from your heart. Artificial intelligence then analyzes that data for patterns linked to inherited conditions such as Brugada syndrome. With funding from the British Heart Foundation, researchers are training the algorithm using ECG data from more than 1,000 individuals. Some participants live with inherited heart rhythm disorders. Others do not. That mix helps the system distinguish between healthy variations and signals that suggest elevated risk. Next, around 200 volunteers will wear the shirt for up to three months. Researchers will evaluate how effectively it detects abnormal rhythms outside a hospital environment.SMART PILL CONFIRMS WHEN MEDICATION IS SWALLOWED Dr Keenan Saleh and Dr Ahran Arnold hold the AI T-shirt which uses up to 50 built in sensors to capture continuous ECG data while patients go about daily life. (Imperial College London)Why this matters for familiesInherited heart conditions often run silently through generations. In the United States, millions of people live with congenital or inherited heart disorders that can increase the risk of sudden cardiac death. Since 1999, sudden cardiac death rates have risen among adults ages 25 to 44, a troubling trend for otherwise healthy young people. Some experience breathlessness or fainting during routine activities. Others have no symptoms at all. A normal heart test on a single day may not reveal an underlying rhythm disorder. For families, that uncertainty can weigh heavily. Carly Benge, one of the people involved in the research, was diagnosed with Brugada syndrome as an adult. Her children may have inherited the condition, but there is no clear answer yet. Families in the U.S. face similar questions when a genetic heart condition is discovered in one relative. Longer-term monitoring could provide clarity much earlier in life. When detection shifts from a short clinic visit to ongoing observation, it offers something powerful. Time. Time to intervene. Time to plan. Time to protect.When could this AI T-shirt become available?Researchers estimate the technology may reach clinical practice within five years. Before that happe