Mobile phone can save you from a heart attack

Medical check-ups could soon be carried out via mobile phones, thanks to German technology. That's right, based in the town of Essen, heart specialist Dr Stefan Sack has come up with the perfect gift for affluent hypochondriacs everywhere -- a mobile phone that can tell you that you're having a heart attack. It's called "Handy for Hearts" (Handy is the German name for a mobile phone,) and it can beam your heart rate and ECG reading via satellite back to the nearest hospital. It uses global satellite positioning to pinpoint your exact location. In the throes of your heart attack, all you have to do is get your phone out of your bag or briefcase and hold it over your heart. Doctors can then call you back on your mobile and tell you how long you've got left, or whether the ambulance is going to get to you on time. The story appeared in the London Evening Standard and quote Dr Sack as saying: "The few moments in which a patient suffers pains can mean the difference between life and death. An ECG on the spot allows us to gather the necessary data instantly while medical help is despatched." Other countries with high hypochondriac populations –- namely the UK and the US -- are thought to be interested in trialing the service. At around £1000 a pop, the handset is not for poor people -– which is a pity because recent research has shown the poor to suffer the highest rate of heart disease. The Handy for Hearts is also likely to cost around £2000 per year to run -– which could be enough to give anyone palpitations. ® See also: Mobile phones rot your brain Government seeks last word on mobile phone health scares" Official:mobile phones won't maim your brain Mobile phone chip ends radiation fears