Artificial intelligence used to detect early-stage heart disease

Study findings show that applying artificial intelligence (AI) to the electrocardiogram (ECG) enables early detection of left ventricular dysfunction and can identify individuals at increased risk for its development in the future. The research, published in Nature Medicine, found that the accuracy of the AI/ECG compares favourably to other common screening tests such as prostate-specific antigen for prostate cancer and mammography for breast cancer. "The ability to acquire an ubiquitous, easily accessible, inexpensive recording in 10 seconds – the ECG – and to digitally process it with AI to extract new information about previously hidden heart disease holds great promise for saving lives and improving health," says Paul Friedman, senior author and chair of the Midwest Department of Cardiovascular Medicine at Mayo Clinic. Asymptomatic left ventricular dysfunction (ALVD) is characterised by the presence of a weak heart pump with a risk of overt heart failure. It is present in three to six percent of the general population and is associated with reduced quality of life and longevity.