Our heart’s health is determined by several factors including its sound, beat, function, and so on. With the growing sophistication in data, patients seek the help of physicians for a quicker and personalized interpretation of the data.

Digital health technologies have already been introduced for promptness and efficiency in the personalized medicine but this can be further strengthened by the introduction of artificial intelligence in the medicine especially in cardiovascular health. Medical experts at AMRI Hospitals believe that advanced artificial intelligence, digital health technologies, and mobile devices can now transform the future of cardiovascular care by serving as a tool to detect and treat heart diseases.

Measuring heart sounds

Since cardiovascular diseases are slow in exhibiting symptoms, it has been quite challenging to detect them early, until the pocket-sized, user-friendly digital technologies came into existence. Till now there have been various fitness trackers and wearables for keeping track of our heart and overall health. With the optimization of these devices in the next couple of years, people will have their possible heart risks detected and prevented beforehand.

The development of digital stethoscope has touched new heights to the field of medicine. Eko Core, Littman and Clinicloud are one of the best digital stethoscopes in the market currently. They are smart, potable medical devices that let you measure heart rate and record heart and lung sounds and save them automatically in the app. They can also read temperature without any skin contact.

Introduction of nano-pacemakers is also another breakthrough in cardiology. The device is implanted inside the patient’s heart and sends electrical impulses whenever the patient’s heartbeat is slow. According to the research by AMRI Hospitals, Kolkata, nano-pacemakers are more effective than the traditional pacing systems.

Heart rate and blood pressure

Up until recently, there was no way one could measure heart rate and sounds at home, though blood pressure cuffs were a common thing which could be found in any patient’s home.

Many companies are developing new smart devices, thus defying the ordinary fitness trackers and smartwatches. Patches are one of the latest trends. The VitalConnect’s patch senses and monitors eight physiological measurements including heart rate, variation in heart rate and respiratory rate.

Omro, a Japanese tech company introduced Omron HeartguideSmartwatch that can test hypertension and measure the risk of stroke while sleeping. Biobeat, an Israeli company, has been working on similar wearables that can monitor blood pressure, pulse rate, blood saturation, etc.

With the introduction of new portable wearables and patches that can monitor both heart and blood pressure, the blood pressure cuffs are likely to disappear in a few years’ time.

Besides, not only can AI help in detecting and preventing further heart diseases, but it can also detect fatty deposits in the heart arteries far more efficiently than conventional methods. Experts at AMRI Hospitals have reviewed that this helps in preventing heart attacks as they are usually caused by thickening of artery walls which results in blockage of blood flow.