University of Hong Kong creates app to detect heart valve diseases by checking chest sounds
- Clinical study involving more than 350 patients finds accuracy levels for artificial intelligence-based software are as high as 81 per cent
A clinical study involving more than 350 patients found accuracy levels for the artificial intelligence-based software were as high as 81 per cent, close to those achieved by cardiologists using stethoscopes.
Such diseases can occur when heart valves fail to open and close properly, resulting in abnormal blood flow. Symptoms include shortness of breath, dizziness and swollen feet.
Professor Joshua Ho Wing-kei of the university’s biomedical sciences school noted on Wednesday that life-threatening heart valve diseases currently affected about 10 per cent of the world’s population above the age of 70.
“Valvular heart disease is often hidden and many only seek medical help when their condition has become serious,” he said.
“We hope patients can make use of a readily available device at home to assess their symptoms, such as a smartphone, so they can seek medical attention quickly for diagnosis and treatment.”