Latest news with #EchoNext
Fox News
4 days ago
- Health
- Fox News
AI tech detects hidden heart disease doctors often miss
You might think heart disease comes with warning signs. But some of the deadliest types, like structural heart disease (SHD), creep in silently. No chest pain. No shortness of breath. Nothing until it's too late. Now, a new artificial intelligence tool called EchoNext is changing the game. It can flag hidden heart problems that even trained cardiologists miss just by analyzing a standard ECG. That's right. A routine, five-minute heart test you've probably already had could now unlock life-saving information if AI is watching. 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 SHD refers to defects in the heart's walls, valves or chambers. Some are present at birth. Others develop slowly over time. Either way, they often go unnoticed until something major happens, like a heart attack or stroke. That's why experts sometimes call SHD the "hidden" heart disease. Here's the problem. Even the ECGs doctors routinely use to spot heart issues often can't detect SHD on their own. And that's where EchoNext comes in. EchoNext was created by researchers at Columbia University and NewYork-Presbyterian. The tool was trained on over 1.2 million ECG and echocardiogram pairs from more than 230,000 patients. Its job? Figure out when a patient's ECG suggests a deeper look is needed, specifically, an echocardiogram, the ultrasound that gives a detailed view of heart structure. "EchoNext basically uses the cheaper test to figure out who needs the more expensive one," explained Dr. Pierre Elias, who led the study. And the results? Stunning. In tests, EchoNext correctly flagged 77% of structural heart disease cases from ECGs. Cardiologists? Just 64%. Even more impressive, when tested on nearly 85,000 people, EchoNext identified over 7,500 at high risk for undiagnosed SHD. A year later, researchers found that 73% of those who followed up with echocardiograms were indeed diagnosed with SHD, a rate far above average. These groundbreaking results were published in Nature, one of the world's most respected scientific journals. That's not just a better test. That's a potential lifesaver. Millions walk around every day with SHD and have no idea. They skip heart screenings because nothing feels wrong. Even when they do get an ECG, subtle warning signs can slip by unnoticed. EchoNext doesn't miss them. And it doesn't get tired or distracted. This isn't about replacing doctors. Iit's about giving them a powerful new tool to catch what humans alone can't. You don't need to wait for symptoms to take your heart health seriously. If you've ever had an ECG, or you're getting one soon, AI could now help spot hidden risks your doctor might miss. Tools like EchoNext make it easier to catch heart problems early, even if you feel fine. This means fewer surprises, fewer missed diagnoses and a better shot at treatment before it's too late. It's not about replacing doctors. It's about giving them, and you, a better shot at catching problems early. Ask your doctor if AI tools are being used to review your heart tests. You deserve every advantage. Right now, EchoNext is being used in research settings, but tools like it are quickly moving toward wider use in hospitals and clinics. AI is no longer the future of medicine. It's happening now. EchoNext proves that machine learning can radically improve how we detect silent killers like SHD. If a simple ECG plus AI could save thousands of lives, what are we waiting for? Would you trust a machine to catch what your cardiologist might overlook? Let us know by writing us at 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 Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
Time of India
19-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
AI expands usefulness of common heart test
London: Artificial intelligence (AI) can turn a common doctor's office test into a screening tool for detecting structural problems in patients' hearts, researchers reported in Nature. Their publicly available AI tool, called EchoNext, analyzes ordinary electrocardiogram (ECG) data to identify patients who should have an echocardiogram - a noninvasive ultrasound exam - to look for valve diseases, thickening of the muscle tissue, and other structural defects that can impair heart function. "We were all taught in medical school that you can't detect structural heart disease from an electrocardiogram," study leader Pierre Elias of Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons said in a statement. "We think that ECG plus AI has the potential to create an entirely new screening paradigm." EchoNext uses the cheaper ECG to figure out who needs the more expensive ultrasound, he said. When 13 cardiologists reviewed a total of 3,200 ECGs, they detected structural heart problems with an accuracy rate of about 64%, compared to a 77% accuracy rate for EchoNext, the researchers found. They next used the tool to review ECGs obtained in the past from nearly 85,000 patients. Based on those ECGs, the patients' doctors had sent 4,100 of them to get echocardiograms, which found structural problems in roughly 3,000. But EchoNext identified an additional 3,400 patients as being at high risk and needing the ultrasound exam. Because AI was unavailable when those ECGs were obtained, many of the additional patients may have had potentially serious structural heart disease that went undiagnosed, the researchers said. "You can't treat the patient you don't know about," Elias said. "Using our technology, we may be able to turn the estimated 400 million ECGs that will be performed worldwide this year into 400 million chances to screen for structural heart disease and potentially deliver life-saving treatment at the most opportune time." Worldwide, structural heart disease impacts 64 million people with heart failure and 75 million with valvular disease, with costs in the U.S. alone exceeding $100 billion annually, the researchers said. SOME BRAIN CELLS HAVE BACKUP BATTERIES Neurons, the nerve cells that transmit information to and from the brain, are equipped with "backup batteries" that kick in to keep the brain running during periods of metabolic stress, researchers have discovered. Traditionally, it was believed that brain cells called glial cells served as "energy warehouses" for the neurons, storing a form of sugar known as glycogen and supplying it as needed for fuel. "But we now know that neurons themselves store glycogen and can break it down when the pressure is on," study leader Milind Singh of the Yale School of Medicine said in a statement. "It's like discovering that your car is a hybrid - it's not just reliant on gas stations, it's been carrying an emergency battery the whole time." Their discovery was made during experiments with a microscopic roundworm called C. elegans and a fluorescent sensor that glows when cells break down sugar for energy. The findings could shape new treatments for neurological conditions in which energy failure plays a role, such as stroke, neurodegeneration, and epilepsy, the researchers said in PNAS. The team found the neuron's glycogen-dependent energy production is especially important when their mitochondria - their primary energy factories - are impaired, such as when the oxygen supply is limited. Under these conditions, glycogen serves as a rapid-access fuel source, helping neurons stay active when other systems might stall, the researchers said. "That flexibility might be crucial for how the brain maintains function and responds to stress," senior researcher Daniel Colon-Ramos, also of Yale, said in a statement. "This research reshapes our understanding of brain energy metabolism and opens new avenues for exploring how to protect and support neuronal function in disease." (To receive the full newsletter in your inbox for free sign up here)
New York Post
16-07-2025
- Health
- New York Post
New AI tool can detect 'hidden' heart disease 77% of the time
This new AI heart disease detector can't be beat. Structural heart disease (SHD) refers to defects in the heart's valves, wall or chambers that are present at birth or develop over time. These abnormalities can impair the heart's ability to pump blood effectively. SHD is sometimes described as 'hidden' heart disease because it can progress without noticeable symptoms — until there's a major event like a heart attack or stroke. 4 Dr. Pierre Elias, a cardiologist and AI expert at NewYork-Presbyterian and Columbia University, helped develop EchoNext. Courtesy of NewYork-Presbyterian Now, researchers at Columbia University and NewYork-Presbyterian have developed an AI- powered screening tool to identify who should undergo a key ultrasound used to diagnose structural heart problems. 'There has been a growth in the number of AI models to detect, or opportunistically screen, disease,' Dr. Pierre Elias, an assistant professor of medicine and biomedical informatics at Columbia's Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, told The Post. 'Some of the most exciting can look for coronary disease on CT scans or look at mammograms to help doctors find breast cancer more accurately,' he added. 'EchoNext is the first model to detect all forms of structural heart disease from ECGs.' An electrocardiogram (ECG) is a quick, non-invasive procedure that measures the heart's electrical activity. 4 EchoNext is the first model to detect all forms of structural heart disease from an electrocardiogram, Elias said. An ECG (pictured here) is a quick, non-invasive procedure that measures the heart's electrical activity. amazing studio – It's one of the most frequently used cardiac tests, often ordered when patients experience symptoms such as shortness of breath, chest pain, palpitations or sudden loss of consciousness. While an ECG can detect some heart conditions, it's not reliable for catching SHD on its own. Enter EchoNext. The tool, fine-tuned over four years, analyzes ECG data to determine when follow-up with an echocardiogram is necessary. An echocardiogram is an ultrasound imaging test used to diagnose a range of heart conditions, including valve disorders and congenital heart defects. 'EchoNext basically uses the cheaper test to figure out who needs the more expensive ultrasound,' said Elias, study leader and medical director for artificial intelligence at NewYork-Presbyterian. 'It detects diseases cardiologists can't from an ECG,' he continued. 'We think that ECG plus AI has the potential to create an entirely new screening paradigm.' 4 An echocardiogram is shown here. EchoNext tells doctors which patients need this ultrasound imaging test. H_Ko – EchoNext was trained on over 1.2 million ECG–echocardiogram pairs from 230,000 patients. The tool accurately detected 77% of structural heart problems on 3,200 ECGs, outperforming 13 cardiologists who logged a 64% accuracy. EchoNext then identified over 7,500 people from a pool of nearly 85,000 study participants as high risk for undiagnosed SHD. The researchers followed the patients for a year without telling their physicians about the forewarning. Some 55% went on to have their first echocardiogram. Of those, almost three-quarters were diagnosed with SHD, a much higher positivity rate than usual. 4 This diagram shows the anatomy of the heart. An echocardiogram is used to diagnose a range of heart conditions. joshya – The findings were published Wednesday in the journal Nature. 'The goal is to get the right patients to the right doctor and treatment sooner,' Elias said. 'The reality is many patients that need a cardiologist are often missed, and EchoNext helps facilitate getting these patients to the cardiologist who can then get the patient to the treatment they need.' Looking ahead, Columbia has submitted a patent application on the EchoNext ECG algorithm. A clinical trial to test EchoNext in eight emergency departments is also underway.
