Latest news with #NationalHeartCentreSingapore
Straits Times
28-06-2025
- Health
- Straits Times
New minimally invasive treatment for leaky heart valve at National Heart Centre Singapore
Madam Tay Sioh Lian, who was the first patient in Singapore to undergo the Pascal transcatheter valve repair, with NHCS CEO Yeo Khung Keong (left) and deputy CEO Jack Tan. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO SINGAPORE – In 2022, Madam Tay Sioh Lian began experiencing bouts of breathlessness while walking or climbing the stairs. 'I couldn't even walk 30 steps,' recalled Madam Tay, who was then 74 years old. During a check-up, a geriatrician detected a heart murmur – a whooshing sound that occurs when blood moves abnormally over the heart valves – and referred her to the National Heart Centre Singapore (NHCS). She was diagnosed with a leaky heart valve in July 2024. Also known as mitral regurgitation, the condition occurs when the heart's mitral valve does not close tightly, causing blood to flow backward into the heart. This can lead to fatigue and breathlessness, and can be life-threatening for those with existing heart failure. Globally, about 3 per cent of people over the age of 70 suffer from moderate to severe leaky heart valve, with the prevalence of the condition increasing with age. Madam Tay's condition was severe, but traditional open-heart surgery – typically used to replace or repair the valve – was considered unsuitable for her. This was because the retired secondary school teacher was deemed high-risk due to her existing medical conditions, such as hypertension and dyslipidaemia – a condition where blood lipid levels are either too high or low, which can disrupt cardiovascular health. NHCS offered Madam Tay a safer, less-invasive treatment, and in February 2025, she became the first patient in Singapore to undergo the Pascal transcatheter valve repair. Developed by American medtech firm Edwards Lifesciences, the Pascal device works like a tiny clip, holding the leaky valve in place so that it can close properly and enable blood to flow normally again. It is inserted into the body via a small incision made in the leg, and guided up to the heart via a catheter, or a thin, flexible tube. The device comes in two sizes to suit the different anatomies of patients. It has components that reduce tension on mitral leaflets – or the flaps of a valve – and enhance flexibility and manoeuvrability during the procedure. 'The Pascal device's innovative design allows us to repair damaged heart valves with precision and control, all through a small incision,' said Assistant Professor Wong Ningyan, a consultant with NHCS' cardiology department. While open-heart surgery remains the best option for treating leaky heart valves as it has a more established track record, the Pascal procedure provides an alternative to those who are unable to go through traditional surgery, he said. Prof Wong, who was part of the multidisciplinary team that performed the procedure on Madam Tay, noted that patients can typically return home and resume their regular activities within days. This is much faster than the several weeks required after open-heart surgery. The patients also experience less discomfort, he added. Madam Tay, who is now 77, said: 'The day after the procedure, I was already back home and doing my usual activities like bathing and walking, and after a week, I could do some light household chores.' Since February, five patients – all aged 70 and above – have undergone the Pascal procedure. It is the latest of the minimally invasive valve procedures offered by NHCS. The centre also provides transcatheter aortic valve implantation – where a new aortic valve is delivered to the heart via a catheter – and the Mitraclip treatment, which also uses a clip to close the mitral valve but is meant for patients with different anatomies. 'By expanding our treatment options, we can now offer more personalised care appropriate for each patient's unique health needs,' said NHCS chief executive officer Yeo Khung Keong. 'For patients who previously had few alternatives, this advancement could mean the difference between continued suffering and a significantly improved quality of life,' said Prof Yeo, who was also involved in Madam Tay's procedure. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Straits Times
28-05-2025
- Health
- Straits Times
New programme with AI tools to improve heart health among elderly set to reach 60,000 a year
Mr Teo Yong Choon, who had a heart attack in 2017, will now be assessed using two AI tools as part of the new programme when he goes for check-ups at the National Heart Centre Singapore. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO New programme with AI tools to improve heart health among elderly set to reach 60,000 a year SINGAPORE – When former engineer Teo Yong Choon woke up in the middle of the night in 2017 , breaking out in cold sweat with intermittent chest pains, he tried to sleep it off. But when the pain hit with increasing frequency the next morning, his wife persuaded him to go to the emergency department. It turned out that he was having a heart attack. Almost immediately, he was wheeled into emergency surgery and had three stents put in his heart. 'I think it was because I did not take any cholesterol medication even though my readings were high back then,' said Mr Teo. It took him six months to return to his original fitness level of being able to jog slowly for 20 minutes. Eight years on, the 71-year-old retiree has changed his diet of greasy local favourites to low-carb and higher-protein meals. He is also on medication to prevent a second heart attack. When he goes back for check-ups at the National Heart Centre Singapore (NHCS), he will now be assessed using two artificial intelligence (AI) tools. These tools will help doctors in identifying any early signs of deterioration in Mr Teo's condition and assessing whether he is at increased risk of experiencing another heart attack. The new tools are rolled out as part of a new programme launched to prevent and detect cardiovascular disease earlier in older adults at NHCS. Called Cardiovascular Ageing and Longevity Programme, or Crane, the initiative was announced at a media briefing on May 28 at the centre. It is expected to reach about 60,000 patients a year over the next three to five years. In 2023, cardiovascular disease accounted for almost one in three deaths in Singapore. The initiative encompasses three broad areas of improving clinical care, expanding its clinical research programme, and educating healthcare professionals and patients on geriatric cardiology. Associate Professor Angela Koh, director of Crane, said the AI tools can provide clinicians with more insights that enable them to intervene earlier. One tool, 3DGait, can help spot early signs of fragility by analysing the way a person stands up and then walks from a sitting position. 'If you are pre-frail, your risk of having heart disease may actually be higher,' said Prof Koh, referring to a risk state where a person is likely to actually become frail. 'If you have had a heart disease, you really want to detect pre-frailty because by doing so, you avoid the next deterioration,' said Prof Koh, who is also a senior consultant at NHCS' department of cardiology. Another tool that will help doctors make more accurate assessments is Medi-Kiosk, which can obtain not just basic health metrics such as body mass index and blood pressure but also detailed body composition data including skeletal muscle mass, visceral fat and fluid levels. 'Information like fluid status is important because water retention is an important manifestation of heart failure,' added Prof Koh. Under Crane, NHCS will also advance research in areas such as the fundamental mechanisms of cardiovascular ageing and investigate the gender differences in these mechanisms. The team will also conduct research focusing on specific groups, including geriatric cardio-oncology, regenerative cardiovascular medicine and population health strategies. Professor Yeo Khung Keong, the centre's chief executive, said: 'With our extensive expertise in cardiovascular care and research, NHCS is well poised to spearhead this transformative programme that will not only benefit our local population but also contribute to valuable insights on cardiovascular ageing to the broader medical community across Asia-Pacific.' Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Straits Times
20-05-2025
- Health
- Straits Times
AI system for faster detection of coronary artery disease to be trialled at 3 S'pore hospitals
A total of 300 patients across the three institutions will be involved in the trial. ST PHOTO: TARYN NG AI system for faster detection of coronary artery disease to be trialled at 3 S'pore hospitals SINGAPORE – A new artificial intelligence (AI) system which will reduce the time required for a cardiac scan analysis and allow for faster diagnosis of coronary artery disease will be available at three public hospitals here as part of a year-long trial. The Singapore heart lesion analyser (Sense) will be trialled at the National Heart Centre Singapore (NHCS), the National University Hospital and Tan Tock Seng Hospital in the third quarter of 2025. A total of 300 patients across the three institutions will be involved in the trial. Sense will use sophisticated computational capabilities and algorithms to interpret cardiac imaging scans and evaluate the risk of coronary artery disease in under 10 minutes. This is a process which typically requires two to four hours of analysis by radiographers and cardiologists, said Assistant Professor Lohendran Baskaran, senior consultant with the NHCS cardiology department. 'Sometimes it can take longer because doctors are busy doing other things in between all these scans, such as seeing patients in clinic,' said Prof Lohendran. Sense automates this process, analysing CT scans to establish the amount of calcium deposits in the coronary arteries and epicardial adipose tissue – the layer of fat surrounding the heart and major coronary arteries. It has shown between 85 and 99 per cent accuracy so far, Prof Lohendran said, though he noted these results have been from the use of Sense in a controlled environment. The year-long trial of Sense at the three institutions will give a better idea of how accurate the system is in real-world settings, he said. 'Ultimately, all of this has to be reviewed, checked and confirmed by the doctor before taking it any further. This will never override a doctor's position or clinical judgment,' said Prof Lohendran. Sense is being led by the CardioVascular Systems Imaging and Artificial Intelligence ( research laboratory at NHCS, together with A*Star's Institute for Infocomm Research. whose work began in 2021, uses AI to detect and predict heart disease more quickly and accurately. Occupying a 164 sq m space at the NHCS building on Hospital Boulevard, the lab employs AI-powered machine learning software and high-performance graphics processing units (GPUs) for real-time processing of large datasets, to significantly improve the accuracy of disease prediction models. This infrastructure will allow to enhance and strengthen it AI algorithms, using the big data collected and analysed, said co-director and core technical lead Associate Professor Zhong Liang. Sense builds on an earlier project by the AI-driven national platform for CT coronary angiography for clinical and industrial applications (Apollo). Apollo aimed to improve the accuracy and speed of interpreting CT scans using AI. Over four years, it built a database of almost three million images from the CT scans of some 5,000 cardiac patients here, together with comprehensive clinical data. Sense is supported by SingHealth and A*Star's Healthcare Translation Partnership, while Apollo was awarded A*Star's Industry Alignment Fund – Pre-Positioning Programme. The lab's work will help improve understanding of coronary artery disease in Singapore, said Prof Lohendran, who is also director and core clinical lead of Factors such as the severity of disease and what part of the population is likely to have it are still poorly understood, he added. Coronary artery disease is responsible for almost a third of the cardiovascular-related deaths in Singapore. In 2023, 8,311 people here died from cardiovascular disease in the Republic, accounting for about 30 per cent of all deaths that year. Zhaki Abdullah is a correspondent at The Straits Times. He is on the health beat, in addition to occasionally covering science, environmental, tech and Muslim affairs issues. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
