AI HAS already changed lives in many ways, and now it is helping to save hearts.

Researchers from London have found that an AI-powered stethoscope can assist medical professionals in the early detection of heart disorders.

The device can pick up on subtle differences in heartbeats and blood flow that are not detectable to the human ear using a traditional stethoscope, leading to early intervention in heart failure, heart valve disease and abnormal heart rhythms.

Led by Imperial College London and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, the study trialled the AI stethoscope in 96 GP surgeries involving 12,725 patients with heart failure symptoms, comparing them to patients from 109 GP surgeries where the tech was not used.

The AI device was 2.33 times more successful in diagnosing heart failure, 3.45 times more likely to detect atrial fibrillation and nearly twice as likely to spot heart valve disease.

“This is an elegant example of how the humble stethoscope, invented more than 200 years ago, can be upgraded for the 21st century,” said Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan, Clinical Director at the British Heart Foundation.

There are plans to roll out the AI stethoscopes to GP practices in some British regions.

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