AI Tools Show Promise in Early Detection of Heart Dysfunction in Women of Reproductive Age

AI tools show promise in detecting early heart dysfunction in women

American Academy of Family PhysiciansApr 30 2025 Background and goal: This study evaluated the performance of an artificial intelligence-enabled electrocardiogram (AI-ECG) and an AI-powered digital stethoscope to see how well they could detect early signs of heart dysfunction in women of reproductive age. Study approach: In this cross-sectional pilot study, researchers examined two groups of women aged 18 to 49 who were considering pregnancy. Women who were currently pregnant or within one year postpartum were also included. The first group included 100 women already scheduled for an echocardiogram. The second group of women with no indication for an echocardiogram were seen at a primary care appointment for routine care. All participants received two tests: a standard 10-second 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) and a digital stethoscope recording that captured a 15-second, single-lead ECG and phonocardiogram (heart sounds) from up to three locations on the chest. AI models analyzed the ECG and stethoscope recordings to estimate each participant's risk of having left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD), a type of heart dysfunction. Main results: Group 1 (diagnostic cohort, women scheduled for echocardiograms): Five percent of women had LVSD. The AI-ECG showed a negative predictive value of 96.8% and the AI-stethoscope achieved 100%. Among women who screened positive using the AI tools, 33.3% (using the AI-ECG) and 22.7% (using the AI-stethoscope) truly had LVSD. Group 2 (screening cohort, women seen during routine primary care visits): Using the AI-ECG, only 1% of women in this low-risk sample screened positive. A follow-up echocardiogram in that patient showed a normal ventricular ejection fraction. With the AI-stethoscope, 3.2% of the sample had a positive screen. Why it matters: The findings from this study highlight the potential of quick, low-cost AI tools to help detect early signs of heart dysfunction during regular primary care visits. American Academy of Family Physicians

AI tools could prevent maternal heart-related deaths

Mayo ClinicApr 29 2025 Every year, some mothers die after giving birth due to heart problems, and many of these deaths could be prevented. The ability to screen for heart weakness before pregnancy could play a crucial role in identifying women who may need additional care to improve pregnancy outcomes. Mayo Clinic researchers, led by Anja Kinaszczuk, D.O., and Demilade Adedinsewo, M.D., tested artificial intelligence (AI) tools, using recordings from an electrocardiogram (ECG) and a digital stethoscope, to find unknown heart problems in women of childbearing age seen in primary care. Study findings published in the Annals of Family Medicine show high diagnostic performance of these technologies to detect left ventricular ejection fraction below 50%, indicating heart muscle weakness. These tools were tested on two groups of women aged 18 to 49. Group 1: 100 women already scheduled for an echocardiogram (the best test to evaluate heart muscle function). They also had a standard clinical ECG and digital stethoscope recording of the heart's electrical activity and heart sounds. Group 2: 100 women seen for routine primary care visits to see how often the AI tools would find heart problems. The AI-ECG demonstrated an area under the curve (AUC) of .94 while the AI digital stethoscope, Eko DUO, achieved an even higher AUC of 0.98, indicating strong diagnostic accuracy. In the second cohort, the prevalence of positive AI screening results was 1% for the AI-ECG and 3.2% for the AI-stethoscope. Statistically, nearly half of pregnancies in this country are unplanned, and approximately 1% to 2% of women may have heart problems they don't know about. Our research findings suggest that these AI tools could be used to screen women before pregnancy, allowing for improved pregnancy planning and risk stratification, early treatment, and better health outcomes which addresses a critical gap in current maternal care." Dr. Demilade Adedinsewo, cardiologist and senior author of the study This research builds upon earlier published studies, including a pilot prospective study evaluating AI digital tools to detect pregnancy-related cardiomyopathy among obstetric patients in the U.S. and a pragmatic randomized clinical trial of women in Nigeria who were pregnant or had recently given birth. Collectively, this research highlights the potential of AI to modernize cardiovascular screening, enabling earlier identification and management of heart muscle weakness in women of reproductive age. Further research is underway to explore the potential of using these technologies to screen for heart weakness in broader populations. Mayo Clinic has licensed the underlying technology to EKO Health for its digital stethoscope with embedded ECG electrodes and to Anumana for the 12-lead ECG. Mayo Clinic and some study authors have a financial interest in this technology. Mayo Clinic will use any revenue it receives to support its not-for-profit mission in patient care, education and research. Mayo Clinic Journal reference: Kinaszczuk, A., et al. (2025). Artificial Intelligence Tools for Preconception Cardiomyopathy Screening Among Women of Reproductive Age. The Annals of Family Medicine. doi.org/10.1370/afm.230627.

AI-ECG aids early heart issue detection in women

Every year, some mothers die after giving birth due to heart problems, and many of these deaths could be prevented. The ability to screen for heart weakness before pregnancy could play a crucial role in identifying women who may need additional care to improve pregnancy outcomes. Mayo Clinic researchers, led by Anja Kinaszczuk, D.O., and Demilade Adedinsewo, M.D., tested artificial intelligence (AI) tools, using recordings from an electrocardiogram (ECG) and a digital stethoscope, to find unknown heart problems in women of childbearing age seen in primary care. Study findings published in the Annals of Family Medicine show high diagnostic performance of these technologies to detect left ventricular ejection fraction below 50%, indicating heart muscle weakness. These tools were tested on two groups of women aged 18 to 49. The AI-ECG demonstrated an area under the curve (AUC) of .94 while the AI digital stethoscope, Eko DUO, achieved an even higher AUC of 0.98, indicating strong diagnostic accuracy. In the second cohort, the prevalence of positive AI screening results was 1% for the AI-ECG and 3.2% for the AI-stethoscope. "Statistically, nearly half of pregnancies in this country are unplanned, and approximately 1% to 2% of women may have heart problems they don't know about. Our research findings suggest that these AI tools could be used to screen women before pregnancy, allowing for improved pregnancy planning and risk stratification, early treatment, and better health outcomes which addresses a critical gap in current maternal care," says Dr. Adedinsewo, a cardiologist and senior author of the study. This research builds upon earlier published studies, including a pilot prospective study evaluating AI digital tools to detect pregnancy-related cardiomyopathy among obstetric patients in the U.S. and a pragmatic randomized clinical trial of women in Nigeria who were pregnant or had recently given birth. Collectively, this research highlights the potential of AI to modernize cardiovascular screening, enabling earlier identification and management of heart muscle weakness in women of reproductive age. Further research is underway to explore the potential of using these technologies to screen for heart weakness in broader populations. Mayo Clinic has licensed the underlying technology to EKO Health for its digital stethoscope with embedded ECG electrodes to Anumana for the 12-lead ECG. Mayo Clinic and some study authors have a financial interest in this technology. Mayo Clinic will use any revenue it receives to support its not-for-profit mission in patient care, education and research.

AI-ECG Tools Can Help Clinicians Identify Heart Issues Early in Women Planning to Have Children | Newswise

Newswise -- ROCHESTER, Minn. -- Every year, some mothers die after giving birth due to heart problems, and many of these deaths could be prevented. The ability to screen for heart weakness before pregnancy could play a crucial role in identifying women who may need additional care to improve pregnancy outcomes. Mayo Clinic researchers, led by Anja Kinaszczuk, D.O., and Demilade Adedinsewo, M.D., tested artificial intelligence (AI) tools, using recordings from an electrocardiogram (ECG) and a digital stethoscope, to find unknown heart problems in women of childbearing age seen in primary care. Study findings published in the Annals of Family Medicine show high diagnostic performance of these technologies to detect left ventricular ejection fraction below 50%, indicating heart muscle weakness. These tools were tested on two groups of women aged 18 to 49. The AI-ECG demonstrated an area under the curve (AUC) of .94 while the AI digital stethoscope, Eko DUO, achieved an even higher AUC of 0.98, indicating strong diagnostic accuracy. In the second cohort, the prevalence of positive AI screening results was 1% for the AI-ECG and 3.2% for the AI-stethoscope. "Statistically, nearly half of pregnancies in this country are unplanned, and approximately 1% to 2% of women may have heart problems they don't know about. Our research findings suggest that these AI tools could be used to screen women before pregnancy, allowing for improved pregnancy planning and risk stratification, early treatment, and better health outcomes which addresses a critical gap in current maternal care," says Dr. Adedinsewo, a cardiologist and senior author of the study. This research builds upon earlier published studies, including a pilot prospective study evaluating AI digital tools to detect pregnancy-related cardiomyopathy among obstetric patients in the U.S. and a pragmatic randomized clinical trial of women in Nigeria who were pregnant or had recently given birth. Collectively, this research highlights the potential of AI to modernize cardiovascular screening, enabling earlier identification and management of heart muscle weakness in women of reproductive age. Further research is underway to explore the potential of using these technologies to screen for heart weakness in broader populations. Mayo Clinic has licensed the underlying technology to EKO Health for its digital stethoscope with embedded ECG electrodes and to Anumana for the 12-lead ECG. Mayo Clinic and some study authors have a financial interest in this technology. Mayo Clinic will use any revenue it receives to support its not-for-profit mission in patient care, education and research. ### About Mayo Clinic Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news.