Researchers have found that a finger-worn device equipped with an artificial intelligence algorithm can accurately detect moderate to severe aortic stenosis, a life-threatening heart valve condition, in Black patients who have historically been underdiagnosed.
Aortic stenosis can be fatal if left untreated. Symptoms such as fatigue, shortness of breath, and dizziness are often mistaken for normal signs of aging, leading to delays in diagnosis and treatment.
Older Black Americans are often less likely to be diagnosed with this condition and are at a higher risk of death from it compared to other groups.
The researchers reported at the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions meeting in Montreal that the AI algorithm, which analyzes blood flow signals captured by a simple finger-worn device, was highly effective in identifying moderate to severe aortic stenosis in Black patients. A total of 346 people, both with and without aortic stenosis, participated in a trial of Edwards Life Sciences’ Acumin IQ device. The air-filled device is worn on the finger to continuously measure the patient’s pulse and arterial blood pressure.
Researchers said the algorithm performed well across different ages and races, as well as in both males and females, without any observed bias. It correctly identified 90.5 percent of moderate to severe aortic stenosis cases in the overall patient group and 100 percent of cases in Black patients.
“Our findings give hope to populations that are likely to have fewer opportunities to access care,” said Pedro Ángel González, lead author of the study from Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, in a statement.
The researchers noted that the finger-worn device is affordable and a readily deployable screening tool that does not require specialized cardiology equipment. Gonzales said: “Something as simple as a device that wraps around the finger and an algorithm can help improve early diagnosis and provide the care that patients need.”
