Large Clinical Study Highlights Eko Health's AI for Early Detection of Pulmonary Hypertension

Published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, the study showcases the potential of AI-powered heart sound analysis to transform early detection and management of pulmonary hypertension.

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Eko Health, a leader in applying artificial intelligence (AI) for the early detection of heart and lung diseases, today announced publication of a peer-reviewed study evaluating its novel algorithm for the detection of pulmonary hypertension (PH). The study, which was published in the Journal of the American Heart Association (JAHA), highlighted the algorithm's ability to analyze heart sounds recorded with a digital stethoscope for identifying elevated pulmonary artery systolic pressures, a key indicator of PH.

The study underscores the potential of this non-invasive, rapid detection tool to aid clinical decision-making in primary care and other settings where costly or invasive diagnostic methods are less accessible. Additionally, the algorithm demonstrated its ability to pinpoint specific, clinically relevant segments of heart sound recordings, offering a transparent and explainable AI approach that aligns with physicians' diagnostic workflows.

"This innovative approach demonstrates how combining digital stethoscopes with advanced AI can lead to a low-cost, non-invasive, point-of-care screening tool for the early detection of pulmonary hypertension," said Dr. Gaurav Choudhary, Lead Principal Investigator, and Ruth and Paul Levinger Professor of Cardiology and Director of Cardiovascular Research at Brown University Health and the Alpert Medical School of Brown University. "Our findings represent a significant advancement in clinical practice that can ultimately enhance patient care."

The study utilized 6,000 heart sound recordings paired with echocardiographic pressure estimates to train the AI model. The algorithm demonstrated strong performance, with an average area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve of 0.79, a sensitivity of 71%, and a specificity of 73%. Ongoing data collection from over 1,200 patients continues to refine the model's accuracy and clinical utility, with the goal of further improving detection capabilities for broader clinical use.

"These encouraging results highlight Eko Health's unwavering commitment to advancing innovation in cardiopulmonary health," said Dr. Steve Steinhubl, Chair of Eko's Scientific Advisory Board and Cardiologist and Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Purdue University. "The company's goal is to develop pioneering AI solutions that address significant gaps in healthcare delivery. Early detection and intervention are essential in addressing cardiovascular diseases, and Eko is dedicated to providing accessible and scalable technologies that empower healthcare providers while improving patient care globally."

Pulmonary hypertension, characterized by elevated pressure in the blood vessels connecting the heart and lungs, places significant strain on the heart and can lead to heart failure, early disability, or mortality if left untreated. Despite being a serious condition, PH is often underdiagnosed due to the limited availability of effective detection tools. The condition is also present in people with heart and lung diseases and is estimated to impact up to 10% of people aged 65 and older globally, with millions more affected under the age of 65. Alarmingly, in severe cases, it can take over two years from the onset of symptoms to receive a proper diagnosis.²

Eko's algorithm was partially funded through a $2.7 Million Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant awarded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to Eko and Dr. Choudhary. The funding supported a collaboration with Brown University Health System's Cardiovascular Institute, enabling research into innovative early detection methods for conditions that demand timely intervention.

For more insights into Eko Health and its portfolio of transformative cardiopulmonary solutions, please visit www.ekohealth.com.

About Eko

Eko Health is a leading digital health company advancing how healthcare professionals detect and monitor heart and lung disease with its portfolio of digital stethoscopes, patient and provider software, and AI-powered analysis. Its FDA-cleared platform, used by over 500,000 healthcare professionals worldwide, allows them to detect earlier and with higher accuracy, diagnose with more confidence, manage treatment effectively, and ultimately give their patients the best care possible. Eko Health is headquartered in Emeryville, California, with over $165 million in funding from ARTIS Ventures, DigiTx Partners, Double Point Ventures, EDBI, Highland Capital Partners, LG Technology Ventures, Mayo Clinic, Morningside Technology Ventures Limited, NTTVC, Questa Capital, and others.

About Brown University Health

Formed in 1994, Brown University Health is a not-for-profit health system based in Providence, R.I. comprised of three teaching hospitals of The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University: Rhode Island Hospital and its Hasbro Children's Hospital; The Miriam Hospital; and Bradley Hospital, the nation's first psychiatric hospital for children; Newport Hospital, a community hospital offering a broad range of health services; Gateway Healthcare, the state's largest provider of community behavioral health care; Brown Health Medical Group, the largest multi-specialty practice in Rhode Island; and Brown Health Medical Group Primary Care, a primary care driven medical practice. Brown University Health teaching hospitals are among the country's top recipients of research funding from the National Institutes of Health. The hospitals received over $145 million in external research funding in fiscal 2023. All Brown University Health-affiliated partners are charitable organizations that depend on support from the community to provide programs and services.

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SOURCE Eko Health