Cardiologs, a Boston-based AI technology company, has announced the beginning of a new clinical trial that will involve monitoring the cardiac health of COVID-19 patients being treated with hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin.
Cardiologs will use its own AI technology to track the ECG data of study participants for 10 days, watching for signs of QT prolongation. The study is to take place at the University Hospital of Marseille in France.
“A significant QT prolongation can lead to ventricular arrhythmia and potentially deadly consequences,” Laurent Fiorina, a Cardiologs specialist and cardiologist at the Cardiovascular Institute Paris Sud, said in a statement. “It is thus important to closely monitor the QT interval during this treatment.”
“This study has implications for risk management of drug-induced cardiotoxicity, even beyond the current COVID-19 and hydroxychloroquine context,” Jag Singh, MD, PhD, a cardiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and a scientific advisor to Cardiologs, said in the same statement. “Personal ECG sensors could potentially find a role in the management of these patients, but also add value in other routine clinical care, since over 300 commonly used drugs may have similar QT-prolongation risks as hydroxychloroquine.”
Medical societies have urged caution when using hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin to treat COVID-19 patients who have cardiovascular disease. The most prominent U.S. study of the drugs’ impact on COVID-19 patients found that they can lead to increases in patient mortality.
Michael has more than 16 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.