Wearable sensors and artificial intelligence (AI) could help predict the onset of cardiovascular disease by assessing an individual's changes in aerobic responses, according to research published Feb. 23 in the Journal of Applied Physiology.
“The onset of a lot of chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, has a direct impact on our aerobic fitness,” said lead researcher Thomas Beltrame, PhD, of the Institute of Computing in University of Campinas in Brazil. “In the near future, we believe it will be possible to continuously check your health, even before you realize that you need medical help.”
The study, spearheaded by researchers from the University of Waterloo in Canada, assessed 13 healthy men in their 20s who wore a “smart shirt” that integrated sensors for heart rate, breathing and acceleration or body movement. The researchers compared the data with laboratory responses, determining it was possible to accurately predict health-related benchmarks.
“Although speculative, these algorithms have the potential to be incorporated into wearable systems for early detection of changes in health status in realistic environments by detecting changes in aerobic response dynamics,” Beltrame et al. wrote.
The researchers hope to test these systems on mixed ages and genders as well as on people with health issues to determine how the sensors can be worn to gauge cardiovascular-related health problems.
“This multi-disciplinary research is a great example of how artificial intelligence can be a potential game-changer for healthcare by turning data into predictive knowledge to help healthcare professionals better understand an individual’s health,” the authors concluded. “It can have a significant impact on improving quality of life and well-being.”
As a senior news writer for TriMed, Subrata covers cardiology, clinical innovation and healthcare business. She has a master’s degree in communication management and 12 years of experience in journalism and public relations.