New app can replace ultrasound to measure heart health

New York

Want to know how healthy your heart is? Now there is an app for that. Researchers have shown that the camera on your smartphone can non-invasively provide detailed information about your heart’s health.

With this app, what used to require a 45-minute scan from an ultrasound machine can now be accomplished by simply holding your phone up to your neck for a minute or two, according to a study published in the Journal of Critical Care Medicine. The team developed a technique that can infer the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of the heart by measuring the amount that the carotid artery displaces the skin of the neck as blood pumps through it. LVEF is most commonly measured using an ultrasound machine during a procedure known as echocardiography. (IANS)