Voice serves as an indicator of heart failure
We know numerous examples from everyday life that Voice much regarding the health and state of mind reveals to a person. Anger, fear, joy and sorrow can often be heard. Many illnesses, such as the common cold, also affect the voice. A German research team now wants to use the voice in therapy cardiac insufficiency include
researchers of University Hospital Wuerzburg are currently developing a sensor that uses the pitch von heart failure sufferers conclusions regarding the state of health. This should be used therapeutically to prevent early Changes in the course of the disease uncover.
Four million heart failure sufferers in Germany
Around four million people in this country suffer from one cardiac insufficiencywho are medicinally considered heart failure referred to as. The heart disease is that most common reason for hospital admissions in Germany and causes more deaths than most cancers.
Recognizing early changes in the course of the disease can be of crucial importance for those affected. According to the latest findings, our voice can serve as an indicator to detect changes in the patient’s condition.
The voice as a biomarker for diseases
The team of German Center for Heart Failure (DZHI) at the University Hospital Würzburg has set itself the goal of vocal biomarkers in the Therapy of heart failure to integrate. The working group is currently developing a sensor for this purpose medically relevant changes should be determined by voice. The project is from Federal Ministry of Education and Research funded with a total of 1.248 million euros.
How heart failure affects the voice
“Heart failure is characterized in particular by frequently recurring water retention in the body”explains project leader Dr. Fabian Kerwagen. “If this so-called edema affects the vocal folds and the lungs, it can affect the voice of those affected.”
The new sensor is designed to make such changes by means of a artificial intelligence recognize. In this way, a decompensation, i.e. a Worsening of the course of the diseasecan be detected early and without extensive examinations.
Voice analysis of heart failure sufferers
At the beginning of 2023, the first voice analyzes are to be carried out at the DZHI and in the Medical Clinic and Polyclinic I at the University Hospital Würzburg. The votes of the participants are initially recorded over a period of several weeks using an app.
Among the test subjects are those affected by cardiac insufficiency in various phases of the disease. The aim is to train the AI to detect medically relevant changes in voice pitches.
Process can be integrated into existing sensors
The new sensor might be divided into a so-called Cosinuss-In-Ear-Sensor be integrated, which is already being used successfully to record body temperature, heart rate, oxygen saturation and respiratory rate.
“Enormous Potential”
According to project manager Kerwagen, the sensor “enormous potential for improving patient care in heart failure”, as it provides a non-invasive and cost-effective means of monitoring the health of people with heart failure. In this way, the state of health of a person can also be assessed from a distance.
“Combining patient voice with on-the-ear technology will enable comprehensive digital phenotyping of people with heart failure”sums up Kerwagen.
According to him, this opens up completely new possibilities for telemonitoring and prevention in patients with heart failure. (vb)
Author and source information
This text corresponds to the requirements of medical specialist literature, medical guidelines and current studies and has been checked by medical professionals.
Author:
Graduate editor (FH) Volker Blasek
Sources:
- University Hospital Würzburg: Voice as an indicator of cardiac insufficiency (published: 09/28/2022), ukw.de
Important NOTE:
This article contains general advice only and should not be used for self-diagnosis or treatment. He can not substitute a visit at the doctor.
