AI can end age biases in cardiac health care

The advent of artificial intelligence (AI) has revolutionised health care over the past decade by transforming the way physicians diagnose, treat, and manage diseases, and by making medical services more efficient, accurate, and personalised.

- Naresh Trehan

This, in turn, helps clinicians to ensure that all patients receive precise, evidence-based treatment, irrespective of age, gender, or co-morbidities.

On World Heart Day, let us consider the grave challenge before us, where AI can be of use. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the primary cause of morbidity and mortality in the world, representing an estimated 17.9 million deaths — a whopping 31% of all deaths across the globe.

India is one of the countries most burdened by CVDs, thus earning the moniker “heart attack capital of the world”. Even worse, a notable number of cardiac-related deaths occur in individuals under the age of 50 years — a decade earlier than those living in western countries. This shockingly high number of patients suffering from CVDs has necessitated finding ways to accurately identify and treat “at-risk” individuals before they fall prey to this deadly disease.