Latest news with #EkoHealth
Web Release
6 days ago
- Health
- Web Release
AI-ECG tools can help clinicians identify heart issues early in women planning to have children
Every year, some mothers die after giving birth due to heart problems, and many of these deaths could be prevented. The ability to screen for heart weakness before pregnancy could play a crucial role in identifying women who may need additional care to improve pregnancy outcomes. Mayo Clinic researchers, led by Anja Kinaszczuk, D.O., and Demilade Adedinsewo, M.B., Ch.B., tested artificial intelligence (AI) tools, using recordings from an electrocardiogram (ECG) and a digital stethoscope, to find unknown heart problems in women of childbearing age seen in primary care. Study findings published in the Annals of Family Medicine show high diagnostic performance of these technologies to detect left ventricular ejection fraction below 50%, indicating heart muscle weakness. These tools were tested on two groups of women aged 18 to 49: Group 1: 100 women already scheduled for an echocardiogram (the best test to evaluate heart muscle function). They also had a standard clinical ECG and digital stethoscope recording of the heart's electrical activity and heart sounds. Group 2: 100 women seen for routine primary care visits to see how often the AI tools would find heart problems. The AI-ECG demonstrated an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.94, while the AI digital stethoscope, Eko DUO, achieved an even higher AUC of 0.98, indicating strong diagnostic accuracy. In the second cohort, the prevalence of positive AI screening results was 1% for the AI-ECG and 3.2% for the AI-stethoscope. 'Statistically, nearly half of pregnancies in this country are unplanned, and approximately 1% to 2% of women may have heart problems they don't know about. Our research findings suggest that these AI tools could be used to screen women before pregnancy, allowing for improved pregnancy planning and risk stratification, early treatment, and better health outcomes which addresses a critical gap in current maternal care,' says Dr. Adedinsewo, a cardiologist and senior author of the study. This research builds upon earlier published studies, including a pilot prospective study evaluating AI digital tools to detect pregnancy-related cardiomyopathy among obstetric patients in the U.S. and a pragmatic randomized clinical trial of women in Nigeria who were pregnant or had recently given birth. Collectively, this research highlights the potential of AI to modernize cardiovascular screening, enabling earlier identification and management of heart muscle weakness in women of reproductive age. Further research is underway to explore the potential of using these technologies to screen for heart weakness in broader populations. Mayo Clinic has licensed the underlying technology to Eko Health for its digital stethoscope with embedded ECG electrodes and to Anumana for the 12-lead ECG. Mayo Clinic and some study authors have a financial interest in this technology. Mayo Clinic will use any revenue it receives to support its not-for-profit mission in patient care, education and research.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Boehringer Ingelheim and Eko Health Inc. enter digital health collaboration to improve heart murmur detection in dogs
A novel canine-specific detection algorithm is designed to improve early identification of heart disease and expand access to life-extending cardiac care for dogs Ingelheim, Germany, and San Francisco, Calif., June 10, 2025 | Boehringer Ingelheim, a global leader in animal health, and Eko Health, a pioneer in applying artificial intelligence (AI) for early detection of heart and lung diseases, have entered a strategic collaboration agreement. This collaboration brings together Boehringer's depth in canine cardiology with Eko Health's powerful AI algorithms and digital stethoscopes – already trusted by healthcare professionals worldwide, with over 650,000 devices sold for use in human medicine. Leveraging their combined expertise, along with Boehringer's proprietary algorithm developed with support from leading veterinary cardiologists worldwide, the partnership aims to enhance the early detection and diagnosis of heart disease in dogs. A canine-specific detection algorithm will be made available to veterinarians through a purpose-built Eko mobile app launching in 2026. A heart murmur in dogs is an audible sound resulting from turbulent blood flow when cardiac valves fail to close properly, similar to the condition observed in humans. Heart murmurs are a very typical finding in canine myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD)1, a chronic and common heart condition that is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in dogs2 and affects approximately 10 to 15% of dogs in their lifetime.3 'As a longtime leader in canine cardiology, we know that early diagnosis of MMVD and consideration of early appropriate treatment are key to helping affected dogs live better and longer lives; explained Dr. Erich Schött, Head of Pet Therapeutics and Pet Vaccines at Boehringer Ingelheim. 'By collaborating with Eko Health, we look forward to simplifying and improving canine heart murmur detection so that more dogs and pet owners can have additional years of life to love. The innovative tool will give veterinarians the ability to hear, see and document the sounds of heart murmurs and to share it with the dog owners.' Regular veterinary check-ups are vital for maintaining optimal health in dogs, yet many dogs are not evaluated for potential heart murmurs. In a typical clinic visit, veterinarians rely on an analog stethoscope to detect murmurs—often in noisy environments and during time-constrained exams. This traditional method can miss subtle or early-stage murmurs, especially those that fall outside the range of human hearing. Through this partnership, Boehringer Ingelheim and Eko are equipping veterinarians with a simple, powerful tool to detect heart murmurs earlier and with greater confidence.'We're proud to partner with Boehringer Ingelheim to deliver AI-powered tools that meaningfully improve how veterinarians detect heart disease,' said Connor Landgraf, CEO and co-founder of Eko Health. 'By combining Boehringer's global leadership in animal health with Eko's unique ability to deliver advanced detection algorithms to the point of care, we can help millions of pets—and the families who love them—receive the life-extending care they Boehringer Ingelheim Boehringer Ingelheim is a biopharmaceutical company active in both human and animal health. As one of the industry's top investors in Research and Development, the company focuses on developing innovative therapies in areas of high unmet medical need. Independent since its foundation in 1885, Boehringer takes a long-term perspective, embedding sustainability along the entire value chain. More than 53,500 employees serve over 130 markets to build a healthier, more sustainable, and equitable tomorrow. Learn more at About Boehringer Ingelheim – Animal Health business Boehringer Ingelheim provides first-in-class innovation for preventing and treating diseases in animals. The company offers a wide range of vaccines, parasite-control products, and medicines for pets, horses, and livestock to veterinarians, animal owners, farmers, and governments. As a leader in animal health, Boehringer Ingelheim values that the health of humans and animals is deeply connected and strives to make a difference for people, animals, and society. Learn more at For more information, visit About Eko Health Eko Health is a leading digital health company advancing how healthcare professionals detect and monitor heart and lung disease with its portfolio of digital stethoscopes, patient and provider software, and AI-powered analysis. Its FDA-cleared platform, with over 650,000 devices sold to clinicians globally, allows them to detect earlier and with higher accuracy, manage treatment effectively, and ultimately give their patients the best care possible. Eko Health is headquartered in Emeryville, California, with over $165 million in funding from ARTIS Ventures, DigiTx Partners, Double Point Ventures, EDBI, Highland Capital Partners, LG Technology Ventures, Mayo Clinic, Morningside Technology Ventures Limited, NTTVC, Questa Capital, and others. For more information, visit Hezzell M. Pathology and prognosis of canine myxomatous mitral valve disease. In pract.2018 Mar; 40 (S1): 3-6.2 Häggström, J et al. 'New insights into degenerative mitral valve disease in dogs.' Veterinary Clinics of North America: Small Animal Practice. 2004 vol 34, 5: 1209-1226. doi: 10.1016/ Keene, Bruce W et al. 'ACVIM consensus guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of myxomatous mitral valve disease in dogs.' Journal of veterinary internal medicine vol. 33,3 (2019): 1127-1140. in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Eko Health launches digital stethoscope membership in Canada
Eko Health has expanded into Canada with the launch of the CORE 500 Digital Stethoscope and Eko+ membership. This initiative comes after securing approval from Health Canada, allowing clinicians in the country to access digital auscultation technology for cardiac and pulmonary care. CORE 500, the company's 'advanced' stethoscope, is tailored to improve clinical evaluations via patented audio technology. This technology has three listening modes, pulmonary; wide; and cardiac, along with simultaneous electrocardiogram (ECG) and visualisation of heart sound and active noise cancellation. According to Eko Health, the audio technology claims to ensure 'clear' auscultation in any environment and is complemented by seamless connectivity with the company's web and mobile applications for capturing the data, as well as sharing and monitoring the patients. The stethoscope is available for purchase on the company's website and comes with a free trial membership to Eko+. The company noted that Eko+ is a subscription-based service that augments the offerings of its digital stethoscopes. Now accessible in Canada via the Google Play Store and Apple App Store, Eko+ claims to offer AI-supported heart murmur and AFib identification, tachycardia and bradycardia detection, guided multi-point exam flow, real-time waveform visualisation, and secure recording and sharing capabilities for asynchronous consultations. Healthcare professionals in provinces and territories across Canada, including Alberta, Manitoba, New Brunswick, and British Columbia, will be able to order the stethoscope and Eko+ via the company's website. Eko Health consumer general manager David Bakey said: 'Expanding into Canada is an exciting milestone for Eko as we continue to make high-quality digital stethoscopes and AI-powered solutions more accessible to clinicians worldwide. 'With the launch of CORE 500 and Eko+ in Canada, we're empowering healthcare professionals with cutting-edge tools that enhance auscultation, support clinical decision-making, and ultimately help improve patient care. We're excited to bring this technology to more providers and patients across Canada.' Eko Health is headquartered in the US and has received more than $165m in funding from investors, including ARTIS Ventures, Double Point Ventures, and EDBI, among others. Last year, the company secured $41m in a Series D funding round for scaling its AI-powered heart and lung disease detection. "Eko Health launches digital stethoscope membership in Canada" was originally created and published by Medical Device Network, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
