Research aims to harness technology for improved heart and brain health

A spotlight issue of the Journal of the American Heart Association features findings by multidisciplinary centers awarded research grants through the American Heart Association’s Strategically Focused Research Network on Health Technologies and Innovation Research teams share findings and progress on projects aimed at harnessing digital solutions — including text messaging, smartphone apps, wearable devices and artificial intelligence — to improve health, reduce health care disparities, empower people to better manage their health and wellness and enhance patient/clinician connectivity in a special issue of the Journal of the American Heart Association.

Topics in this issue include:the effectiveness of an “EyePhone” smartphone application to diagnose stroke by detecting a type of rapid, uncontrollable eye movement;using text messaging to promote physical activity for people undergoing cardiac rehabilitation;

testing mobile health apps that leverage wearables devices to improve physical activity and nutrition in people with high blood pressure; and using artificial intelligence to detect rheumatic heart disease.



DALLAS, Jan. 16, 2024 — A special issue of the Journal of the American Heart Association spotlights the progress of ongoing projects aimed at developing breakthrough digital technology solutions to improve heart and brain health on a global scale. The projects were funded in 2020 by more than $14 million in scientific grants through the American Heart Association’s Strategically Focused Health Technologies and Innovation Research Network.



Improving health care for all will require technology-based solutions, however, many people avoid technology solutions for a variety of reasons including lack of trust, relevance or ease of use, according to American Heart Association volunteer and author of the issue’s Editor’s Page James A. Weyhenmeyer, Ph.D.


“These gaps presented an opportunity for the research community to validate or create scalable, engaging health-tech solutions up and down the health continuum with the potential to improve health for people across the socioeconomic spectrum,” said Weyhenmeyer, former vice president for research and economic development at Auburn University and chair of the Association’s peer review team for the selection of the new grant recipients.



“This Strategically Focused Research Network provides the American Heart Association with a mechanism to enhance the understanding of the ability for digital technology to improve health metrics and lower health care costs by engaging patients in self-care and self-prevention.”



This issue represents the first published collection of work from the Network’s funding, which went to collaborative and multidisciplinary research teams at Boston University, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, Johns Hopkins University, Stanford University School of Medicine and University of Michigan.



“These initial findings are promising. They represent an important step toward our goal — the validation of scalable digital solutions for cardiovascular disease. Research projects underway and featured in this special journal issue look at creating digital solutions and making them evidence-based, accessible and user-friendly — whether health care professionals or patients use them,” Weyhenmeyer said.



Highlights of some of the research include: Quantifying Induced Nystagmus Using a Smartphone Eye Tracking Application (EyePhone) - Ali Saber Tehrani, M.D., et al.; The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine



This research team developed “EyePhone,” a smartphone application to help diagnose stroke in people with nonspecific symptoms by detecting a type of rapid, uncontrollable eye movement, called nystagmus, that is associated with stroke. The technology performed well with similar accuracy to currently used standard devices, like video-oculography goggles. Acceptability of a Text Message Based Mobile Health Intervention to Promote Physical Activity in Cardiac Rehabilitation Enrollees: A Qualitative Sub-Study of Participant Perspectives - Namratha Atluri, M.D., et al.; University of Michigan



Recognizing the challenges associated with recruitment and retention of patients for cardiac rehabilitation programs, this team looked at ways to improve communications. People undergoing cardiac rehabilitation found the mobile text message-based intervention simple and motivating. However, researchers noted the need for more personalization and inclusion of clinical and social support to increase the text messages’ usefulness.

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