Listening to the sound of a beating heart can diagnose hard-to-detect diseases using new techniques that scientists are trying to turn into a mobile app.
Using only a stethoscope and a computer, researchers at the American Institute of Physics have created a system able to discover aortic valve stenosis, which can cause heart failure. Aortic valve stenosis occurs when the aortic valve narrows, constricting blood flow from the heart through the artery and to the entire body. In severe cases, it can lead to heart failure.
Scientists believe their newly created system could massively benefit rural communities, as a simple low-cost way to diagnose a disease that otherwise requires sophisticated technology.
