Cardiovascular Acoustics for Early Disease Detection

There are many types of heart disease. Two of the most common causes are narrowings within the blood vessels that supply the heart (known as coronary artery disease), or valves within the heart becoming narrowed (stenosed) or leaky (regurgitation), known as heart valve disease.

There are two main types of imaging used to test for these conditions. Coronary artery disease can be diagnosed by taking X-ray pictures of a dye when injected into the blood vessels. In some cases the dye is injected into the veins and a CT scanner is used (CT coronary angiography), in others the dye is injected via a tube placed in the artery (invasive coronary angiography). Valvular heart disease is normally diagnosed using an echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart).

In this study the investigators are looking for subtle changes in the sounds that come from the heart, which may allow heart disease to be detected earlier. The investigators are using a novel device, similar to a digital stethoscope, that has excellent sensitivity for heart sounds. Ultimately this may be used in community settings including GP surgeries, in this study the investigators are collecting sounds from patients undergoing routine scans as part of their workup for heart disease.