Personalised Cardiology - The Future Of Heart Health

Technology is driving the future of a personalised experience. From curated playlists on music apps to viewing recommendations on streaming platforms, algorithms are tailoring day-to-day experiences for the individual user. Even when it comes to fitness, apps allow us to set fitness goals, give personalised recommendations to achieve them, and track our progress.

This trend of personalisation is also revolutionising healthcare, transforming the way we prevent, diagnose, and treat disease. Personalised healthcare is bringing alive what Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, said over two thousand years ago: "It's far more important to know what person the disease has than what disease the person has".     

Deaths from cardiovascular disease (CVD) have seen a dramatic rise of around 60 per cent over the last three decades. CVD is the world’s number one killer, accounting for 20.5 million deaths in 2021 and is expected to reach 23.3 million in 2030. A matter of concern is that the progress against CVD is losing steam. While the rates of CVD deaths per 100,000 population have seen a dip  from 354.5 to 239.9 over the last thirty years, this trend is at risk of reversing if we do not take immediate action. It is here that personalised cardiology can change the game in favour of heart health!

It is common knowledge that around 80 per cent of premature heart attacks and strokes can be prevented. Imagine a world where your cardiologist knows your risk of developing heart disease before you even have symptoms. They could then advise you to take preventive measures that are specifically tailored to you, such as lifestyle changes or medication, to keep your heart healthy. This is the promise of personalised cardiology.

In a country like India, with its traditional holistic medical systems that consider not just the physical and psychological but also the philosophical, ethical, and spiritual well-being of every individual, personalised cardiology goes beyond technology to reconnect with the core principle of individual health. Personalised cardiology provides an innovative, integrated, and efficient solution using data, artificial intelligence, and modern diagnostic and monitoring tools.

The importance of Personalised Cardiology for India

Multiple studies have shown that Indians are at a higher risk of heart disease with an earlier age of onset, higher mortality, and more premature deaths.The reasons include the Asian Indian phenotype with a higher risk of developing heart disease due to clinical, biochemical, and metabolic factors leading to a propensity for excess body fat, high lipoprotein levels, and insulin resistance. The other reasons include mutations in specific genes found in Indians that increase the risk of early CVD development. Studies have found that 35 to 40 per cent of Indians carry a set of genetic variations, which puts them at higher risk of heart disease.

Personalised cardiology with an individual case management approach offers an effective way to meet the unique healthcare needs of India’s billion-plus inhabitants, with multiple benefits for both patients and healthcare systems.

Early Detection and Prevention: Healthy people are increasingly interested in keeping their own wellness under control and are open to adopting healthy lifestyles. Personalised cardiology allows the identification of individuals who are at risk and allows for early intervention and lifestyle modifications, potentially preventing heart disease before it even develops.

Improved Diagnosis: With advanced diagnostics and AI-powered analysis, personalised cardiology allows for a timely and more accurate diagnosis, ensuring that patients receive the most appropriate treatment. AI algorithms can analyse echocardiogram images and ECG data to detect heart abnormalities with greater accuracy than traditional methods.

Tailored Treatment Plans: Moving away from a one-size-fits-all approach, therapies and medications are selected based on individual needs and genetic makeup to maximise their effectiveness and minimise side effects.

Enhanced Engagement with Patients: Surveys have shown that patients prefer personalised and tailored care with a two-way dialogue with their doctor.The benefits of this are that patients understand their personal risk factors and get actively involved in their care. They are also more likely to adhere to treatment plans and make and adhere to healthy lifestyle changes.

Studies illustrate the significant benefit of personalised cardiology, underscoring its success in patients with chronic heart failure who receive case management-based interventions. The results demonstrate significantly higher treatment compliance and improved cardiac function compared to those receiving conventional treatment.

Impact on Healthcare Efficiency & Costs

Cardiovascular disease not only has an impact on an individual's well-being, but it also stifles economic growth by increasing healthcare costs and reducing productivity owing to disability, early mortality, and absenteeism. Increasing cases of CVD have resulted in a significant increase in health spending in India.  A Harvard School of Public Health and World Economic Forum report estimated that India will lose around USD 2.17 trillion in economic value due to CVD between 2012 and 2030. As a result, the critical need for customised cardiology is especially acute in India, where healthcare resources are often limited.

Ensuring that therapies are perfectly tailored to individual health needs allows for more efficient use of medical resources and lower healthcare expenditures. New wearable and implantable devices allow continuous monitoring of chronic patients. Wearable ECG monitors allow for long-term heart rhythm monitoring, enabling early detection of arrhythmias and personalised management plans. By preventing complications and hospitalisations, personalised cardiology has the potential to significantly reduce healthcare costs in the long run. Furthermore, the reduction in readmission rates and improvement in daily lifestyle over the long term highlight the potential for significant cost savings and improved resource utilisation through a personalised approach

Challenges and the Road Ahead

Despite the promising potential, several challenges need to be addressed. This includes data privacy and security, so that sensitive patient data is protected at all times. This will require robust security measures with clear regulations. Obstacles to the integration of personalised cardiology into existing healthcare systems may require infrastructure upgrades and changes in clinical workflows.

Overcoming these challenges requires collaboration between healthcare providers, technology companies, and policymakers. As research advances and technology becomes more accessible, personalised cardiology is poised to become the standard of care for heart health, ushering in a new era of precision medicine and improved patient outcomes, paving the way for a healthier tomorrow.

Jonathan Sternberg

Guest Author