Mayo Clinic researchers have tested new AI-powered heart screening tools that could help save the lives of women during pregnancy by detecting hidden heart problems early. These tools use an ECG (electrocardiogram) and a digital stethoscope to check for signs of a weak heart muscle, even before pregnancy begins.
Heart-related issues are one of the leading causes of death after childbirth, but many of these cases could be prevented if doctors knew about heart problems in advance. With almost half of all pregnancies being unplanned, early heart screening could make a big difference.
The study, led by Dr. Anja Kinaszczuk and Dr. Demilade Adedinsewo, tested these tools on two groups of women aged 18 to 49:
- Group 1: 100 women who were already going for a heart ultrasound (echocardiogram). They were also tested with the AI-powered ECG and digital stethoscope.
- Group 2: 100 women at regular doctor visits to see how often the AI could catch unknown heart issues.
The AI-ECG showed strong accuracy with a score of 0.94 out of 1, and the digital stethoscope (Eko DUO) scored 0.98, showing it was very good at spotting low ejection fraction—a sign of weak heart muscles.
In the second group, the AI tools flagged 1% of women using the ECG and 3.2% using the stethoscope as possibly having heart issues.
“These tools could help screen women before pregnancy to find heart risks early, guide treatment, and improve outcomes,” said Dr. Adedinsewo, a cardiologist and lead author.
The technology used in this study has been licensed to Eko Health (for the smart stethoscope) and Anumana (for the 12-lead ECG). Some Mayo Clinic researchers are involved with these companies, but any money earned will go toward Mayo Clinic’s non-profit work.
This research builds on earlier studies in both the U.S. and Nigeria and shows how AI can modernize heart screening—especially for women of childbearing age. More research is ongoing to test these tools on larger and more diverse groups.
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