Developing a better way to diagnose different types of heart failure

New technology for monitoring heart function by analysing arterial waves: A feasibility study in people

As the heart contracts, it generates a wave of increased blood flow through our arteries. As it relaxes, flow decreases. Studies have shown that analysing these ‘arterial waves’ could help distinguish between two types of heart failure - systolic heart failure where the heart does not contract adequately, and diastolic heart failure where the heart does not relax fully. Until now, methods for measuring arterial wave intensities were too invasive, inaccurate or expensive for routine use. Professor Weinberg’s lab has developed an easy-to-use, non-invasive and relatively low-cost method. It combines a new mathematical formula for analysing the strength of arterial waves with state-of-the-art ultrasound techniques, which can measure the speed of blood flow over time. In this project, they will try to improve this technique and test its accuracy in healthy human volunteers and heart failure patients. They will then see if this type of measurement can detect the differences between heart function in healthy volunteers and patients with systolic heart failure. Current methods for diagnosing heart failure are costly and time consuming, requiring doctors to assess echocardiograms (ECGs). If successful, this new method could be installed on current clinical ultrasound scanners and used by non-specialists. This has potential to provide easier and more accurate diagnosis of heart failure, so that people receive the best treatment for their condition sooner.