Can You Spot Cardiac Problems by Turning Your Heartbeat into Music? Doctors Say Yes.

Heart problems often sneak up on people until it’s too late. Sure, there are warning signs–chest pain, shortness of breath and so on–but there are other cardiac issues are more insidious and require time and special equipment to diagnose.

How can you protect yourself against an unexpected myocardial infarction or blown valve? Maybe by turning your heartbeat into music and listening for problems. From the Daily Mail.

Elaine Chew, a pianist and professor of digital media at Queen Mary University of London, is analysing heartbeat patterns in patients with rhythm disorders — called arrhythmias — and turning them into pieces of classical music.

She believes once heartbeats are presented in a musical score, it is easier to find trends and this, in turn, could help doctors recognise subtypes of arrhythmia more accurately, leading to more effective treatment.

Cool, no? You can read the rest of the article here.

Meanwhile, you may have heard about Apple’s study on irregular heart rhythms. As someone with a long history of cardiac disease in my family, I’m already in.