Viz.ai, Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Association Team Up on HCM Care

Viz.ai is collaborating with the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Association (HCMA) to educate and advance hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) research and treatment 

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is the most commonly inherited cardiovascular disease and one of the leading causes of sudden cardiac death in people under age 35. Despite its serious nature, only 20% of the estimated 1 million people in the United States with HCM have been diagnosed.¹ HCM causes a person’s heart muscles to thicken, making it harder for their heart to pump blood. HCM is associated with increased risks of atrial fibrillation, mitral valve disease, and heart failure.²

“Thanks to our partnership with Viz.ai, we now have the opportunity to offer more support, advocacy, and education to patients, families, the medical community, and the public regarding hypertrophic cardiomyopathy,” HCMA Founder/CEO Lisa Salberg stated. “Together, we can enhance the lives of individuals with HCM, prevent premature deaths, and advance global understanding. There have been significant advancements in treatment options for those with HCM in recent years, and our current challenge is to identify and provide access to these new life-improving treatments for those who have been misdiagnosed or undiagnosed.”

It can take two to five years for patients to receive an HCM diagnosis after symptoms start. Viz has developed and deployed the first and only regulatory-cleared machine learning algorithm to detect signs of HCM on routine ecg’s and direct patients to the right specialists for the right treatment. Viz HCM has been shown to help expedite the process to 90 days, from initial AI-powered detection of suspected HCM to diagnosis confirmation.³ Viz.ai has also launched its HCM Education Series, educational webinars led by key opinion leaders, including HCM specialists and patient advocates.

“We’re thrilled to collaborate with the HCMA and have a positive impact on HCM patient care by addressing the misdiagnosis, and even, underdiagnosis of this disease and the lengthy patient journey,” Viz.ai Chief Product Officer Gad Sakin said. “We hope that by identifying the disease earlier, we can enable patients with HCM to have a higher quality of life and help risk stratify patients early.”

San Francisco-based Viz.ai uses AI algorithms and machine learning to increase the speed of diagnosis and care across more than 1,600 hospitals and health systems in the United States and Europe. The AI-powered Viz.ai One is an intelligent care coordination solution that identifies more patients with a suspected disease, informs critical decisions at the point of care, and optimizes care pathways and helps improve outcomes. 

The Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Association was founded in 1996 as an international resource for patients, families, and the medical community on matters of importance to the HCM community. HCM is a genetic heart muscle disorder affecting one in 250 people worldwide. The HCMA provides services to enhance understanding, provide support, foster research, ensure high-quality healthcare and support public policies of importance to the community. The HCMA maintains a network of more than 50 HCMA Recognized Centers of Excellence for the treatment and management of HCM. The HCMA is a 501c(3) with offices in Denville, N.J. 

References
¹ Maron BJ, Desai MY, Nishimura RA, et al. Management of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: JACC State-of-the-Art Review. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2022;79(4):390-414. doi: 10.1016/j.jac.2021.11.021Maron B et al (2022) JACC.
² Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). www.heart.org. May 29, 2024. Accessed June 5, 2024. https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/cardiomyopathy/what-is-cardiomyopathy-in-adults/hypertrophic-cardiomyopathy.
³ Result from pilot site. Data on file at Viz.ai.