(Press-News.org) NEW YORK/TORONTO – September 10, 2024 – Researchers at Klick Labs unveiled a cutting-edge, non-invasive technique that can predict chronic high blood pressure (hypertension) with a high degree of accuracy using just a person's voice. Just published in the peer-reviewed journal IEEE Access, the findings hold tremendous potential for advancing early detection of chronic high blood pressure and showcase yet another novel way to harness vocal biomarkers for better health outcomes.
The study’s 245 participants were asked to record their voices up to six times daily for two weeks by speaking into a proprietary mobile app, developed by the Klick scientists, which detected high blood pressure with accuracies up to 84 percent for females and 77 percent for males. The app uses machine learning to analyze hundreds of vocal biomarkers that are indiscernible to the human ear, including the variability in pitch (fundamental frequency), the patterns in speech energy distribution (Mel-frequency cepstral coefficients), and the sharpness of sound changes (spectral contrast).
“By leveraging various classifiers and establishing gender-based predictive models, we discovered a more accessible way to detect hypertension, which we hope will lead to earlier intervention for this widespread global health issue. Hypertension can lead to a number of complications, from heart attacks and kidney problems to dementia,” said Yan Fossat, senior vice president of Klick Labs and principal investigator of the study.
More Accessible Screening for the “Silent Killer”
The World Health Organization (WHO) refers to hypertension as the ‘‘silent killer,’’ as well as a global public health concern that affects over 25 percent of the global population. Half are unaware of their condition, and more than 75 percent of those diagnosed live in low- or middle-income countries.
Conventional methods of measuring blood pressure (and, accordingly, identifying hypertension) include using an arm cuff (sphygmomanometry) or an automatic blood pressure measurement device. However, these methods may require technical expertise, specialized equipment, and may not be readily accessible to people in underserved areas.
This study marks Klick Labs' first venture into using voice technology to identify conditions beyond diabetes, as the company expands its research to assess its AI algorithms’ effectiveness in detecting and managing a broader range of health conditions. Klick Labs has been collaborating with hospitals, academic institutions, and public health authorities worldwide since its research revealed that voice analysis combined with AI can accurately screen for Type 2 diabetes in Mayo Clinic Proceedings: Digital Health in October 2023). Last week, Scientific Reports published another Klick Labs' study confirming the link between blood glucose levels and voice pitch.
"Voice technology has the potential to exponentially transform healthcare, making it more accessible and affordable, especially for large, underserved populations,” said Jaycee Kaufman, Klick Labs research scientist and co-author of the study. "Our ongoing research increasingly demonstrates the significant promise of vocal biomarkers in detecting hypertension, diabetes, and a growing list of other health conditions.”
About Klick Applied Sciences (including Klick Labs)
Klick Applied Sciences’ diverse team of data scientists, engineers, and biological scientists conducts scientific research and develops AI/ML and software solutions as part of the company’s work to support commercial efforts using its proven business, scientific, medical, and technological expertise. In 2023, it announced groundbreaking research, published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings: Digital Health, around the AI model it created to detect Type 2 diabetes using 10 seconds of voice. Klick Applied Sciences is part of the Klick Group of companies, which also includes Klick Health (including Klick Katalyst and btwelve), Klick Media Group, Klick Consulting, Klick Ventures, and Sensei Labs. Established in 1997, Klick has offices in New York, Philadelphia, Toronto, London, São Paulo, and Singapore. Klick has consistently been ranked a Best Managed Company, Great Place to Work, Best Workplace for Women, Best Workplace for Inclusion, Best Workplace for Professional Services, and Most Admired Corporate Culture.
For more information, or a copy of the abstract, please contact Klick PR at pr@klick.com or 416-214-4977.
END
Scientists use AI to detect chronic high blood pressure in people’s voice recordings
IEEE journal publishes new Klick Labs findings on using vocal biomarkers and AI to identify hypertension; “silent killer” study extends team’s research beyond Type 2 diabetes detection and blood glucose monitoring
2024-09-10
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
NIH Kids First Program announces the release of three new pediatric research datasets exploring childhood rare disease
2024-09-10
WHO: The Gabriella Miller Kids First Pediatric Research Program (Kids First), an initiative of the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
WHAT: Kids First announces the release of three comprehensive new pediatric research datasets exploring childhood cancers and congenital disorders. New publicly available datasets include:
CHILDHOOD CANCERS
Gabriella Miller Kids First (GMKF) Pediatric Research Program in Susceptibility to Ewing Sarcoma Based on Germline Risk and Familial History of Cancer.
Principal Investigators: Joshua D. Schiffman, MD. Huntsman Cancer Institute, ...
Pressure sensing by muscles is a promising new target for treatments
2024-09-10
A new study from Umeå University, Sweden, shows that the body's muscles sense mechanical pressure. This new discovery has important implications for movement neuroscience and may improve the design of training and rehabilitation to relieve stiff muscles.
"The results provide an important piece of the puzzle in understanding what information our nervous system receives from muscles," says Michael Dimitriou, associate professor at the Department of Medical and Translational Biology, ...
Women with asthma are more likely to miscarry and need fertility treatment
2024-09-10
Women who are being treated for asthma are more likely to miscarry and need fertility treatment to get pregnant, according to a large study presented at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Congress in Vienna, Austria [1]. However, the study also suggests that most women with asthma are able to have babies.
The study was presented by Dr Anne Vejen Hansen from the department of respiratory medicine at Copenhagen University Hospital, Denmark.
She said: “Asthma is common in women of reproductive age. Previous ...
MD Anderson Research Highlights Special Edition: ESMO 2024
2024-09-10
ABSTRACTS: 510MO, 618MO, 1821MO, 71MO, 995MO
BARCELONA, Spain ― The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Research Highlights provides a glimpse into recent basic, translational and clinical cancer research from MD Anderson experts. This special edition features upcoming oral presentations by MD Anderson researchers at the 2024 European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress focused on clinical advances across a variety of cancer types.
In addition to the studies summarized below, forthcoming press releases will feature the following oral presentations:
Initial results from a first-in-human ...
Appalachian State University chooses Figshare as its new institutional repository platform
2024-09-10
Figshare, a leading provider of institutional repository infrastructure that supports open research, is pleased to announce that Appalachian State University has chosen Figshare as its new institutional repository platform to share, showcase and manage its research outputs.
Appalachian State University (App State) – part of the University of North Carolina System – chose Figshare as its new repository platform to replace the NC DOCKS consortial repository, which was created in 2007 and is slated to shut down at the end of 2024. The team at App State wanted to ...
Drug treatment shows promise for dangerous snoring condition, obstructive sleep apnea
2024-09-10
Patients taking sulthiame, a drug currently in use for epilepsy, experienced a reduction in their symptoms of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), according to results of a clinical trial presented at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Congress in Vienna, Austria [1].
Patients with OSA often snore loudly, their breathing starts and stops during the night, and they may wake up several times. Not only does this cause tiredness, but it can also increase the risk of high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease and type 2 diabetes. OSA is very common, but many people do not ...
Experimental blood test predicts risk for developing COPD, other severe respiratory diseases
2024-09-10
A scientific team supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has created a preclinical blood test to identify adults most likely to develop severe respiratory conditions, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The blood test analyzes 32 proteins that scientists determined accurately predicted an adult with an increased likelihood for requiring medical care for or dying from severe respiratory illness. The risk score was based on lung health data collected from nearly 2,500 U.S. adults over a 30-year period. The findings were published ...
Girls may start puberty early due to chemical exposure
2024-09-10
WASHINGTON—Girls exposed to certain endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) may be more likely to start puberty early, according to new research published in Endocrinology, the flagship basic science journal of the Endocrine Society. EDCs mimic, block or interfere with hormones in the body's endocrine system.
There has been an alarming trend toward early puberty in girls, suggesting the influence of chemicals in our environment. Early puberty is associated with an increased risk of psychosocial problems, obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and breast cancer.
“We conducted a comprehensive screen of 10,000 environmental compounds ...
Innovative delivery, access to care necessary to increase health equity for rural patients with heart disease
2024-09-10
The American College of Cardiology’s Quality Summit 2024 will feature several poster presentations regarding rural health delivery and access to care that offer insights into innovative strategies to increase health equity for all heart disease patients. Research examines door-in-door-out and door-to-balloon (D2B) times for heart attack patients at critical access hospitals, improving door-to-thrombolytics for heart attack patients at rural hospitals, remote cardiac rehabilitation to increase access, and improving communications technology for EMS with STEMI patients in rural areas.
“Rurality creates unique challenges in delivering high quality cardiovascular ...
Study indicates delayed feedback enhances learning performance in individuals with traumatic brain injury
2024-09-10
East Hanover, NJ – September 10, 2024 – Kessler Foundation researchers have published a novel study exploring the effects of delayed feedback on learning in individuals with moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). The article, “Bypassing Striatal Learning Mechanisms Using Delayed Feedback to Circumvent Learning Deficits in Traumatic Brain Injury” (Doi: 10.1097/HTR.0000000000000947), was published online ahead of print on July 24, 2024, in The Journal of Head Trauma ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Reality check: making indoor smartphone-based augmented reality work
Overthinking what you said? It’s your ‘lizard brain’ talking to newer, advanced parts of your brain
Black men — including transit workers — are targets for aggression on public transportation, study shows
Troubling spike in severe pregnancy-related complications for all ages in Illinois
Alcohol use identified by UTHealth Houston researchers as most common predictor of escalated cannabis vaping among youths in Texas
Need a landing pad for helicopter parenting? Frame tasks as learning
New MUSC Hollings Cancer Center research shows how Golgi stress affects T-cells' tumor-fighting ability
#16to365: New resources for year-round activism to end gender-based violence and strengthen bodily autonomy for all
Earliest fish-trapping facility in Central America discovered in Maya lowlands
São Paulo to host School on Disordered Systems
New insights into sleep uncover key mechanisms related to cognitive function
USC announces strategic collaboration with Autobahn Labs to accelerate drug discovery
Detroit health professionals urge the community to act and address the dangers of antimicrobial resistance
3D-printing advance mitigates three defects simultaneously for failure-free metal parts
Ancient hot water on Mars points to habitable past: Curtin study
In Patagonia, more snow could protect glaciers from melt — but only if we curb greenhouse gas emissions soon
Simplicity is key to understanding and achieving goals
Caste differentiation in ants
Nutrition that aligns with guidelines during pregnancy may be associated with better infant growth outcomes, NIH study finds
New technology points to unexpected uses for snoRNA
Racial and ethnic variation in survival in early-onset colorectal cancer
Disparities by race and urbanicity in online health care facility reviews
Exploring factors affecting workers' acquisition of exercise habits using machine learning approaches
Nano-patterned copper oxide sensor for ultra-low hydrogen detection
Maintaining bridge safer; Digital sensing-based monitoring system
A novel approach for the composition design of high-entropy fluorite oxides with low thermal conductivity
A groundbreaking new approach to treating chronic abdominal pain
ECOG-ACRIN appoints seven researchers to scientific committee leadership positions
New model of neuronal circuit provides insight on eye movement
Cooking up a breakthrough: Penn engineers refine lipid nanoparticles for better mRNA therapies
[Press-News.org] Scientists use AI to detect chronic high blood pressure in people’s voice recordingsIEEE journal publishes new Klick Labs findings on using vocal biomarkers and AI to identify hypertension; “silent killer” study extends team’s research beyond Type 2 diabetes detection and blood glucose monitoring