Noninvasive Voice Biomarker to be linked With Incident Coronary Artery Disease

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common type of heart disease, killing 360,900 people in 2019. About 18.2 million adults age 20 and older have CAD (about 6.7%). About 2 in 10 deaths from CAD happen in adults less than 65 years old.

A recent study found that a significant association between a noninvasive voice biomarker and incident CAD events at follow-up. These results may have important clinical implications for the remote and noninvasive screening of patients to identify those at risk of coronary disease and its complications. The study is published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

The study included patients referred for clinically indicated coronary angiography underwent a total of three 30-second voice recordings using the Vocalis Health smartphone application between January 1, 2015, and February 28, 2017. A pre-established voice biomarker was derived from each individual recording, and the mean biomarker value was calculated for each patient. Individuals were clinically observed through December 31, 2019. The prespecified primary outcome was a composite of presenting to the emergency department with chest pain, being admitted to the hospital with chest pain, or having an acute coronary syndrome; the prespecified secondary outcome was a composite of a positive stress test result at follow-up or the presence of CAD at follow-up coronary angiography.

The results of the study were

• In the final analysis, 108 patients were included (mean age, 59.47±11.44 years; male, 59 [54.6%]). The median follow-up time was 24 months (range, 1 to 60 months).

• In multivariable Cox proportional hazards models adjusting for CAD grade on baseline angiography, a high baseline mean voice biomarker was significantly associated with both the primary (hazard ratio, 2.61; 95% CI, 1.42 to 4.80; P=.002) and secondary (hazard ratio, 3.13; 95% CI, 1.13 to 8.68; P=.03) composite outcomes.

Researchers concluded that "This study found a significant association between a noninvasive voice biomarker and incident CAD events at follow-up. These results may have important clinical implications for the remote and noninvasive screening of patients to identify those at risk of coronary disease and its complications."

Reference: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocp.2021.10.024