Heart disease accounts for one in four deaths in the U.S., but early detection "too often relies upon dumb luck," said Tim Moynihan in Wired. Kardia, a $100 electrocardiogram machine about the size of two sticks of gum, allows at-risk patients to monitor their ticker without bulky equipment or frequent doctor’s visits. Patients press their fingers to the device for 30 seconds and a medical-grade EKG reading is transmitted to their smartphone and to AliveCor, the startup behind Kardia.
The company uses artificial intelligence to analyze that data and build a profile of the user’s heart. If it detects possible signs of heart disease, AliveCor alerts the patient’s doctor to take a closer look. Eventually, Kardia technology could be built into smartwatches and other wearables, like sensor-laden clothing. "When that happens, checking your heart could be as easy as checking your temperature."
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