Emerging rapid detection methods for the monitoring of cardiovascular diseases: Current trends and future perspectives
Rafi u Shan Ahmad, Wasim Khan, Muhammad Shehzad Khan, Pikting Cheung
Abstract
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) persist as the foremost cause of global mortality, necessitating advancements in diagnostic and monitoring technologies to enable timely intervention and effective management. This review synthesizes recent technological innovations in rapid testing for CVDs, emphasizing the development and integration of wearable sensors, and point-of-care (POC) testing systems. Wearable sensors, including advanced electrocardiogram (ECG) monitors, photoplethysmography (PPG) devices, and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), leverage novel materials to facilitate continuous, real-time physiological monitoring. POC testing systems, integrate microfluidics with CRISPR-based diagnostic platforms and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven analytics to deliver rapid, on-site biomarker detection and real-time data interpretation. Advanced signal processing and machine learning algorithms, underpin these technologies by enhancing data fidelity, extracting pertinent features, and enabling predictive analytics for proactive cardiovascular risk management. Despite significant progress, challenges such as signal integrity, power management, data security, and regulatory compliance persist. Future directions highlight the potential of personalized medicine and interdisciplinary collaborations to further refine and implement these rapid testing innovations, ultimately advancing cardiovascular healthcare outcomes. This review covers current advances in rapid testing for CVDs, evaluating the efficacy of such tests at present, and discussing the role of AI and machine learning in improving diagnosis. This review extensively covers the advances, principles of operation, and clinical uses of wearable sensors, and POC testing systems. Furthermore, it discusses the important points on signals processing and AI which improve these technologies with respect to current achievements and future prospects.