ECG digitisation of the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Registry (HCMR) to enable computational electrocardiographic phenotyping

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a common yet challenging genetic heart muscle disease. Its most feared complication is sudden cardiac death. The international Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Registry (HCMR) presents a unique opportunity for big data phenotyping in HCM using multiple modalities. Deep-learning algorithms applied to the ECGs of this large cohort of patients could improve mechanistic understanding, risk stratification and precision care in HCM. However, such computational techniques requires digital ECG data.

This BHF CRE infrastructure award has enabled all 2750 of the HCMR paper ECGs to be digitised. Such a data resource can be interrogated extensively in multiple collaborative studies with Computational Medicine, Imaging, Genetics and Translational research groups over the coming months/years. This approach will help to produce more robust models for clinical risk prediction and may lead to new drug target development.