BASEL, Switzerland and NEW YORK, Sept. 24, 2024
BASEL, Switzerland and NEW YORK, Sept. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A new local study as part of the Novartis Foundation's AI4HealthyCities global population health initiative, in collaboration with Microsoft's AI for Good Research Lab, New York University's School of Global Public Health, and Weill Cornell Medicine, has uncovered potential connections between social determinants of health (SDOH) and cardiovascular health outcomes in New York City. The research, presented today at the 79th United Nations Global Assembly, marks a significant step forward in understanding the complex factors that may influence heart health in urban populations.
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Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death and disability both in New York City1 and worldwide. According to the World Heart Federation2, it accounts for 20.5 million deaths globally while being largely preventable. This underscores the critical importance of identifying and addressing the root causes of heart health issues, particularly in urban environments.
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Detailed Research FindingsWhile the data does not imply any correlations between one or multiple SDOH and cardiovascular health outcomes, AI4HealthyCities uncovered several distinct patterns across New York City:
Dr. Ann Aerts, Head of the Novartis Foundation, emphasized the importance of the findings: "While we've long suspected that social determinants impact cardiovascular health, this study provides a more detailed understanding of specific variables as well as their possible correlation and effects. It's a crucial step in empowering local authorities to take informed, precise action."
The Novartis Foundation is collaborating with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to translate these findings into actionable interventions at population level. This effort aims to support the department's "HealthyNYC" vision for 20304 by targeting resources where they may have the greatest impact.
New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan highlighted the potential impact: "We are at an inflection point where generative AI has the potential to transform the way we care for patients and populations. To ensure healthier, longer lives for all, and to reduce health inequities in the process, we will need to address the burden of preventable chronic illness, especially diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. We are proud to be a part of innovative efforts like AI4HealthyCities which are applying modern technology to create new understanding and, ultimately, drive action."
AI4HealthyCities was initially launched in New York City in 2022 and builds on research suggesting 80% of a population's health outcomes are potentially determined outside of the healthcare system.5 By leveraging advanced analytics and artificial intelligence, the program analyzes electronic health records from public and private health systems, linking them with publicly available data on social and environmental factors. The initiative focuses on cardiovascular diseases and associated risk factors such as hypertension and diabetes. Since its inception, AI4HealthyCities has expanded to other major cities, including Singapore, Lisbon, Basel, and Helsinki, with the potential to serve as a blueprint for improving urban health globally.
Imagery and further background information can be found on the Novartis Foundation Media Library.
About AI4HealthyCitiesStudies suggest that only about 20% of our health outcomes are shaped by the healthcare we access, while about 80% are determined by genetics and the socio-economic and environmental conditions in which we live, grow, and age.5 AI4HealthyCities is a population health initiative designed and coordinated by the Novartis Foundation to improve understanding of what truly drives cardiovascular health in populations by applying analytics and AI on data from health- and health-influencing sectors. AI4HealthyCities aims to equip city authorities with tools to use the data-driven insights for better planning and resource allocation in health. Ultimately, the aim is to catalyze a paradigm shift from healthcare to health and transform the current reactive care systems into proactive, predictive, and preventive health systems that keep people healthy.
About the Novartis Foundation The Novartis Foundation is a non-profit organization based in Switzerland. For over 40 years, we have helped improve the health of low-income populations, initially supporting disease elimination in areas such as leprosy and malaria. Today, we tackle the burning health issues of our time: cardiovascular disease and health inequity. We take a population health approach, which means widening the lens from a narrow focus on healthcare delivery to a panoramic vision of improving health in the population at large, with a goal of ensuring healthy lives for all. Our work brings together existing but disconnected data to help authorities understand the root causes of inequitable health outcomes and find the best ways and partners to remediate them. We aim to empower governments to transform their health systems from being reactive to being proactive, predictive, and preventative, and achieving health equity among the populations they serve.
Visit us at www.novartisfoundation.org and connect with us on LinkedIn.
References1 https://www.nyc.gov/site/doh/health/health-topics/heart-disease.page (Accessed July 30, 2024)2 https://world-heart-federation.org/wp-content/uploads/World-Heart-Report-2023.pdf#page=3 (Accessed July 30, 2024)3 Campbell, E., E. Macey, C. Shine, V. Nafilyan, N. Cadogan Clark, P. Pawelek et al. 2023. Sociodemographic and health-related differences in undiagnosed hypertension in the health survey for England 2015–2019: a cross-sectional cohort study. Lancet eClinicalMedicine 65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2023.102275 (Accessed July 30, 2023)4 https://www.nyc.gov/site/doh/about/about-doh/healthynyc.page#:~:text=HEALTHYNYC%20(PDF)-,Drivers%20and%20Goals,-Our%20vision%20is (Accessed July 30, 2024)5 Hood, C. M., K. P. Gennuso, G. R. Swain, and B. B. Catlin. 2016. County health rankings: Relationships between determinant factors and health outcomes. American Journal of Preventive Medicine 50(2):129-135. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2015.08.024 (Accessed July 30, 2024)
Novartis Foundation Media Relations
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