Exploring the Application Value of Magnetocardiography in Detecting Pulmonary Hypertension: A Noninvasive and Visual Approach

Background: Exploring accurate and noninvasive methods for detecting pulmonary hypertension (PH) has always been a focal point of research. Owing to its exceptional spatiotemporal resolution, magnetocardiography (MCG) has demonstrated potential value in cardiovascular diseases. Aims: This exploratory study aims to investigate the characteristics of MCG variations in PH patients and evaluate their potential utility in distinguishing healthy subjects from those with PH. Methods: This study analyzed 175 PH patients and 333 healthy subjects who underwent MCG examination. The training cohort consisted of patients with PH previously diagnosed by right heart catheterization (RHC) and age-frequency-matched healthy controls (HC). The testing cohort comprised age- and frequency-matched HC and PH patients who underwent both MCG and RHC on the same day. Nine MCG parameters were included. Logistic regression was used to screen for significant parameters and develop a model. Results: By comparing the pseudo-current density maps, it was found that the current vector at the R-wave peak of HC points toward the lower-left quadrant, whereas in PH patients, it points toward the lower-right quadrant. The MCG detection model demonstrated robust performance, achieving a sensitivity of 86.1% and a specificity of 94.1% in the testing cohort. Compared to the ECG of PH patients, MCG demonstrated greater sensitivity; however, it exhibited slightly lower specificity. Furthermore, MCG can detect PH in patients with normal ECG findings. Conclusion: MCG demonstrates highly promising potential for the noninvasive detection of PH.