A CHF Detection Method Based on Deep Learning with RR Intervals

There are extensive studies investigating congestive heart failure (CHF) detection based on heart rate variability. Although a high level of accuracy has been achieved, its robustness under different conditions is not guaranteed. To improve the robustness, we applied sparse auto-encoder-based deep learning algorithm in CHF detection with RR intervals. A total data size of 30,592 (5-min RR interval) was obtained from 72 healthy persons and 44 CHF patients. The deep learning algorithm first extracts unsupervised features using a sparse auto-encoder from raw RR intervals, then constructs a deep neural network model with various hidden nodes combinations. Results showed that the model achieved 72.41% accuracy. This demonstrated that RR intervals have potential in CHF detection but cannot fully reflect dynamic change in 24-h.