DETECTION OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES IN ECG IMAGES USING MACHINE LEARNING AND DEEP LEARNING METHODS

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain a leading cause of global mortality, underscoring the urgent need for early and accurate diagnosis. Electrocardiograms (ECGs) are a widely used, noninvasive tool for detecting cardiac abnormalities, but manual interpretation can be time- consuming and prone to error. This study explores advanced machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) methods to improve the detection of CVDs from ECG images, leveraging their ability to analyze complex patterns with high precision. Models such as Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), Vision Transformers (ViTs), and ensemble frameworks are utilized, alongside traditional ML models like XGBoost, CatBoost, and LightGBM. The performance of these models is evaluated based on precision, recall, F1-score, and accuracy. Results show that DL models, particularly an ensemble of CNN and ViT, achieve superior accuracy , outperforming standalone ML methods. Furthermore, an ensemble of XGBoost, CatBoost, and LightGBM achieves competitive results, while Optuna-tuned XGBoost further enhances ML performance. The findings highlight the potential of combining ML and DL techniques for robust and reliable CVD detection in ECG images. This research demonstrates the promise of AI-driven solutions in advancing medical diagnostics and supports the integration of automated systems for early detection of cardiovascular diseases.