AI can now help detect patients at high risk for heart conditions

Artificial intelligence (AI) could assist general practitioners in identifying patients at higher risk of developing conditions that might lead to fatal heart issues.

Researchers from the University of Leeds helped develop an AI system called Optimise, which analyzed health records of over two million individuals.

The study revealed that many patients had undiagnosed health conditions or were not receiving medications that could lower their risk of heart problems.

Dr. Ramesh Nadarajah from the university emphasized that preventing the worsening of health conditions is often more cost-effective than treatment.

Of the two million records examined, more than 400,000 individuals were identified as high-risk for conditions like heart failure, stroke, and diabetes.

This group accounted for 74% of patients who died from heart-related conditions.

In a pilot study with 82 high-risk patients, the Optimise AI found that one in five had undiagnosed moderate to high-risk chronic kidney disease.

Additionally, more than half of the patients with high blood pressure were prescribed new medications to better manage their heart risk.

The study suggested that this approach could enable earlier treatment for patients, potentially reducing strain on the NHS.

Dr. Nadarajah, a health data research fellow, explained that heart-related deaths are often caused by a combination of factors.

"This AI uses readily available data to gather new insights that could help healthcare professionals ensure that they are providing timely care for their patients."

The researchers announced plans for a larger clinical trial, presenting their findings at the European Society of Cardiology Congress in London.

"We hope our research will ultimately benefit patients living with heart and circulatory diseases, as well as helping relieve pressure off our NHS systems," Dr. Nadarajah added.

"Next, we plan to perform a clinical trial where we are providing doctor-led care to patients."

Professor Bryan Williams, chief scientific and medical officer at the British Heart Foundation, which funded the study, stressed that early diagnosis is essential for reducing hospitalizations. 

"A quarter of all deaths in the UK are caused by heart and circulatory diseases, and this new and exciting study harnesses the power of ever-evolving AI technology to detect the multitude of conditions that contribute to it."