AI could help identify high-risk heart patients

In recent developments, researchers have been exploring the potential of artificial intelligence, commonly known as AI, to assist general practitioners in identifying patients who are at a higher risk of developing serious heart conditions. A team from the University of Leeds has been instrumental in training an AI system named Optimise, which analyzed the health records of over two million individuals. The findings revealed that a significant number of patients had undiagnosed health issues or were not receiving the appropriate medications that could help mitigate their risks. Dr. Ramesh Nadarajah, a key figure in this research, emphasized that preventing health conditions from worsening is often more cost-effective than treating them after they have developed. Among the two million health records examined, more than 400,000 individuals were flagged as being at high risk for conditions such as heart failure, stroke, and diabetes. Alarmingly, this group accounted for 74% of the patients who succumbed to heart-related ailments. In a pilot study involving 82 high-risk patients, it was discovered that one in five had undiagnosed moderate or high-risk chronic kidney disease. Additionally, over half of the patients with high blood pressure were prescribed different medications to better manage their heart health. This innovative approach could enable healthcare professionals to initiate treatment earlier, thereby alleviating some of the pressures faced by the NHS, as indicated by the study's results. Dr. Nadarajah, who is a health data research fellow, noted that heart-related fatalities are often the result of a combination of various factors. He stated, 'This AI utilizes readily available data to gather new insights that could assist healthcare professionals in ensuring they provide timely care for their patients. ' The researchers have plans to conduct a larger clinical trial to further validate their findings, which were presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress held in London. Dr. Nadarajah expressed hope that their research will ultimately benefit patients living with heart and circulatory diseases while also helping to ease the burden on NHS systems. He added, 'Next, we plan to perform a clinical trial where we are providing doctor-led care to patients. ' Professor Bryan Williams, the chief scientific and medical officer at the British Heart Foundation, which funded the study, highlighted the importance of early diagnosis in reducing hospital admissions. He remarked, '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.