In the current medical climate, identifying patients at risk for serious heart conditions is more important than ever. With many individuals unaware of their vulnerabilities, doctors are seeking new ways to improve early detection. Recent advancements in artificial intelligence offer a promising solution, as they enable general practitioners to analyse health records more effectively.
Researchers from the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom have developed an AI system named Optimise, which analysed health records from over two million individuals. The study revealed that many patients had undiagnosed health issues or were not prescribed medications that could mitigate their risk of heart problems.
Dr. Ramesh Nadarajah from the university emphasised that preventing the progression of these conditions is often more cost-effective than treating them after they worsen.
From the analysed records, more than 400,000 individuals were identified as being at high risk for conditions such as heart failure, stroke, and diabetes. This group accounted for 74% of the deaths linked to heart-related diseases.
In a pilot study involving 82 high-risk patients, one in five were discovered to have undiagnosed chronic kidney disease that was either moderate or high-risk. Additionally, over half of the patients with hypertension were prescribed alternative medications to better manage their heart health.
This methodology could enable healthcare providers to initiate treatment earlier, potentially alleviating some of the pressures faced by the National Health Service, according to the findings.
Dr. Nadarajah, who specialises in health data research, noted that heart-related fatalities are frequently caused by multiple contributing 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,” he stated.
Furthermore, plans are underway to conduct a larger clinical trial, as reported by researchers who shared their findings at the European Society of Cardiology Congress in London.
Dr. Nadarajah expressed hope that their research will ultimately assist patients suffering from heart and circulatory diseases while also easing the burden on NHS systems. “Next, we plan to perform a clinical trial where we are providing doctor-led care to patients,” he added.
Professor Bryan Williams, the chief scientific and medical officer at the British Heart Foundation, which sponsored the study, highlighted the importance of early diagnosis in minimising hospital admissions.
“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,” he said.