In a significant development in healthcare, researchers from the University of Leeds have developed an advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system named Optimise, designed to assist general practitioners in identifying patients at higher risk of developing life-threatening heart conditions.
The AI system, which analyzed the health records of over two million individuals, revealed that many patients had undiagnosed health conditions or were not receiving medications that could lower their risk of heart problems. According to Dr. Ramesh Nadarajah, a health data research fellow at the University of Leeds, preventing the worsening of health conditions is often more cost-effective than treatment.
Among the records examined, more than 400,000 individuals were identified as high-risk for conditions such as heart failure, stroke, and diabetes. This high-risk group accounted for a staggering 74% of patients who died from heart-related issues. In a pilot study involving 82 high-risk patients, the Optimise AI system identified that one in five had undiagnosed moderate to high-risk chronic kidney disease. Additionally, over half of the patients with high blood pressure were prescribed new medications to better manage their heart risk.
The study suggests that using AI to identify and treat high-risk patients early could potentially reduce strain on the National Health Service (NHS). Dr. Nadarajah emphasized that heart-related deaths are often caused by a combination of factors and that AI can use readily available data to provide healthcare professionals with new insights, ensuring timely care for patients.
The researchers plan to conduct a larger clinical trial to further validate the effectiveness of the Optimise AI system. They presented their findings at the European Society of Cardiology Congress in London, with Dr. Nadarajah expressing hope that the research will ultimately benefit patients living with heart and circulatory diseases, while also easing the burden on NHS systems.
Professor Bryan Williams, chief scientific and medical officer at the British Heart Foundation, which funded the study, underscored the importance of early diagnosis in reducing hospitalizations. He highlighted that a quarter of all deaths in the UK are caused by heart and circulatory diseases, and this innovative study harnesses the power of AI technology to detect the multitude of conditions contributing to these fatalities.
