Artificial intelligence (AI) could become a vital tool for general practitioners (GPs) in identifying patients who are at the highest risk of developing life-threatening heart conditions. Researchers at the University of Leeds have contributed to the development of an AI system called Optimise, which analyzed the health records of over two million individuals.
The findings were revealing: many patients had undiagnosed conditions or were not receiving the medications that could significantly reduce their risk of heart-related issues.
Dr. Ramesh Nadarajah from the University of Leeds emphasized that early intervention in preventing conditions from worsening is often more cost-effective than later treatment.
Among the more than two million records reviewed by Optimise, over 400,000 individuals were flagged as being at high risk for serious health issues like heart failure, stroke, and diabetes. Alarmingly, this group accounted for 74% of patients who ultimately died from heart-related conditions.
In a pilot study using Optimise that involved 82 high-risk patients, the AI system uncovered that one in five had undiagnosed moderate or high-risk chronic kidney disease. Additionally, more than half of the patients with high blood pressure were prescribed different medications to better manage their cardiovascular risk.
The study suggests that this approach could enable healthcare providers to treat patients earlier, potentially easing the burden on the NHS. Dr. Nadarajah, a health data research fellow, noted that heart-related deaths are often caused by a combination of factors.
“This AI leverages readily available data to generate new insights, which can help healthcare professionals deliver timely care to their patients,” he explained.
Looking ahead, the researchers plan to conduct a larger clinical trial, with their findings recently presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress in London. Dr. Nadarajah expressed hope that their research will ultimately benefit patients with heart and circulatory diseases, while also reducing the strain on NHS resources.
“We’re aiming to perform a clinical trial that focuses on providing doctor-led care to patients,” he added.
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 hospital admissions.
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