AI can help GPs identify patients at highest risk of fatal heart disease, new research shows

New research shows that artificial intelligence can help GPs identify people at highest risk of fatal heart disease.

A team from the University of Leeds developed the tool, which scans GP medical records and alerts doctors to high-risk patients, who can then be called to the surgery for potentially life-saving treatment.

About eight out of ten people with cardiovascular disease have at least one other health condition, also called comorbidity.

Scientists trained the program to find conditions associated with heart failure using the medical records of 2 million patients.

400,000 people were identified as having a high risk of dying from a cardiovascular event such as a heart attack or stroke. Three quarters of them died during a ten-year follow-up.

For the study, the AI ​​scanned the records of 82 patients at high risk for symptoms of conditions that lead to heart-related death, including kidney disease and diabetes, flagging telltale signs such as shortness of breath.

Researchers found that the tool identified patients earlier and more accurately than current methods. This could lead to better management of risk factors, ultimately preventing the condition from worsening and reducing the risk of heart-related death.

Many people were found with undiagnosed conditions or who had not received medications that could reduce the risk of developing these conditions.

One in five people was diagnosed with kidney disease that would otherwise have gone unnoticed, according to findings presented at the European Society of Cardiology congress in London.

More than half of people with high blood pressure were given other medications to better control their risk of heart-related death.

Dr Ramesh Nadarajah from the University of Leeds, co-author of the study, said: ‘Heart-related deaths are often caused by a combination of circumstances.

A team from the University of Leeds developed the tool, which scans GP medical records and alerts doctors to high-risk patients (stock photo)

‘This AI uses readily available data to gather new insights that enable healthcare professionals to ensure they provide their patients with the right care on time.

‘We hope that our research will ultimately benefit patients with cardiovascular disease and relieve pressure on our NHS systems, as prevention is often cheaper than treatment.’

Researchers said they planned to conduct a larger clinical trial, but hoped the AI ​​tool would be available within two years. They expect GPs to be able to use it twice a year to monitor patients.

Professor Bryan Williams, chief scientific and medical officer at the British Heart Foundation, which funded the study, said: ‘A quarter of all deaths in the UK are caused by cardiovascular disease. This exciting study uses ever-evolving AI technology to detect the multitude of conditions that contribute to this.

‘Early diagnosis is essential to reduce hospital admissions and heart-related deaths.’