Artificial intelligence may help to spot heart condition

A new way of diagnosing a common heart condition, which causes the heart to beat irregularly, may have been uncovered by artificial intelligence.

One million people in the UK are currently affected by atrial fibrillation, a condition which increases the risk of stroke and long-term heart problems.

Diagnosis of the condition is relatively simple when the heart is beating irregularly, but not once it has returned to normal.

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic in the US said that it was still early days, but believe the system may lead to easier and earlier detection of the problem and therefore ensure patients receive the correct treatment, saving lives.

The computer modelling at the clinic, which analysed tests carried out on nearly 181,000 patients between the years 1993 and 2017, looked out for what doctors believed were subtle signs of past irregular rhythms, including heart scarring, which were unable to be seen by the human eye from test results.

Cardiology expert at the University of Sheffield, Professor Tim Chico, described the findings as “very important”.

He went on to say “This AI-based approach could provide a revolutionary advance, although it’s important to note that this research is still in the early stages and we need to see replicated results, and how the algorithm responds when tested on the general population.”

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Posted by Tony May, Partner/head of Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk ), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.

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