AI predicts when patients will have a heart attack or stroke

Tuesday 18th February 2020 17:22 EST
 

A study led by Barts Health NHS Trust and University College London has found that artificial intelligence has accurately predicted the possibility of heart attack or stroke in a world's first.   

The researchers used AI to analyse cardiac scans of more than 1,000 patients. They said it's the first time blood flow scans, which reveal problems with the heart, have been read by a computer.

The technology was more accurate at predicting major cardiovascular events within a 19-month follow-up than a doctor using traditional means.  

Heart disease is the leading global cause of death and illness, with reduced blood flow a common symptom of many heart conditions. 

The study found that international guidelines recommended a number of assessments to measure a patient's blood flow, but many are invasive and carry risk. 

Some non-invasive assessments are available, such as Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (CMR) imaging. 

This provides an image of the function and structure of the cardiovascular system, allowing doctors to spot abnormalities.

CMR has been validated for detecting coronary artery disease with death and major adverse events, such as heart attack, within a year. 

But the researchers argue scan images using this technique are difficult to analyse in a precise manner with the human eye. 

Researchers used CMR scans from more than 1,000 patients, with an average age of 60, at St Bartholomew's Hospital and the Royal Free Hospital. They had been referred to investigate suspected and known heart conditions which could be deadly.  

The AI technology analysed the images and instantly quantified blood flow to the heart. The study was funded by the British Heart Foundation and published in the journal Circulation.


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