Oxford scientists have developed an artificial intelligence tool that can predict the risk of heart failure up to five years before symptoms appear, according to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
The AI analyses cardiac CT scans to detect signs of inflammation in the fat surrounding the heart, which are invisible to the human eye. In a study of 72,000 patients from nine NHS trusts in England, the tool predicted the risk of developing heart failure within five years with 86% accuracy.
Patients identified as highest risk were 20 times more likely to develop heart failure than those in the lowest risk group, and had about a one in four chance of developing the condition within five years. The researchers followed patients for a decade after their scans.
Professor Charalambos Antoniades, who led the research at the University of Oxford, said: 'We have used developments in bioscience and computing to take a big step forward in treating heart failure.' The team is now seeking regulatory approval to roll out the tool in healthcare systems including the NHS.
Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan, clinical director at the British Heart Foundation, which funded the study, said: 'Heart failure is consistently diagnosed too late... This tool could help doctors spot heart failure earlier, by monitoring more closely those at highest risk.'
