Researchers discovered that an artificial intelligence
(AI) system can detect an irregular cardiac rhythm in persons, who do not yet
have symptoms.
The system, which discovered hidden signals in routine
medical diagnostic tests, could help doctors better prevent strokes and other
cardiovascular issues in people with atrial fibrillation, the most prevalent
type of heart rhythm disorder.
Previously developed algorithms were mostly employed
on white people. This algorithm works in a variety of situations and patient
demographics, including veterans and underserved people in United States. The
findings were reported in JAMA Cardiology.
“This research allows for better identification of a
hidden heart condition and informs the best way to develop algorithms that are
equitable and generalizable to all patients,” said cardiologist and senior
author David Ouyang from the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai, a
researcher in the Division of Artificial Intelligence in Medicine.
Experts estimate that about one in three people with
atrial fibrillation do not know they have the condition.
In atrial fibrillation, the electrical signals in the
heart that regulate the pumping of blood from the upper chambers to the lower
chambers are chaotic. This can cause blood in the upper chambers to pool and
form blood clots that can travel to the brain and trigger an ischemic stroke.
To create the algorithm, investigators programmed an
artificial intelligence tool to study patterns found in electrocardiogram
readings.
An electrocardiogram is a test that monitors
electrical signals from the heart. People who undergo this test have electrodes
placed on their body that detect the heart’s electrical activity.
The algorithm was trained on almost a million
electrocardiograms and it accurately predicted patients would have atrial
fibrillation within 31 days.
The AI model was also applied to medical records from
patients at Cedars-Sinai and it similarly – and accurately – predicted cases of
atrial fibrillation within 31 days.
“This study of veterans was geographically and
ethnically diverse, indicating that the application of this algorithm could
benefit the general population in US,” said Medical Director Sumeet Chugh from the
Heart Rhythm Center in the Department of Cardiology.
“This research exemplifies one of the many ways that
investigators in the Smidt Heart Institute and the Division of Artificial
Intelligence in Medicine are using AI to address preemptive management of
complex and challenging cardiac conditions,” he stated.
ANI
