Lifesaving AI Warns Of Patient Heart Failure

Artificial intelligence can help prevent death and serious illness by warning of impending heart failure.

A new tool, developed by researchers at Rambam Health Care Campus in Haifa, analyzes the ECG tests for patients with myositis – rare conditions that cause weak, painful and inflamed muscles, and that increase the risk of heart failure. 

It can identify heart patterns that are unique to myositis patients and warn of heart failure, with high accuracy weeks before it happens, allowing for pre-emptive treatment.

Peer-reviewed research found that the algorithm successfully predicted 80 per cent of heart failure cases among patients with myositis. It was a collaboration between researchers at Rambam and colleagues at the Mayo Clinic in the USA.

They taught the AI by showing it ECG scans and medical records of 89 myositis patients from 2000 to 2020. 

Using artificial intelligence on ECG scans can be a fast and accurate research tool that will save a lot of time and costs for patients. 

The study was led by Dr Shahar Shelly, head of neuromuscular diseases at Rambam’s neurology department. 

“Further down the road, the use of this model will allow the provision of appropriate treatments at an early stage, even before the deterioration of the patients’ medical condition,” said Prof Shelly. “We are talking here about preventing serious illness and even deaths.”