AI Project to Improve Heart Failure Screening for Pacemaker Patients

New research in Leeds highlights need for enhanced screening

A recent study conducted in Leeds has revealed that a significant proportion of patients with pacemakers may have undiagnosed heart failure. This has prompted the launch of an innovative project using artificial intelligence (AI) to optimise heart failure screening for these patients.

Background on pacemakers and heart failure risk

Pacemakers are small, battery-powered devices implanted via minor surgery to regulate slow heartbeats. While they help manage heart rhythm, people with pacemakers are at increased risk of developing heart failure. Heart failure occurs when the heart is unable to pump blood effectively around the body, potentially leading to serious health complications.

The Leeds study, published towards the end of 2024, found that approximately one third of people with pacemakers also have heart failure. Despite this, current clinical practice does not routinely screen pacemaker patients for heart failure during their annual check-ups at Leeds Teaching Hospitals.

Current situation and challenges

• There are around 4,500 patients in the Leeds region fitted with pacemakers who attend yearly hospital appointments.
• These patients are not currently assessed for heart failure as part of their routine follow-up.
• The standard method for diagnosing heart failure is an echocardiogram, an ultrasound scan of the heart.
• However, echocardiograms are not systematically performed on pacemaker patients during their annual visits.
• The number of pacemaker patients is increasing annually, largely due to an ageing population, with most patients in their 70s and 80s.

Innovative AI approach

The new project aims to use AI technology to improve the identification of heart failure in pacemaker patients. By analysing existing clinical data and patient information, the AI system could help flag those at higher risk, enabling earlier diagnosis and treatment.

Early detection of heart failure is crucial to managing symptoms and improving patient outcomes. The integration of AI in screening processes may offer a more efficient and effective way to monitor this vulnerable group.

Future implications

If successful, this AI-driven screening programme could be adopted more widely, potentially transforming how heart failure is detected in patients with pacemakers across the UK. This would represent a significant step forward in addressing the growing health needs of an ageing population.

Further details on the project and its outcomes are expected as the research progresses.

Source: Leeds Hospitals Charity