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The NHS in England is set to trial Aire-DM, a groundbreaking AI tool designed to predict the risk of developing type 2 diabetes up to 13 years before symptoms appear. This innovative tool analyzes ECG readings from routine heart scans to detect subtle changes in heart activity that are undetectable by the human eye but indicative of future diabetes risk. The trial will begin in 2025 at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, making the NHS the first healthcare system globally to use this technology.
Aire-DM was developed at Imperial College London. It utilizes data from over 1.2 million ECGs and the UK Biobank, which includes health and genetic information from more than 500,000 participants. The tool identifies unique patterns in ECG readings, such as slight variations in the heart's electrical signals, that are more common in individuals who later develop type 2 diabetes. Tests have demonstrated a prediction accuracy of 70%, which improves further when combined with clinical and genetic data.
Type 2 diabetes is a significant global health challenge, affecting over 500 million people worldwide and linked to severe complications like heart disease, strokes, and kidney failure. By enabling early detection, Aire-DM offers a non-invasive and cost-effective way to intervene, helping patients adopt lifestyle changes to potentially avoid the condition altogether.
This trial represents a major step forward in preventive care, with researchers aiming to roll out the tool across the NHS and internationally in the future. Supported by the British Heart Foundation, Aire-DM underscores the transformative potential of AI in healthcare, offering a new window of opportunity to reduce the burden of diabetes and its complications.
