AI Trials Offer Hope for Early Detection of Type 2 Diabetes

Tristan Collins
AI Diabetes
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Two NHS hospital trusts in London, Imperial College and Chelsea and Westminster, are trying out a new AI system to see if it can predict type 2 diabetes up to ten years before it develops. The technology, called Aire-DM, analyzes ECG heart traces to detect early warning signs that doctors might miss.

The system looks for subtle changes in ECGs that even skilled doctors cannot easily interpret. Dr. Fu Siong Ng, the lead researcher, explained that these changes are complex and involve multiple factors rather than one obvious signal.

Tests so far suggest the AI can spot risks about 70% of the time. Its accuracy improves when additional details, like a patient’s age, sex, blood pressure, or weight, are included.

Clinical trials involving up to 1,000 patients will begin in 2025 to see how effective the system really is. Although it’s not widely available yet, researchers hope it could eventually be used across the NHS, which might take at least five years.

The British Heart Foundation, funding this research, believes identifying diabetes risk early could save lives. Professor Bryan Williams from the foundation called the work ‘exciting’ and said it shows how AI can uncover patterns in health data that humans can’t easily spot.

Type 2 diabetes is a growing health concern. It occurs when blood sugar levels get too high due to problems with insulin. Some cases are linked to being overweight, as fat can affect how the pancreas functions.

Dr. Faye Riley from Diabetes UK said early detection is critical since many people live with the condition undiagnosed. AI tools like Aire-DM could help these people get the support they need to avoid complications like heart disease or vision loss.

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Tristan has a strong interest in the intersection of artificial intelligence and creative expression. He has a background in computer science, and he enjoys exploring the ways in which AI can enhance and augment human creativity. In his writing, he often delves into the ways in which AI is being used to generate original works of fiction and poetry, as well as to analyze and understand patterns in existing texts.