Nearly 2,000 people have taken part in the groundbreaking trial that aims to help doctors identify more people at risk of developing atrial fibrillation (AF), a condition that makes them five times more likely to have a potentially fatal or life-changing stroke.
The trial is investigating an algorithm called FIND-AF – developed using machine learning – that looks for red flags in people’s GP records that suggest they’re at risk of developing AF in the next six months. People identified by the algorithm are then offered further testing to confirm a diagnosis of AF.
The team hope the West Yorkshire pilot study will lay the groundwork for a UK-wide trial that could one day improve early diagnosis of AF and prevent more avoidable strokes. The study is being made possible thanks to funding from the British Heart Foundation and Leeds Hospitals Charity.
One of the trial participants, John Pengelly, from Apperley Bridge, Bradford, said he was “really grateful” his AF was detected in the trial.
The 74-year-old former Army captain said he now takes medication daily to reduce his heightened risk of a potentially deadly stroke.
Mr Pengelly, who spent 29 years in the Army Catering Corps before he retired, was diagnosed with AF after accepting an invitation to take part in the trial.
“You never think these things will happen to you,” he said.
He said he never had any symptoms, but now takes “a few pills every day that will hopefully keep me going for a good few more years yet”.
Professor Chris P Gale, Honorary Consultant Cardiologist at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said:
“All too often, the first sign that someone is living with undiagnosed atrial fibrillation is a stroke. This can be devastating for patients and their families, changing their lives in an instant. It also has major cost implications for health and social care services – costs which could have been avoided if the condition were spotted and treated earlier.
“Our FIND-AF digital diagnostic and treatment care pathway supports Government’s ambition of moving from treating illness to preventing it. We’re now looking to partner with the NHS and other providers to accelerate its use more widely.”
AF is a common abnormal heart rhythm where the electrical impulses that trigger the heartbeat fire chaotically instead of in a regular and steady way. The condition dramatically increases someone’s risk of having a stroke but, with early diagnosis and treatment, it can be managed effectively and stroke risk reduced.
More than 1.6 million people in the UK have been diagnosed with AF. But there are likely to be many thousands more people in the UK who remain undiagnosed and unaware they’re living with the condition. It’s estimated that AF is a contributing factor in around 20,000 strokes each year in the UK.
In the current study, the algorithm has been implemented at several GP surgeries in West Yorkshire. People identified as at risk of AF are offered at-home testing. Those who agree are sent a handheld ECG machine – a device that can measure their heart rhythm – and asked to take two readings a day for four weeks, as well as any time they feel palpitations. This can all be done with no need for people to visit their GP surgery.
If the ECG readings reveal that they have AF, their GP is informed, and they can then discuss treatment options.