OPT-AI
Research type
Research Study
Full title
OPTimising a screening program to detect pacemaker-associated heart failure using Artificial Intelligence (OPT-AI)
IRAS ID
347225
Contact name
Sam Straw
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Leeds
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 11 months, 30 days
Research summary
Pacemakers are an effective treatment for slow heart rates which improve symptoms and save lives. However, for some people pacemakers can cause heart failure (HF) because of the unnatural way in which they stimulate heart beats. In several studies conducted in West Yorkshire we showed that ~1/3 of patients with pacemakers have undiagnosed HF. We also showed that where HF is discovered, treating it with safe and inexpensive medications reduces the chances of being admitted to hospital or dying. However, detecting HF requires an echocardiogram (a heart ultrasound scan) which takes ~45 minutes, requires a skilled technician, and costs £120; or, to put it another way ~£540,000 to assess the ~4,500 patients cared for at our hospital. A new approach is needed. We think that using new technologies can improve our ability to screen for HF in people with pacemakers. We will test two approaches. First, we will assess whether a hand-held echocardiogram can measure heart function using artificial intelligence (AI) as accurately as a standard echocardiogram done by a skilled technician. Second, we will assess whether a finger-prick blood test can detect the presence of abnormal function as accurately as a standard echocardiogram.
REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - South Yorkshire Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/YH/0165
Date of REC Opinion
3 Sep 2025
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion