Charity funds heart disease prediction AI tool

The British Heart Foundation is funding the development of an artificial intelligence (AI) tool that will help predict which people are likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke. The tool is based on health records and could transform the way doctors identify, treat and advise patients at risk of heart disease, says the charity. The development of the tool is through a joint funding partnership between the British Heart Foundation and the Alan Turing Institute and is being carried out by a team of researchers led by the University of Cambridge.

Long term health records analysed

The research team plan to use the long-term health records of more than two million people in the UK to develop a machine learning algorithm that can automatically predict risk of heart disease. All data is anonymised and is being used with the consent of the those taking part in the study. “More people than ever are living with the devastating aftermath of a heart attack or stroke,” said British Heart Foundation Associate Medical Director, Professor Metin Avkiran. “Investing in data science and machine learning innovation is critical if we want to reduce the burden of early deaths and unnecessarily suffering from heart and circulatory disease. “Data science is set to accelerate breakthroughs in medical research and the outcome of projects such as this could ultimately transform care for millions of people living under the shadow of heart and circulatory disease in the UK.” The AI project is one of six research grant applications that have been awarded through a joint £550,000 fund between the charity and the Alan Turing Institute.

British Heart Foundation launches Valentines campaign

Meanwhile, The British Heart Foundation is linking up with an online flower delivery service for a Valentine’s Day promotional push. The charity has partnered with Bloom and Wild, to sell Show Some Love bouquets online. Through the partnership 5% of the proceeds from the sale of the bouquets will be donated to the British Heart Foundation. Campaigning will be digitally led, says British Heart Foundation Innovation Manager Aimee Wilde. “From a marketing perspective, we’ll also be running an (organic) influencer marketing campaign to help boost sales of the bouquet,” Wilde added.