AI can now predict deadly heart arrhythmias up to two weeks in advance, potentially transforming cardiac care.
Artificial intelligence could play a key role in preventing many cases of sudden cardiac death, according to a new study published in the European Heart Journal. Researchers from Inserm, Paris Cité University, and the Paris public hospital group (AP-HP), in collaboration with colleagues in the United States, have developed an artificial neural network modeled after the human brain.
By analyzing data from over 240,000 ambulatory electrocardiograms (ECGs), the AI algorithm was able to identify patients at high risk of experiencing a life-threatening arrhythmia capable of triggering cardiac arrest within two weeks—with an accuracy exceeding 70%.
Sudden cardiac death claims more than 5 million lives globally each year. Often, these fatal events occur without warning, affecting individuals with no prior diagnosis of heart disease.
This study highlights the potential of AI to significantly improve the early detection of dangerous arrhythmias, abnormal heart rhythms that can lead to sudden cardiac arrest, by identifying at-risk patients before symptoms appear.
Developing an AI That Mimics the Brain
As part of this study, a network of artificial neurons was developed by a team of engineers from the company Cardiologs (Philips group) in collaboration with the universities of Paris Cité and Harvard. What this algorithm does is imitate the functions of the human brain in order to improve the prevention of cardiac sudden death.
The researchers analyzed several million hours of heartbeats thanks to data from 240,000 ambulatory electrocardiograms collected in six countries (USA, France, UK, South Africa, India, and Czechia).
Thanks to artificial intelligence, the researchers were able to identify new weak signals that herald the risk of arrhythmia. They were particularly interested in the time needed to electrically stimulate and relax the heart ventricles during a complete cycle of cardiac contraction and relaxation.
New Predictive Signals Identified
"By analyzing their electrical signal for 24 hours, we realized that we could identify the subjects susceptible of developing a serious heart arrhythmia within the next two weeks. If left untreated, this type of arrhythmia can progress towards a fatal cardiac arrest," explains Dr. Laurent Fiorina, first author of the study, researcher at the Paris Cardiovascular Research Centre (PARCC) (Inserm/Paris Cité University)," cardiologist at Cardiovascular Institute Paris-Sud (ICPS) (Ramsay, Massy), and medical director in charge of artificial intelligence at Philips.
While the artificial neural network is still in the evaluation phase, it showed itself in this study to be capable of detecting at-risk patients in 70% of cases, and no-risk patients in 99.9% of cases.
In the future, this algorithm could be used to monitor at-risk patients in hospitals. If its performance is refined, it could also be used in devices such as ambulatory Holters that measure blood pressure to reveal hypertension risks. It could even be used in smartwatches.
A Paradigm Shift in Cardiac Risk Prediction
"What we're proposing here is a paradigm change in the prevention of sudden death, "comments Eloi Marijon, Inserm research director at PARCC (Inserm/Paris Cité University), professor of cardiology at Paris Cité University and head of the cardiology department at Georges Pompidou European Hospital AP-HP.
"Until now we'd been trying to identify patients at risk over the medium and long term, but were incapable of predicting what could happen in the minutes, hours, or days that precede a cardiac arrest. Now, thanks to artificial intelligence, we can predict these events in the very short term and potentially take action before it's too late."
The researchers now wish to conduct prospective clinical studies to test the efficacy of this model under real-world conditions.
"It's essential for this technology to be evaluated in clinical trials before being used in medical practice," insists Dr. Fiorina. "But what we've already shown is that AI has the potential to radically transform the prevention of serious arrhythmias."
Reference: "Near-term prediction of sustained ventricular arrhythmias applying artificial intelligence to single-lead ambulatory electrocardiogram" by Laurent Fiorina, Tanner Carbonati, Kumar Narayanan, Jia Li, Christine Henry, Jagmeet P Singh and Eloi Marijon, 30 March 2025, European Heart Journal.
DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehaf073
News
Sleep Deprivation Triggers a Strange Brain Cleanup
When you don’t sleep enough, your brain may clean itself at the exact moment you need it to think. Most people recognize the sensation. After a night of inadequate sleep, staying focused becomes harder [...]
Lab-grown corticospinal neurons offer new models for ALS and spinal injuries
Researchers have developed a way to grow a highly specialized subset of brain nerve cells that are involved in motor neuron disease and damaged in spinal injuries. Their study, published today in eLife as the final [...]
Urgent warning over deadly ‘brain swelling’ virus amid fears it could spread globally
Airports across Asia have been put on high alert after India confirmed two cases of the deadly Nipah virus in the state of West Bengal over the past month. Thailand, Nepal and Vietnam are among the [...]
This Vaccine Stops Bird Flu Before It Reaches the Lungs
A new nasal spray vaccine could stop bird flu at the door — blocking infection, reducing spread, and helping head off the next pandemic. Since first appearing in the United States in 2014, H5N1 [...]
These two viruses may become the next public health threats, scientists say
Two emerging pathogens with animal origins—influenza D virus and canine coronavirus—have so far been quietly flying under the radar, but researchers warn conditions are ripe for the viruses to spread more widely among humans. [...]
COVID-19 viral fragments shown to target and kill specific immune cells
COVID-19 viral fragments shown to target and kill specific immune cells in UCLA-led study Clues about extreme cases and omicron’s effects come from a cross-disciplinary international research team New research shows that after the [...]
Smaller Than a Grain of Salt: Engineers Create the World’s Tiniest Wireless Brain Implant
A salt-grain-sized neural implant can record and transmit brain activity wirelessly for extended periods. Researchers at Cornell University, working with collaborators, have created an extremely small neural implant that can sit on a grain of [...]
Scientists Develop a New Way To See Inside the Human Body Using 3D Color Imaging
A newly developed imaging method blends ultrasound and photoacoustics to capture both tissue structure and blood-vessel function in 3D. By blending two powerful imaging methods, researchers from Caltech and USC have developed a new way to [...]
Brain waves could help paralyzed patients move again
People with spinal cord injuries often lose the ability to move their arms or legs. In many cases, the nerves in the limbs remain healthy, and the brain continues to function normally. The loss of [...]
Scientists Discover a New “Cleanup Hub” Inside the Human Brain
A newly identified lymphatic drainage pathway along the middle meningeal artery reveals how the human brain clears waste. How does the brain clear away waste? This task is handled by the brain’s lymphatic drainage [...]
New Drug Slashes Dangerous Blood Fats by Nearly 40% in First Human Trial
Scientists have found a way to fine-tune a central fat-control pathway in the liver, reducing harmful blood triglycerides while preserving beneficial cholesterol functions. When we eat, the body turns surplus calories into molecules called [...]
A Simple Brain Scan May Help Restore Movement After Paralysis
A brain cap and smart algorithms may one day help paralyzed patients turn thought into movement—no surgery required. People with spinal cord injuries often experience partial or complete loss of movement in their arms [...]
Plant Discovery Could Transform How Medicines Are Made
Scientists have uncovered an unexpected way plants make powerful chemicals, revealing hidden biological connections that could transform how medicines are discovered and produced. Plants produce protective chemicals called alkaloids as part of their natural [...]
Scientists Develop IV Therapy That Repairs the Brain After Stroke
New nanomaterial passes the blood-brain barrier to reduce damaging inflammation after the most common form of stroke. When someone experiences a stroke, doctors must quickly restore blood flow to the brain to prevent death. [...]
Analyzing Darwin’s specimens without opening 200-year-old jars
Scientists have successfully analyzed Charles Darwin's original specimens from his HMS Beagle voyage (1831 to 1836) to the Galapagos Islands. Remarkably, the specimens have been analyzed without opening their 200-year-old preservation jars. Examining 46 [...]
Scientists discover natural ‘brake’ that could stop harmful inflammation
Researchers at University College London (UCL) have uncovered a key mechanism that helps the body switch off inflammation—a breakthrough that could lead to new treatments for chronic diseases affecting millions worldwide. Inflammation is the [...]
