A new artificial intelligence (AI) model can identify women at a higher risk of heart disease using a simple electrocardiogram (ECG). Researchers believe this AI tool, designed specifically for female patients, could help doctors detect heart problems earlier, leading to better treatment and care. The findings were published in The Lancet Digital Health.
An ECG is a widely used test that records the heart’s electrical activity. In this study, scientists analyzed over 1 million ECGs from 180,000 patients, including 98,000 women. They developed a scoring system that compares an individual’s ECG to typical male and female patterns.
This system showed that women whose ECGs were more similar to male patterns—such as having stronger electrical signals—often had larger heart chambers and more muscle mass.
Importantly, these women were also at higher risk of heart disease, heart failure, and heart attacks compared to women whose ECGs followed the typical female pattern.
Heart disease, also known as cardiovascular disease (CVD), has long been considered more common in men. This belief may be due to differences in hormones and lifestyle factors. As a result, both doctors and the public often underestimate the risk of heart disease in women. However, the reality is different:
- Women in the UK are twice as likely to die from coronary heart disease, the leading cause of heart attacks, than from breast cancer.
- A recent medical report called cardiovascular disease the “number one killer” of women and called for better diagnosis, treatment, and inclusion of women in clinical trials.
Dr. Arunashis Sau, a researcher at Imperial College London, led the study. He explained that heart disease in women is more complicated than previously thought.
“We often group patients by sex when analyzing ECGs, but this doesn’t account for individual differences. AI helps us understand female heart health more precisely, which could improve care for women at risk of heart disease,” he said.
Dr. Fu Siong Ng, a senior cardiologist involved in the research, highlighted a key finding: some women flagged by the AI model were at even higher risk than the average man. If this tool is widely used, it could help reduce gender differences in heart disease treatment and improve survival rates for women.
The research team has also developed an AI-based ECG risk prediction model called AIRE. This tool estimates a patient’s likelihood of developing or worsening heart disease. Clinical trials of AIRE in NHS hospitals are planned for late 2025 to test its effectiveness in real-world settings.
Dr. Sonya Babu-Narayan from the British Heart Foundation emphasized the importance of this research.
“Women are often misdiagnosed or ignored when they report heart symptoms because of the myth that heart disease mainly affects men. Even when diagnosed, they are less likely to receive proper treatment. AI could help identify high-risk women earlier, but improving care requires changes throughout the entire healthcare system.”
This study highlights the potential of AI to close the gender gap in heart disease care. While AI-based ECG screening is a promising step forward, experts stress that better awareness, diagnosis, and treatment for women are also needed to save lives.
The research findings can be found in The Lancet Digital Health.
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