People who have pacemakers are at a higher risk of developing heart failure. A pacemaker is a small, battery-powered device that requires a minor surgical procedure to be fitted and prevents the heart from beating too slowly.

A research study conducted in Leeds and published at the end of 2024 found that a third of people with pacemakers have heart failure, meaning their heart is unable to pump blood around the body properly which can lead to health complications.

There are currently 4,500 people in the region who are fitted with a pacemaker and visit the Leeds Teaching Hospitals once a year for a check up. These patients are not currently screened for heart failure, and so this diagnosis is often missed.

Year on year, the number of people living with a pacemaker is rising with an aging population, as the majority of patients are in their 70s and 80s.

The current method of identifying heart failure is through an echocardiogram, a type of ultrasound scan used to look at the heart and nearby blood vessels, but this is a time-consuming process that requires a skilled technician to be performed.

Sam Straw, NIHR Academic Clinical Lecturer and Honorary Cardiology Registrar at the University of Leeds is leading a project funded by Leeds Hospitals Charity, using artificial intelligence (AI) technology to detect heart failure in patients with pacemakers.

The research study, which began at the end of October, uses a handheld device which measures heart function using AI, allowing staff to easily screen for heart failure within a few minutes.

Sam plans to recruit 125 patients to participate in the research, who will have an artificial intelligence scan, as well as a full echocardiogram to compare the two. He hopes that the AI technology can accurately detect heart failure in patients with pacemakers. He said:

“This will be the first time our team is integrating AI technology into patient care, which will help us provide a quicker, less complex and more cost effective way of identifying heart failure in our patients.

“We hope that the findings of this research will help us determine whether this could be a feasible way of ensuring all patients with a pacemaker are screened for heart failure going forward.”

One of the patients who has participated in the trial is Gerald, a keen cyclist in his late 70s who first had his pacemaker fitted in December 2017.

Gerald says: “I have had unbelievable care from the NHS over the years, so when the team invited me to be part of this trial, I knew I wanted to take part and have the opportunity to give something back.”

The tests conducted in the trial found that Gerald’s heart function was lower than normal so he was prescribed some additional tablets to make sure he stays fit, healthy and can keep doing what he loves the most, being out on his bike with friends.