A new AI tool called MILTON can predict the risk of developing over 1,000 diseases by analyzing common test results collected by doctors. Developed by AstraZeneca, this computer algorithm identifies patterns in data like blood and urine tests, blood pressure, and other routine measurements. It can predict diseases years before symptoms appear, such as Alzheimer’s, COPD, and kidney disease.
MILTON analyzed data from 500,000 people in the UK Biobank, looking at 67 clinical biomarkers and data on 3,000 blood proteins. The tool performed exceptionally well for predicting 121 diseases and was highly accurate for another 1,091 conditions, as reported in the journal Nature Genetics.
This AI technology aims to detect diseases early, allowing for preventative treatments that could stop diseases from progressing. AstraZeneca plans to make the data available to other researchers to further improve diagnostic tests. However, the tool is still in the research phase and more work is needed before it can be used in clinical settings.
While the tool shows promise, experts like Professor Tim Frayling from the University of Exeter caution that the tool may improve our understanding of diseases rather than provide exact predictions for who will develop them.
Source: news.sky
