Work

Predicting atrial fibrillation and flutter using BEHRT and identifying multimorbidity patterns using BERTopic

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Introduction: Atrial fibrillation and flutter are heart rhythm disorders frequently associated with multiple other chronic conditions, complicating their management and requiring optimized care. Analyzing pre-atrial fibrillation and flutter comorbidity patterns could enable proactive, preventive, and personalized healthcare. Methods: This population-based nested case-control study analyzed data from the Korean National Health Insurance Corporation (2002-2019). Adults aged ≥19 years with at least three years of recorded claims were included. Cases were individuals newly diagnosed with atrial fibrillation and flutter between 2007 and 2019 following a washout period (2002-2006). Controls were matched 1:4 using stratified random sampling. Using 5-year disease histories, BEHRT, a transformer-based model, predicted atrial fibrillation and flutter, while BERTopic identified sex-specific multimorbidity patterns. Predictive performance was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Results: BEHRT achieved an AUC of 0.80 for predicting atrial fibrillation and flutter among 600,030 participants (8,661 cases and 591,369 controls). BERTopic analysis revealed sex-specific multimorbidity patterns: aortic aneurysm, hypertensive heart disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were common in males, while Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and rheumatic heart disease were prominent in females. Discussion: The combination of BEHRT and BERTopic demonstrated the ability to predict atrial fibrillation and flutter based on multimorbid histories while identifying distinct sex-specific disease patterns. These findings underscore the potential for artificial intelligence to enhance personalized healthcare and optimize prevention and management strategies for chronic conditions.

Source: Frontiers in Digital Health

DOI: 10.3389/fdgth.2026.1722338

Authors: Sookyung Bae, Yeonjae Kim, Samina Park, Hwiyoung Kim, Bomi Park

Institutions: Yonsei University, Yonsei University Health System, Chung-Ang University, Seoul National University, Seoul National University Hospital

Language: English

Topic: Atrial Fibrillation Management and Outcomes

Subfield: Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,077