Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41652525›Full record

ArticleBioData mining2026

Early differentiation between paroxysmal and persistent atrial fibrillation based on interpretable machine learning: a multicenter retrospective study.

Sijin Li, Yuqi Zhang, Weijie Wu, Guang Li, Tucheng Huang, Kuan Zeng, Chao Tong, Heng Li, Hui Huang

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BioData mining, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Sijin Li *Department of Cardiology, Joint Laboratory of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao, The Eighth Affiliated Hospital, Universities for Nutritional Metabolism and Precise Prevention and Control of Major Chronic Diseases, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Macao, China.
Yuqi Zhang *School of Computer Science & Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, China.
Weijie WuDepartment of Cardiology, Dongguan Songshan Lake Tungwah Hospital, Dongguan, China.
Guang LiDepartment of Cardiology, Dongguan Songshan Lake Tungwah Hospital, Dongguan, China.
Tucheng HuangDepartment of Cardiology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Kuan ZengDepartment of Cardiovascular Surgery, The Eighth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat- sen University, Shenzhen, China.
Chao TongSchool of Computer Science & Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, China. tongchao@buaa.edu.cn.
Heng LiDepartment of Cardiology, Dongguan Songshan Lake Tungwah Hospital, Dongguan, China. lh12818@163.com.
Hui HuangDepartment of Cardiology, Joint Laboratory of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao, The Eighth Affiliated Hospital, Universities for Nutritional Metabolism and Precise Prevention and Control of Major Chronic Diseases, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, Macao, China. huangh8@mail.sysu.edu.cn.

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China 62176016National Natural Science Foundation of China 82330021
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimsAtrial fibrillation (AF) is a common arrhythmia associated with increased risks of stroke and heart failure. Early differentiation between paroxysmal and persistent AF at first diagnosis is critical for guiding treatment decisions. This study aimed to develop an interpretable machine learning model based on structured electronic health records (EHR) to distinguish AF subtypes and identify key contributing factors. METHODS AND

resultsIn this multicenter, retrospective cohort study, data were collected from three tertiary hospitals in China between January 2013 and January 2023. A total of 11,986 patients with suspected AF were screened, of whom 4155 patients with first-diagnosed AF were included (paroxysmal: 2565 [61.3%]; persistent: 1620 [38.7%]). Structured EHR variables, including clinical demographics, serological indicators, and echocardiographic parameters, were extracted for analysis. Variable selection was performed using Spearman correlation and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression. Three machine learning algorithms were trained and externally validated. The CatBoost model achieved the best performance, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.876 (95% CI: 0.871–0.880) and accuracy of 0.808 (95% CI: 0.803–0.816). Sensitivity and specificity ranged from 0.802 to 0.811. Shapley additive explanations (SHAP) were used to interpret model outputs and identify variables most associated with AF subtype classification.

conclusionThis multicenter study demonstrates that interpretable machine learning models based on structured EHR data can accurately distinguish paroxysmal from persistent AF at first diagnosis. The proposed model may facilitate early subtype-specific risk stratification and personalized treatment, potentially improve outcomes, and reduce disparities in AF care across different medical conditions.

Indexed as

Machine learningMulticenter retrospective studyParoxysmal atrial fibrillationPersistent atrial fibrillationSubtype classification

Identifiers

PMID41652525
PMCPMC12892771

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.