Stethoscopes powered by artificial intelligence (AI) could help detect three different heart conditions in seconds, according to researchers.

The traditional stethoscope, invented in 1816 to listen to the sounds inside a person's body, has been "upgraded for the 21st century" and used in a pilot involving more than 200 GP surgeries in London .

The AI stethoscopes could be a "real game-changer", potentially allowing patients with heart failure, heart valve disease and abnormal heart rhythms, also known as atrial fibrillation, to be treated sooner, the trial suggests.

Researchers found that heart failure was 2.3 times more likely to be detected in patients over the next 12 months who benefited from the new technology compared to those who did not.

Abnormal heartbeat patterns, whi

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