Ground-breaking study will use AI to explore links between chronic inflammation, diet and long-term health conditions

Professor Basma Ellahi, Associate Dean of Research and Innovation in the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Society, is working on the £4.8 million study which is being led by the University of East Anglia (UEA).  

With the support and engagement of an extensive patient network and funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), the study is investigating inflammation, which is a key biological driver that underlies many chronic health conditions, such as diabetes, arthritis and high blood pressure.

Inflammation could also explain how diet and nutrition are linked to these conditions and why they are more common in certain social and ethnic groups.

By applying cutting-edge analytical methods to large scale national and international datasets, the project will identity new ways to slow the progression of multiple long-term health problems in people most at risk.

Lead researcher, Professor Alex Macgregor, of UEA’s Norwich Medical School, said: “About one in four of the UK population have multiple long-term conditions.

“It is one of the greatest challenges facing individuals and health services, both now and for the coming decades and is associated with a reduction in quality of life, increases in use of health services and reduced life expectancy.

“Prevention of onset and progression of multiple long-term conditions is a priority area of major strategic importance for the Department of Health.

“We have a multi-disciplinary team of scientists with expertise in clinical research, nutrition and data science who will use advanced computing to examine the reasons why some people are prone to developing multiple long-term conditions.”

'Inflammation, nutrition, and the evolution of multiple long-term conditions – an AI-based analysis of intersectionality in longitudinal health data (the InflAIM programme)’ started on February 1, 2024 and will run for eight years.

Co-investigator Professor Ailsa Welch, of UEA’s Norwich Medical School, said: “Unlike current personalised nutrition plans that often focus on short-term results and a limited group of people, this project aims to be thorough and inclusive.

“By looking at long-term health and including a wide range of individuals, we aim to address everyone's needs, not just those who are already health conscious.”

Professor Basma Ellahi’s research and community work have focused on the nutrition and health of ethnic communities and in particular south Asian communities, in the prevention of chronic diseases and includes approaches to weight management, exploring inter-generational differences, inclusivity and cultural needs. She is currently Chair of the Nutrition Society Special Interest Group on Diet and Health of Ethnic Minority groups in the UK, a network of those working and researching in this space. She said: “The programme will enable us to look in depth at ethnic and social groups who have often been underserved by research and are known to have inequalities in their health compared to the wider population.”

Dr Tahmina Zebin, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Computer Science, Brunel University London, said: “We will drive the development of advanced prediction models and ensure unbiased and ethical AI practices are adopted in our solutions,” she said. “Our multidisciplinary and inclusive AI approach will gather valuable insights from large-scale patient data and contribute to an equitable decision support system to improve outcomes for diverse populations with multiple long-term conditions.”

University of Exeter co-investigator Professor Chris Fox added: “Using insights from AI, our findings will help create strategies and policies to tackle the scourge of important long-term conditions which have an overwhelming impact on daily living activities, preventing people from engaging in work and resulting in financial hardship for many.”

Rajinder Flora, Assistant Director of the NIHR's Programme Grants for Applied Research (PGfAR) said: "This programme of research is a great example of an innovative way to tackle complex health and social care challenges.

“If we can understand the links between inflammation, nutrition and multiple long-term health conditions then we can change many people's lives for the better, as well as make our health and social care system more effective."

The study, led by UEA, is a national collaboration between epidemiologists, computer scientists, statisticians, nutritionists, clinicians, social scientists, and policymakers. It is supported by Evergreen Life (a national health and wellbeing platform) and the Richmond Group of Charities (a coalition of 13 leading health and social care organisations in the voluntary sector), alongside a wide range of institutions including the Quadram Institute, Norfolk and Waveney ICB, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Brunel University London, Queen Mary University of London and the Universities of Exeter, Southampton, Chester, Hertfordshire and Durham.

For more information about the project visit https://www.inflaim.com/