# Application of IRSA-BP neural network in diagnosing diabetes

**Authors:** Wan-Hua Zhang, Zi-Xun Zhang

PMC · DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0324759 · PLOS One · 2025-06-25

## TL;DR

This paper introduces a new machine learning method called IRSA-BP to improve diabetes diagnosis accuracy and efficiency.

## Contribution

The novel contribution is the integration of an improved reptile search algorithm with backpropagation neural networks for diabetes prediction.

## Key findings

- The IRSA-BP algorithm achieved an accuracy of 83.6% in diabetes prediction.
- IRSA-BP outperformed other machine learning algorithms in classification metrics.
- The method shows potential for early diabetes risk identification and improved diagnostic accuracy.

## Abstract

Within the healthcare sector, the application of machine learning is gaining prominence, notably enhancing the efficiency and precision of diagnostic procedures. This study focuses on this key area of diabetes prediction and aims to develop an innovative prediction method. Using the data set published by Kare, this paper constructs and compares various intelligent systems based on multilayer algorithms, and specifically introduces improved reptile search algorithm (IRSA) to optimize the weight and threshold initialization of traditional backpropagation (BP) neural networks. This improvement aims to improve the network performance and accuracy in diabetes detection. In the study, the IRSA-BP hybrid algorithm and many other machine learning algorithms were used for diabetes prediction, and the algorithm performance was comprehensively evaluated using multiple classification metrics. The experimental results showed that the IRSA-BP algorithm performed the best among all the evaluated algorithms, with an accuracy of up to 83.6%, showing its superior performance in diabetes prediction. Therefore, the IRSA-BP classifier has an important potential for application in the medical field. It can assist medical professionals to identify diabetes risk earlier and assess the condition more accurately, thus improving diagnostic efficiency and accuracy. This is important for early intervention and treatment of patients with diabetes and to improve their health status and quality of life.

## Linked entities

- **Diseases:** diabetes (MONDO:0005015)

## Full-text entities

- **Diseases:** diabetes (MESH:D003920)
- **Species:** Homo sapiens (human, species) [taxon 9606]

## Full text

_Full body text omitted from this summary view._ Fetch the complete paper as Markdown: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12192292/full.md

## Figures

10 figures with captions in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12192292/full.md

## References

51 references — full list in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12192292/full.md

---
Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12192292