A pioneering artificial intelligence (AI) tool can predict a person's chance of developing heart failure at least five years before the debilitating condition develops, according to new research led by Professor Charalambos Antoniades published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Researchers say the programme is the first ever that can accurately predict heart failure using routine cardiac CT scans performed to investigate chest pain or other conditions. These scans are routinely done at NHS hospitals to spot problems in the heart, typically to look for fatty plaques in coronary arteries. The researchers say about 350,000 patients are referred for a cardiac CT scan each year in the UK.
The research team developed the tool to identify textural changes in the fat around the heart that indicate that the heart muscle underneath is inflamed and unhealthy. These changes are not visible to the human eye with any routine medical imaging tests.
The AI analyses this information to warn doctors if a person is at high risk of developing heart failure. The study found that those in the highest risk group were 20 times more likely to develop heart failure than those in the lowest risk group. The people in the highest risk group had around a one in four chance of developing heart failure within five years. Using this information, doctors can then take steps to try and prevent heart failure developing or manage the condition.
The AI tool was trained and validated in more than 70,000 individuals from across nine NHS Trusts, who were followed up for a decade after they had the cardiac CT scans.
Read the full story on the Radcliffe Department of Medicine website.