This AI tool predicts heart attacks a decade in advance
A groundbreaking artificial intelligence (AI) model, hailed as a "game changer" by scientists, has been developed to identify individuals at risk of heart attacks within the next 10 years. The technology, created by Oxford University spinout company Caristo Diagnostics, can detect heart inflammation not visible on CT scans. Currently, a pilot project backed by NHS England is underway at five hospital trusts in Oxford, Milton Keynes, Leicester, Liverpool and Wolverhampton.
AI detects coronary inflammation and plaque
The AI model is a part of Caristo Diagnostics's 'CaRi-Heart' AI platform. It employs an algorithm to identify coronary inflammation and plaque in patients experiencing chest pain who are referred for a routine CT scan. Trained operators then verify the results for accuracy. Research indicates that increased inflammation is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and fatal heart attacks.
AI technology: A transformative tool in heart disease detection
Professor Keith Channon from the University of Oxford lauded the technology as transformative and game changing. He stated, "This technology is transformative and game changing because for the first time we can detect the biological processes that are invisible to the human eye, which precede the development of narrowings and blockages [within the heart]." The British Heart Foundation (BHF) reports that approximately 7.6 million people in the UK live with heart disease, costing NHS England £7.4 billion annually.
AI technology enhances prevention and treatment plans
The Orfan (Oxford Risk Factors and Non-invasive imaging) study, involving 40,000 patients, revealed that 80% of people were returned to primary care without a treatment plan. However, the study found that patients with inflammation in their coronary arteries had a 20-30 times higher risk of dying from a heart attack over the next decade. The use of AI technology resulted in 45% of these patients being prescribed medication or encouraged to make lifestyle changes to prevent future heart attacks.
AI technology provides wake-up call for heart patients
Ian Pickford, a participant in the Orfan study, was referred for a CT scan due to persistent chest pain. After AI analysis, he was prescribed statins, advised to quit smoking and increase his exercise due to his risk of having a heart attack. "It's a huge wake-up call," said Pickford. "And when you see it on paper, you realise how serious it is. It's something you can look at each day and think, 'I've got to do something about this.'"
AI technology outperforms previous risk assessment tools
Professor Charalambos Antoniades, the lead of the Orfan study, stated that previous tools were primitive as they could only evaluate general risk factors such as diabetes, smoking or obesity. "Now, with this kind of [AI] technology, we know exactly which patient has the disease activity in their arteries before the disease has even developed," he said. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence is currently assessing whether the technology should be rolled out across the NHS.
