AI Could Predict Heart Attacks a Decade in Advance, Study Suggests

A new study indicates that artificial intelligence (AI) could potentially predict a person’s risk of suffering a heart attack up to a decade in advance. The advanced technology could potentially save thousands of lives and enhance the treatment for nearly 50% of patients, according to researchers at the University of Oxford.

The Role of AI in Cardiac CT Scans

The research project, financed by the British Heart Foundation (BHF), examined how AI could enhance the precision of cardiac CT scans, which are typically used to detect blockages or constrictions in the arteries. Prof Charalambos Antoniades, Chair of Cardiovascular Medicine at the BHF and Director of the Acute Multidisciplinary Imaging and Interventional Centre at Oxford, stated that the study found some patients, who were initially reassured and sent home, were at a high risk of suffering a heart attack within the next decade.

AI Proving to be a Beneficial Tool

The AI tool was tested on an additional 3,393 patients over almost eight years and was found capable of accurately predicting the risk of a heart attack. AI-generated risk scores were then presented to medics for 744 patients, resulting in 45% of them having their treatment plans altered by the medical professionals.

Prof Antoniades expressed hope that this AI tool would soon be implemented across the NHS, potentially preventing thousands of avoidable deaths from heart attacks annually in the UK.

The Role of AI in Heart Attack Prediction

Patients whose results indicated significant narrowing of the arteries were more likely to suffer a serious heart attack. However, twice as many patients with no significant narrowings also experienced heart attacks, some of which were fatal. Prof Sir Nilesh Samani, Medical Director at the BHF, stated that the research highlights the crucial role AI-based technology can play in identifying those most at risk of future heart attacks.