US EditionYour CT scan could reveal a hidden heart risk—and AI just learned how to find it
- Mass General Brigham and the VA developed AI-CAC, an artificial intelligence tool that analyzes routine chest CT scans to detect hidden signs of heart disease before symptoms emerge.
- While 'gated' CT scans synchronize to the heartbeat for precise measurements, most routine clinical scans are 'nongated' and often miss signs of coronary calcium buildup in patients.
- Testing on 8,052 veteran scans showed AI-CAC was 89.4% accurate at detecting coronary artery calcium and predicted 10-year mortality risk, with those scoring over 400 facing 3.49 times higher death risk.
- Senior author Hugo Aerts, PhD, director of the Artificial Intelligence in Medicine Program at Mass General Brigham, said AI "has the potential to change how clinicians practice medicine" by enabling earlier intervention.
- Researchers aim to test AI-CAC in the general population to assess whether the tool can reduce long-term morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs beyond the veteran population studied.
17 Articles
17 Articles
Millions of CT scans are done every year. Most leave important data behind
Recently, a patient came to the hospital where I work with a persistent cough. Their doctor had ordered a CT scan—a type of imaging that creates detailed cross-sectional pictures of the body's interior—to look for pneumonia or another infection.
The Conversation
Millions of CT scans are done every year – most leave important data behind
CT scans hold a wealth of information about a patient's health that often gets overlooked. Morsa Images/DigitalVision via Getty ImagesRecently, a patient came to the hospital where I work with a persistent cough. Their doctor had ordered a CT scan – a type of imaging that creates detailed cross-sectional pictures of the body’s interior – to look for pneumonia or another infection. The scan ruled that out, but it also showed something unexpected:…
Your CT scan could reveal a hidden heart risk—and AI just learned how to find it
What if your old chest scans—taken years ago for something unrelated—held a secret warning about your heart? A new AI tool called AI-CAC, developed by Mass General Brigham and the VA, can now comb through routine CT scans to detect hidden signs of heart disease before symptoms strike.
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