• Caristo Diagnostics has developed the CaRi-Heart AI platform, an AI heart attack detection to identify cardiac inflammation and prevent heart attacks.

• The AI model identifies inflammation not visible on traditional CT scans, offering a groundbreaking approach to heart attack prevention.

• A pilot project supported by NHS England is testing the technology across five hospital trusts, with potential nationwide implementation.

Technology that identifies people at risk of a heart attack in the next 10 years has been hailed as “game-changing” by scientists. The artificial intelligence (AI) model detects inflammation in the heart that does not show up on CT scans, which involve a combination of X-rays and computer technology.

A pilot project supported by NHS England is running at five hospital trusts in Oxford, Milton Keynes, Leicester, Liverpool, and Wolverhampton. A decision on its use within the NHS is expected within months.

Its developer, Oxford University spinout company Caristo Diagnostics, said it was already working to adapt the technology to prevent strokes and diabetes. “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 precedes the development of narrowings and blockages within the heart,” said Prof Keith Channon, from the University of Oxford.

AI Heart Attack Detection: The Role of Caristo Diagnostics

As part of the pilot, patients suffering from chest pain referred for a routine CT scan have their scan analyzed by Caristo Diagnostics’ CaRi-Heart AI platform. Trained operators then assess an algorithm that detects coronary inflammation and plaque to verify the accuracy. Research has shown that increased inflammation is linked to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and fatal heart attacks.

The British Heart Foundation (BHF) estimates approximately 7.6 million people are living with heart disease in the UK, and the annual cost to the NHS in England is £7.4bn, according to government figures.

About 350,000 patients are referred for a cardiac CT scan each year in the UK, said the BHF. The Orfan study (Oxford Risk Factors and Non-invasive Imaging) involving 40,000 patients and published in the Lancet found that 80% of people were sent back to primary care without a defined prevention or treatment plan.

Focusing on that cohort, researchers said they found that if patients had inflammation in their coronary arteries, they had a 20 to 30 times higher risk of dying from a cardiac event over the next 10 years.

The study, funded by BHF, found that by using AI technology, 45% of those patients were prescribed medication or encouraged to make lifestyle changes to prevent the risk of future heart attacks.

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The Future of Healthcare: CaRi-Heart AI in Diagnosing Cardiac Inflammation

Ian Pickard, 58, from Barwell in Leicestershire, was referred for a CT scan in November 2023 after experiencing persistent chest pain. He was enrolled in the Orfan study at the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust.

The double-glazing salesman has now been prescribed statins and told to quit smoking and increase his exercise after tests using the AI analysis suggested he was at risk of having a heart attack.

“It’s a huge wake-up call,” Mr. Pickard said. “And when you see it on paper, you realize how serious it is. You can look at it daily and think, ‘I’ve got to do something about this‘.” Prof Charalambos Antoniades, Orfan study lead, said the tools available until now were primitive because risk calculators could only assess general risk factors, such as whether a patient has diabetes, smokes, or is obese.

He said, “Now, with this kind of [AI] technology, we know exactly which patient had the disease activity in their arteries before the disease even developed. This means we can move early to end the disease process and treat this patient to prevent the disease from developing and then prevent heart attacks from happening.”

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence is assessing the technology to determine whether it should be rolled out across the NHS. It is also under review in the US and has been approved for use in Europe and Australia.

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Addressing Health Disparities: AI’s Role in Equitable Cardiac Care

While introducing AI technology in cardiac health presents significant advancements, it also brings concerns regarding health disparities to light. Access to cutting-edge medical technologies often varies by region, socioeconomic status, and ethnicity, potentially widening gaps in healthcare outcomes.

The NHS and Caristo Diagnostics are committed to ensuring this transformative technology is accessible across diverse populations. By actively engaging with underserved communities and empowering healthcare providers through training and resources, there is potential to address these inequalities effectively.

As AI redefines cardiac diagnostics, stakeholders must collaborate and develop strategies that promote inclusivity, ensuring that all patients benefit from these life-saving innovations.

Conclusion

The advent of AI in healthcare heralds a promising future. With groundbreaking technology like the CaRi-Heart AI platform, developed by Caristo Diagnostics, detecting cardiac inflammation and preventing heart attacks is now within reach.

With more studies supporting the efficacy of this technology, the integration of AI in healthcare could revolutionize patient care and significantly reduce the number of fatal heart attacks.