Would you like to receive notifications on latest updates of the following headlines?

AI Can Detect Hidden Heart Attack Risk --- Scientists

POSTED ON August 6, 2024 •   Technology      BY Benedicta Bassey •   VIEWS 112
AI works to detect heart attack/ Photo credit: Bionity

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 involves 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.

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 precede the development of narrowings and blockages [within the heart]," said Prof Keith Channon, from the University of Oxford.

As part of the pilot, patients suffering from chest pain who are referred for a routine CT scan, have their scan analysed by Caristo Diagnostics' CaRi-Heart AI platform.

An algorithm, which detects coronary inflammation and plaque, is then assessed by trained operators to verify the accuracy.

Research has shown increased inflammation is linked to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and fatal heart attacks.

According to the British Heart Foundation (BHF) 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.

Focusing on that cohort, researchers said they found that if patients had inflammation in their coronary arteries, they have 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 the AI technology, 45% of those patients were prescribed medication or encouraged to make lifestyle changes to prevent the risk of future heart attacks.
'Wake-up call'

Ian Pickard is one of 40,000 patients who took part in the study.
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, 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 realise how serious it is. It's something you can look at each day and think, 'I've got to do something about this'."

The AI model measures cardiac inflammation based on fat around the arteries.

Prof Charalambos Antoniades, Orfan study lead, said the tools available until now were primitive because risk calculators could only assess general risk factors, such a whether a patient is diabetic, smokes or is obese.

He said: "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.

"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 currently assessing the technology to determine whether it should be rolled out across the NHS.

RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
Brain chip: Elon Musk’s 'Neuralink' gets Canadian approval for trial
BY Benedicta Bassey November 21, 2024 0

CANADA — Elon Musk’s has announced the approval of his Neuralink in Canada to conduct it...

RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
Nigeria need technocrats to revamp economy, says Obasanjo
BY Benedicta Bassey October 31, 2024 0

There are many technocrats in Nigeria that can be called upon to improve and revamp the economy, for...

RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
Global stock markets rebounce as investors await tech giants' earnings
BY Benedicta Bassey October 29, 2024 0

Major global stock market on Tuesday gained ground as investors await earnings of tech giants and US...

RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
Informal sector accounts for 76.7% of Nigeria's workforce — Report
BY Benedicta Bassey October 29, 2024 0

A new study has shown that the informal sector accounts for 76.7 per cent of Nigeria's workforce. T...

RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
MTN CEO, Ralph Mupita elected to GSMA Board
BY Benedicta Bassey October 29, 2024 0

Ralph Mupita, the President and Chief Executive Officer, MTN Group has been elected to the GSM Assoc...

RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
Google, industry players reiterate commitment to back Nigeria's digital economy
BY Benedicta Bassey October 29, 2024 0

Google alongside some industry key players have reiterated their commitments to back Nigeria's digit...

RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
3.45bn people still lack mobile network - Report
BY Benedicta Bassey October 29, 2024 0

A new report by the industry body GSM Association stated that about 43 per cent of the world's popul...

RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
FG partners Switzerland on tech innovations
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara October 26, 2024 0

The Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Chief Uche Nnaji, has established a strategic p...

OUR CHANNELS:

OTHER ARTICLES ::

25th November, 2024
Tinubu eyes livestock sector reform, investment to curb farmer-herder clashes
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara November 25, 2024 0

President Bola Tinubu has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to resolving the farmer-h...


Katsina Govt. applauds  NAF  strike against bandits, vows to sustain regional stability
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara November 25, 2024 0

KATSINA – The Katsina State Government has commended the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) for successf...


Breaking : Supreme court voids National Lottery Act
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara November 25, 2024 0

The Supreme Court, on Friday, nullified the National Lottery Act 2005 enacted by the National Assemb...


ECB's renews integration call as trade war looms
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara November 25, 2024 0

European Central Bank, President Christine Lagarde renewed her call for economic integration across...


China expands Visa-free entry to more countries to boost economy
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara November 25, 2024 0

On Friday, China announced that it would expand visa-free entry to citizens of nine more countries a...


FAO aims key outcomes at COP16 Saudi Arabia
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara November 25, 2024 0

The assistant Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Dr. Abdul Hakim Elwae...


Illegal detention: Bizman slams N50m suit on NDLEA
BY Benedicta Bassey November 25, 2024 0

NIGERIA — A businessman, Damilare Samuel, has slammed the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency...


Appeal Court invalidates verdict against Rivers LG election
BY Benedicta Bassey November 25, 2024 0

ABUJA, Nigeria —The Court of Appeal, sitting in Abuja has nullified the judgement that prevent...


Man in Police net for defiling, impregnating 15-yr-old daughter
BY Benedicta Bassey November 25, 2024 0

CALABAR, Nigeria —A 48-year-old man, Mallam Adamu Umaru, was paraded by the Zone 6 Police Comm...


Trump picks Pam Bondi as Attorney General following Gaetz withdrawal
BY Benedicta Bassey November 25, 2024 0

WASHINGTON, United States  — US President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Pam Bondi, a v...


Menu