AI-driven cardiac diagnostics for improved prevention: Expert panel releases novel guidelines
In a groundbreaking development, a team of researchers, led by K. Schulze, A.M. Stantien, M.C. Williams, and others, has published recommendations for the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the evaluation and treatment of atherosclerosis. The publication, titled "Coronary CT angiography evaluation with artificial intelligence for individualized medical treatment of atherosclerosis," is now available in Nat Rev Cardiol.
The new approach marks a shift from blanket treatment based on general risk factors to individual decisions based on actual vessel changes. The project aims to improve the evaluation of CT images of coronary arteries using AI, paving the way for personalized and effective therapy.
The recommendations for personalized medicine in cardiology are based on a multi-stage expert procedure and large study data. The research, funded by the DFG for the third QCI meeting on quantitative AI-assisted assessment of coronary artery atherosclerosis (DE 1361/32-1), suggests that visible deposits in CT scans should prompt drug treatment in addition to lifestyle optimization.
Prof. Dr. Dr. Marc Dewey from Charité, one of the institutions involved in the research, emphasizes that this new approach allows for earlier and more targeted treatment of at-risk patients while sparing others unnecessary therapy. The amount of deposits, or plaque, is quickly and accurately categorized in comparison to age- and gender-specific average values using large datasets.
If the amount of plaque is significantly above a certain age- and gender-specific value, the interdisciplinary group recommends more intensive drug therapy. Such therapy may involve higher doses of cholesterol-lowering drugs like statins or combinations with other active ingredients.
Until now, there were no clear recommendations on how to use examination results for tailored drug treatment. Over two million people in Europe undergo coronary CT angiography annually to visualize and evaluate deposits in coronary arteries that can lead to heart attacks.
The German Heart Institute (GHI) is involved in this research project, led by Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin. The institution researching the improvement of heart center diagnostics through artificial intelligence and involved in developing new recommendations for individualized drug treatment of arterial calcifications is the German Heart Center Munich (Deutsches Herzzentrum München, DHM), now part of the newly founded TUM Klinikum, which combines the German Heart Center Munich and the Klinikum Rechts der Isar for advanced heart medicine research and care.
The researchers recommend using AI to evaluate CT data to better assess the risk of heart attacks. Prof. Dewey, the scientific contact for the study, can be reached at [email protected]. The next step is to test the effectiveness of AI-assisted treatment strategies in large randomized clinical trials comparing CT with AI versus CT without AI.
Read also:
- Understanding Hemorrhagic Gastroenteritis: Key Facts
- Stopping Osteoporosis Treatment: Timeline Considerations
- Tobacco industry's suggested changes on a legislative modification are disregarded by health journalists
- Expanded Community Health Involvement by CK Birla Hospitals, Jaipur, Maintained Through Consistent Outreach Programs Across Rajasthan
