AI can detect heart disease in women using mammograms, study suggests
Experts say findings mean breast screenings for cancer could also flag cardiovascular problems in women Doctors have discovered a way to use routine mammograms that screen for breast cancer to spot heart disease, the world’s leading – and frequently underdiagnosed – cause of death in women. Researchers analysed the scans using artificial intelligence and were able to successfully identify women…
A new study suggests that routine mammograms, used to screen for breast cancer, may also detect signs of heart disease in women. Researchers from Tel Aviv University in Israel analyzed 97,364 mammogram scans from 29,921 women, with an average age of 54, and found that AI could reliably identify women with high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, or who had experienced a stroke.
The AI model accurately identified women with these conditions 86%, 79%, and 78% of the time, respectively. Dr. Viana Copeland, who presented the findings at the European Society of Cardiology’s annual congress, noted that cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death in women worldwide, yet it is often underdiagnosed. Mammography, already widely used for breast cancer screening, could be repurposed to identify heart conditions, providing a cost-effective and accessible method for early detection.
Researchers are working to improve the AI model's accuracy and expand its ability to detect additional heart conditions. Experts emphasize the importance of recognizing heart disease in women, as it is often misdiagnosed or discovered too late. Dr. Sonya Babu-Narayan of the British Heart Foundation highlighted that women are disproportionately unaware, unheard, and underdiagnosed when it comes to heart disease, making early detection crucial.
Written by urgent.news from Guardian Health's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
