Oxford scientists have developed an artificial intelligence tool that can predict the risk of heart failure up to five years before it develops. The technology, which analyzes routine cardiac CT scans, identifies signs of inflammation in fat around the heart that are invisible to the human eye.
In a study of 72,000 patients from nine NHS trusts in England, the AI tool predicted the risk of heart failure within five years with 86% accuracy. Patients in the highest risk group were 20 times more likely to develop heart failure than those in the lowest risk group, with about a one in four chance of developing the condition within five years.
Charalambos Antoniades, professor of cardiovascular medicine at Oxford who led the research, said the tool produces an absolute risk score for each patient without human input. The team is now working to apply the method to any chest CT scan, not just cardiac scans.
Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan, clinical director at the British Heart Foundation, which funded the study, noted that heart failure is often diagnosed too late. She said the tool could help doctors spot heart failure earlier and manage the condition more effectively.
The Oxford team is seeking regulatory approval to roll out the tool in healthcare systems, including the NHS. They hope to add it to routine cardiac CT scan analysis in hospital radiology departments.
