A recent study revealed that regular mammograms may offer a “two-for-one” opportunity to protect women’s health.
According to research published in the journal Heart, mammograms can be used to successfully predict the risk of cardiac disease in women, on top of their ability to detect breast cancers.
Researchers stated that the latest artificial intelligence (AI)-centric model can analyse heart health risk using only mammogram scans and a woman’s age, matching in the preciseness of tools such as American Heart Association’s PREVENT calculator.
The high-end model is developed by the George Institute for Global Health in Australia, aiming to incorporate heart risk screening with routine breast cancer screenings, possibly detecting two major cardiac threats at the same time.
The institute’s global director of cardiovascular programs, Clare Arnott, stated,“We can identify and potentially prevent two major causes of illness and death at the same time.”
Unlike traditional methods that need detailed medical data such as cholesterol levels and blood pressure, this AI detects mammograms for arterial calcium deposits and breast tissue density, both associated with heart disease risk.
Researchers trained it using scans from over 49,000 women in Victoria, Australia, following the participants for nine years.
During this time period, up to 3,400 people experienced cardiac events, including heart attacks, strokes, or heart failure.
The tool could benefit countries with established mammogram programs, like the US and UK, where nearly 67% of women get recommended screenings.
Lead researcher Jennifer Barraclough said the further step is to test the AI on other populations and address barriers to its widespread use.