A routine heart scan can detect the risk of heart failure up to five years before symptoms appear, according to a new study.
This development could give doctors the ability to identify at-risk patients much earlier, creating valuable time for preventive intervention and treatment.
Scientists at the University of Oxford used artificial intelligence to analyze CT scans of the heart, focusing on small changes in the fat around it – early signs of damage that are usually not detected by standard methods.
These changes may indicate inflammation in the heart muscle, a key factor leading to heart failure.
The condition affects around a million people in the UK and causes around 170,000 deaths each year. It occurs when the heart is no longer able to pump blood effectively around the body, and cases are expected to double by 2040.
According to experts, this discovery could significantly change the way the disease is diagnosed and treated.
The study analyzed data from 72,000 patients who had heart CT scans in England between 2007 and 2022. The results showed that people identified as high risk were about 20 times more likely to develop heart failure compared to those at low risk.
In fact, one in four high-risk patients developed the disease within five years, while the method achieved a predictive accuracy of around 86%.
Until now, there has been no reliable way to predict who will develop the disease, which makes this approach particularly important.
Experts emphasize that early diagnosis is crucial: it enables better management of the condition and increases the chances of a longer life and better quality of life.
The researchers hope that this method will be widely used in the healthcare system, also analyzing routine chest scans performed for other reasons.
The developed system can automatically generate a risk assessment for each patient, without human intervention, helping doctors make more accurate treatment decisions and focus care on the most at-risk patients.
Symptoms of heart failure include shortness of breath during activity or even at rest, fatigue, dizziness, and swelling of the legs. In some cases, persistent cough and rapid heartbeat also occur, while symptoms usually develop gradually.
This discovery paves the way for earlier diagnosis and more effective treatment, offering hope to thousands of patients. /GazetaExpress/
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