A new artificial intelligence tool developed by University of Oxford researchers can predict heart failure risk up to five years early by analyzing hidden fat around the heart. An AI tool predicts heart failure risk, enabling earlier intervention and potentially saving lives.
AI Tool Spots Hidden Heart Risk
Researchers at the University of Oxford have developed an artificial intelligence system that detects subtle changes in fat surrounding the heart, offering an early warning of potential heart failure.
The tool analyzes routine cardiac CT scans and identifies textural changes in fat tissue that are invisible to the human eye. These changes signal inflammation in the underlying heart muscle, a precursor to heart disease.
The study, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, found the AI tool predicts heart failure risk with 86% accuracy.
Study Shows Strong Predictive Power
The research involved 72,000 patients across nine NHS trusts in England who underwent cardiac CT scans between 2007 and 2022.
Patients identified as high risk were 20 times more likely to develop heart failure than those in the lowest risk group. Researchers found that high-risk individuals had a one in four chance of developing heart failure within five years.
Until now, experts say there has been no reliable way to detect this type of risk through standard imaging tests.
“This cannot be spotted by doctors through routine scans,” the British Heart Foundation, which funded the study, said in a statement.
Early Detection Could Save Lives
Experts say the tool could transform how heart disease is diagnosed and managed by enabling earlier intervention, as an AI tool predicts heart failure risk well before symptoms appear.
“Heart failure is consistently diagnosed too late, sometimes only when a patient is admitted to hospital,” said Dr. Sonya Babu-Narayan, clinical director at the British Heart Foundation. “Early diagnosis means doctors can better manage the condition and improve survival.”
Professor Charalambos Antoniades, who led the research, said the tool represents a major step forward in cardiovascular care.
“Our AI tool can take cardiac CT data and produce a precise risk score without human input,” he said. “We are now working to apply this method to any chest CT scan.”
Researchers aim to roll out the technology across the UK’s National Health Service. About 350,000 patients undergo cardiac CT scans each year in the UK, raising the potential for widespread impact.
Experts say earlier detection could allow doctors to monitor high-risk patients more closely, prescribe preventive treatments and reduce the likelihood of severe heart damage.
