Routine mammograms may help predict heart disease, study suggests

• A study suggests that an artificial intelligence (AI) tool can analyze routine mammogram images to measure a marker associated with cardiovascular disease.
• Individuals with this marker had a significantly higher risk of future cardiovascular events, with some having roughly two to three times higher risk of major cardiovascular disease.
• As many people already undergo mammography for breast cancer screening, AI analysis of these images could potentially help identify cardiovascular risk without additional tests, enabling earlier prevention strategies.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the United States, and can affect people at any age. Typically, females are at a higher risk due to a combination of biological, hormonal, and anatomical factors, along with the potential difficulty of recognizing certain symptoms.

Despite roughly 90% of women in the U.S. having at least one cardiovascular risk factor, appropriate management of heart disease risk in females remains a major opportunity gap. Many health experts support strategies to improve screening and awareness of cardiovascular disease in women.

Mammograms are crucial for detecting breast cancer and often serve as a first-line method for routine breast cancer screening.

Guidelines for screening usually vary depending on an individual’s risk. However, recommendations may advise receiving a mammogram every year or every other year.

Most people may think that mammograms only identify breast cancer. However, new research published in the European Heart Journal, suggests an AI tool may be able to detect the risk of developing serious heart disease by analyzing routine mammograms.

Researchers say the approach could turn a widely used breast cancer screening tool into a way to also identify those at risk of cardiovascular disease.