Former European Society of Cardiology (ESC) President Prof. Jeroen Bax, director of noninvasive imaging and director of the echo laboratory, Department of Cardiology at the Leiden University Medical Center in The Netherlands, explains the interest in soft coronary plaques that can be imaged using cardiac computed tomography (CT). Bax explains the difficulty in quantifying these plaques manually and how artificial intelligence (AI) may change this to allow rapid, detailed quantitative analysis.
AI soft plaque assessments were the hottest new topic of discussion in cardiac CT at the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT) 2022 meeting in July. Several vendors exhibited algorithms, and two now have U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance. Bax spoke in SCCT sessions on some of these technologies and the potential to change cardiology practice in the coming years.
Bax explained this automation will enable CT to be used as a screening tool for coronary artery plaque to assess risk and guide preventive therapy year or decades prior to the patient otherwise developing symptomatic cardiovascular disease. Similar to a mammogram, a patient can get a baseline CT and undergo a series of scans over their life where prior exams can be compared. This will allow cardiologists to better guide preventive therapies and assess plaque regression from drug therapy. If there is progression in plaques, the exams can be used to better select patients who may benefit for more aggressive and expensive drugs now available.
Read more on this trend in the article Cardiac CT soft plaque assessment my offer paradigm shift for coronary disease screening.
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Dave Fornell has covered healthcare for more than 17 years, with a focus in cardiology and radiology. Fornell is a 5-time winner of a Jesse H. Neal Award, the most prestigious editorial honors in the field of specialized journalism. The wins included best technical content, best use of social media and best COVID-19 coverage. Fornell was also a three-time Neal finalist for best range of work by a single author. He produces more than 100 editorial videos each year, most of them interviews with key opinion leaders in medicine. He also writes technical articles, covers key trends, conducts video hospital site visits, and is very involved with social media. E-mail: dfornell@innovatehealthcare.com