AI that Detects Hidden Heart Disease is a Finalist for British Heart Foundation’s ‘Research Project of the Year’ Award
Public Invited to Vote for Winner of Prestigious Annual Award
OXFORD, England, Aug. 7, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Amid continuing focus on innovative treatments for heart disease, the British Heart Foundation is inviting the public to vote for the winner of the 2024 BHF Research Project of the Year, recognising researchers and projects that have helped advance the BHF’s mission to fund life-saving research. The award highlights the extraordinary BHF-funded research taking place around the UK and how it has been brought to life for the public.
Caristo is proud to announce that the BHF-funded project that led to the creation of the company and the development of the CaRi-Heart® AI technology, is one of the three candidates for the award.
The CaRi-Heart technology applies advanced AI algorithms to routine heart coronary computed tomography angiogram (CCTA) scans to visualise and quantify coronary inflammation, a key driver of coronary artery disease and fatal heart attacks up to 10 years in advance, helping to guide preventive treatment for at-risk patients. This is the only technology in the world able to accurately predict cardiac events by quantifying previously invisible coronary artery inflammation. CaRi-Heart technology supported a 40,000-patient research study, which was recently published in The Lancet, demonstrating not only that it accurately predicts future cardiac events but it also leads to meaningful change in the management of nearly half the patients who used it in the UK’s NHS. This technology is now clinically used by a growing list of hospitals in the UK, Europe and Australia.
Prof Antoniades, BHF Chair of Cardiovascular Medicine in the University of Oxford and lead investigator of the study, said: “I am thrilled to lead such game-changing research, with true impact on clinical care. This would have not been possible without the continuous support from the BHF over the last decade.”
Those interested in learning more about Prof. Antoniades’ work and that of the other award finalists can visit https://www.bhf.org.uk/how-you-can-help/bhf-research-story-of-the-year to cast their vote for the BHF Research Project of the Year winner.
BBC Features CaRi-Heart Technology
On August 5, the BBC One program South Today featured the use of CaRi-Heart technology in five NHS Trust hospitals. The programme interviewed a 58-year-old man who was referred for a cardiac CT scan in November 2023, after experiencing persistent chest pain.
“It’s a huge wake-up call,” said Ian Pickford, 58, from Barwell in Leicestershire, after CaRi-Heart analysis suggested he was at risk of having a heart attack. Mr. Pickford has now been prescribed statins, told to quit smoking and exercise regularly.
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