That future is unfolding for the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine’s Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, and professor and chief Yiannis S. Chatzizisis, M.D., Ph.D., is leading the charge. 

Dr. Chatzizisis is an internationally recognized leader in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in cardiovascular care. His research has garnered more than 12,000 citations and he regularly leads panels on AI interventions in cardiology at professional conferences and forums worldwide, including the most recent American Heart Association Scientific Sessions. I moderated about 10 presentations that included esteemed institutions from around the country, the majority of which discussed the application of AI in cardiovascular medicine, Dr. Chatzizisis said.

These are applications, technologies, tools that can help us better diagnose coronary artery disease, particularly heart attacks. He sees great potential in source material cardiologists already have in abundance. We can use deep learning models to extract signals that are hidden in EKG data to learn about risks of heart attack and occlusive coronary artery disease, Dr. Chatzizisis said.

AI-powered tools can interpret complex heart images from both non-invasive scans (such as echocardiograms and CT coronary angiograms) and invasive methods (such as intravascular ultrasound). By merging images from different techniques, AI helps create precise, 3D models (so-called digital twins) of heart vessels and can identify blockages and plaques, which could cause heart attacks. 

What’s at stake with such a diagnostic ability is nothing less than life and death. Dr. Chatzizisis uses a common scenario to amplify the importance of deploying the full strength of AI on behalf of patients. We can use technology to predict whether a heart attack is going be severe, one that requires immediate intervention, Dr. Chatzizisis said. If you’re in the field, a paramedic, and you know how to run an application that tells you this information…we’re talking about saving the patient’s heart, and life. Leveraging big data is, often, repurposing existing information for better patient care.

Source: https://news.med.miami.edu/data-and-heart-disease-ai-in-cardiovascular-medicine/