Researchers at the UK’s Liverpool Hospital have developed a new tool based on artificial intelligence to predict future heart events, especially strokes, in patients with stable angina. The tool uses data related to blood flow in the coronary arteries, as explained by the study discussed at the main conference of the European Society for Cardiovascular Imaging. Blood flow in the coronary arteries is the amount of blood that reaches the heart muscle through the coronary arteries to supply it with the oxygen and nutrients needed for its normal function. The heart depends on this continuous flow for its work, and any decrease in it due to narrowing or blockage of the arteries can cause symptoms such as angina, and increase the risk of heart attacks or heart muscle weakness in the long term. Non-invasive examination. The study stated that stable coronary artery disease refers to a general syndrome represented by recurrent and temporary attacks of chest symptoms, often in the form of angina. Coronary CT scan is a non-invasive cardiac examination used as a primary tool for the diagnosis of patients suspected of having stable coronary heart disease. Although this scan provides an accurate picture of blockages in the coronary arteries, it is limited in its ability to estimate reduced blood flow, which is necessary to diagnose angina. The researchers pointed to the development of an artificial intelligence-based tool that analyzes CT images and estimates blood flow, known as CT flow frontal reserve, as a diagnostic decision-making tool that reduces the number of subsequent examinations, whether invasive or non-invasive. Study co-author Jack Bell, a researcher at Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, said: “The diagnostic utility of coronary CT scans is well known, but the predictive role of this tool in predicting future cardiac events was not previously fully understood.” 7,836 patients out of 90,553 who underwent CT scans participated in the study, with a mean age of 63 years, of whom 37.4% were women. During a follow-up period of approximately 3.1 years, the researchers recorded 191 cases of myocardial infarction, 1,573 reperfusion surgeries, in addition to 74 deaths from cardiac causes and 261 deaths from any other cause. Blood Flow The results showed that measurements of blood flow in the coronary arteries near the site of the blockage were associated with higher rates of cardiac events. The different risk categories were further stratified for myocardial infarction, reperfusion, cardiac death and death from any other cause. Myocardial infarction was also recorded in 1.0% of patients with normal blood flow in the coronary arteries, compared to 2.0% in those with near-low blood flow. The rate rose to 3.9% in patients with low blood flow, and reached 5.2% in those with very low blood flow. The researchers confirmed that patients who recorded the lowest values ​​of blood flow in the coronary arteries were four times more likely to have a heart attack compared to others, and their risk of death due to the attack increased to approximately three times. The study linked low blood flow in the coronary arteries to an increased risk of myocardial infarction and future reperfusion, while very low values ​​were also associated with cardiac death and death from any other cause, and this was independent of traditional cardiac risk factors such as age, gender, high blood pressure, diabetes and hyperlipidemia. The study provided the first conclusive evidence of the predictive power of coronary blood flow measurement, independent of the influence of traditional risk factors. The researchers explained that even coronary blood flow values ​​that were close to low were associated with worse health outcomes compared to normal values, while those with the lowest values ​​were at greatest risk. The research team confirmed that relying on the new tool to measure blood flow levels in the coronary arteries opens the door to a more accurate personalized assessment of cardiac risks, enabling the provision of tailored and intensive treatments to patients at greatest risk of heart attacks or death.