AI and protein scores advance cardiovascular risk detection

New research highlights significant gaps in traditional cardiovascular risk assessment. A US-based study utilizing the AI-driven CaRi-Heart analysis tool found that 42.9% of asymptomatic adults classified as low-risk actually exhibited increased coronary inflammation. Notably, 17.9% of these individuals showed very high inflammation in at least one major artery, suggesting that standard blood values and established risk scores like AHA-PREVENT-ASCVD may fail to capture early inflammatory processes.

Complementary research published in PLOS Medicine explores the use of plasma proteome signatures to improve risk stratification. By analyzing 117 blood proteins, researchers developed two distinct risk scores capable of predicting coronary calcification and carotid plaque progression. In a follow-up study of 1,835 individuals, these protein-based scores demonstrated a clear correlation with the occurrence of cardiovascular events over a median follow-up period of 10.4 years.

These advancements come amid global concerns regarding dyslipidemia and atherosclerosis, which often progress unnoticed for years. Medical experts emphasize that early intervention to manage LDL-C levels is critical to preventing irreversible vascular damage.