AI analysis of CT scans finds 42.9% of patients have coronary inflammation

The study, available to clinically eligible Biograph Black tier members, combined Biograph’s advanced diagnostics – including high-resolution coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) imaging and cardiometabolic profiling – with Caristo’s CaRi-Heart and CaRi-Plaque® technologies*. This collaborative methodology enabled researchers to assess the prevalence of coronary inflammation using the AI-enabled CaRi-Heart technology to determine cardiovascular risk in individuals who may otherwise appear low risk through traditional screening.

The study found that coronary inflammation is common (42.9%) in asymptomatic, low-risk adults and frequently occurs without any plaque buildup or blockage. Specifically, 42.9% of participants exhibited elevated inflammation with 17.9% of participants exhibiting very high inflammation in at least one major heart artery. The results also suggest a potential limitation in standard assessment: About 47% of participants with no detectable coronary plaque exhibited elevated coronary perivascular inflammation. By evaluating coronary inflammation alongside traditional imaging assessment of plaque burden and stenosis, we get a more complete picture of cardiovascular risk..

Importantly, routine bloodwork and clinical tools – including cholesterol markers (ApoB, non-HDL-C), blood sugar (HbA1c), systemic inflammation (hs-CRP), and a widely used cardiovascular risk calculator (AHA PREVENT-ASCVD) – showed no correlation with the presence of coronary inflammation and failed to identify which patients had inflamed arteries. These results reinforce Biograph’s core philosophy: standalone bloodwork and isolated metrics do not tell the full story. By directly analyzing the biology of the tissue surrounding the coronary arteries, this non-invasive AI technology uncovers potential cardiovascular risk years before the onset of irreversible heart disease.