Every year, millions of women go for a mammogram to check for early signs of breast cancer. A mammogram is a simple X-ray of the breast that doctors use to look for unusual changes in breast tissue that might be cancer.
In the United States alone, about 40 million mammograms are performed each year. These exams are an important part of women’s health because they often save lives through early cancer detection.
But now, new research suggests that mammograms might be able to do much more than find cancer. With the help of artificial intelligence, also known as AI, mammograms may also help identify women who are at risk for heart disease.
This new study, presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session, found that mammograms can reveal calcium buildup in the arteries found within breast tissue. This calcium buildup, known as calcification, is a sign that blood vessels may be damaged.
When arteries become hard and narrow because of calcium, blood does not flow as easily. This can lead to serious heart problems such as heart attacks, strokes, and heart failure. The presence of calcium in arteries is already known to be linked to heart disease, but in the past, doctors did not focus on these findings when reviewing mammograms.
Although radiologists can sometimes see these tiny calcium deposits on mammogram images, they usually do not measure or report them. Their main goal has always been to look for signs of breast cancer. The new research used a powerful AI model to carefully analyze mammogram images and identify areas of calcification inside the arteries.
The AI system was trained to detect bright spots on the X-ray image, which indicate the presence of calcium. It then calculated the total amount of calcium and turned that information into a score that can help predict a woman’s risk of heart disease in the future.
The study was led by Dr. Theo Dapamede, a researcher at Emory University in Atlanta. He explained that this discovery could allow women to receive two important health checks from one simple test. While they are being screened for breast cancer, they could also be screened for heart disease.
This is especially important because heart disease is the number one cause of death for women in the United States, yet it is often underdiagnosed and not talked about enough.
To develop and test their AI model, the researchers used a large collection of mammogram images and medical records from more than 56,000 women who were patients at Emory Healthcare between 2013 and 2020.
These women were followed for at least five years, allowing the researchers to see who later developed serious heart-related problems such as heart attacks, strokes, or heart failure. This long follow-up period helped them understand how well their AI tool could predict future health risks.
The results were clear and concerning. Women who had higher levels of calcium in their breast arteries were much more likely to experience serious heart problems or die within five years. In fact, women with the highest amount of calcium had almost three times the risk of death compared to women with very little or no calcium buildup.
For example, about 86 out of 100 women with severe calcification were still alive after five years, while more than 95 out of 100 women with low calcification survived the same period. This difference shows how powerful this hidden sign on a mammogram can be.
The study also found that this connection between calcium buildup and heart disease risk was strongest in women younger than 60 and in women aged 60 to 80. Interestingly, this pattern was not seen in women over the age of 80.
This means the tool could be especially useful for identifying younger and middle-aged women who might benefit most from early treatment and lifestyle changes.
At the moment, the AI tool is not yet available in hospitals or clinics. It still needs to be tested in other healthcare systems and approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. However, if it passes these steps, it could one day be added to routine mammogram analysis.
Doctors could then use the results to refer high-risk women to heart specialists for further testing and early care. The research team also plans to explore whether similar AI methods can detect signs of other diseases, such as kidney disease or problems in blood vessels in the legs.
When reviewing and analysing the findings of this study, it becomes clear that this approach could change the way we think about routine health screening. A test that many women already receive could soon provide lifesaving information about heart health, without any extra appointment, cost, or discomfort.
It highlights the growing power of artificial intelligence in medicine and how existing medical tools can be used in smarter ways. While more research and safety checks are still needed, this study offers hope that earlier detection of heart disease in women may soon become easier, more accurate, and more accessible.
If you care about breast cancer, please read studies about how eating patterns help ward off breast cancer, and soy and plant compounds may prevent breast cancer recurrence.
For more health information, please see recent studies about how your grocery list can help guard against cancer, and a simple way to fight aging and cancer.
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