American Heart Association Cites HeartLung’s AI-CAC™ and AI-CVD™ Technologies in Landmark Scientific Statement on Opportunistic Screening

HOUSTON, TX — The American Heart Association (AHA) has released an official Scientific Statement in Circulation recognizing AI-enabled opportunistic detection of coronary artery calcium (CAC) on routine chest CT scans as an emerging cornerstone for cardiovascular disease prevention.

The statement, titled “Opportunistic Detection of Coronary Artery Calcium on Noncardiac Chest Computed Tomography: An Emerging Tool for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention,” highlights the transformative potential of artificial intelligence in expanding access to early cardiovascular risk detection using CT scans obtained for other purposes.

Notably, three HeartLung Technologies–led studies were cited as seminal evidence demonstrating the power of AI in cardiovascular prevention. These peer-reviewed publications—derived from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA)—validated HeartLung’s proprietary AI-CAC™ and AI-CVD™ modules, showing that:

• AI-CAC™ significantly enhances prediction of cardiovascular events beyond traditional CAC scoring.

• AI-CVD™ Left Ventricular Volumetry predicts heart failure more accurately than NT-proBNP.

• AI-enabled Left Atrial Volumetry predicts atrial fibrillation earlier and outperforms conventional clinical models

“We are delighted that the American Heart Association has released this official statement and cited our publications,” said Dr. Morteza Naghavi, Founder and President of HeartLung Technologies. “This marks a pivotal moment in preventive medicine. We hope hospitals and diagnostic imaging centers will seize this opportunity to advance patient care by incorporating opportunistic screening not only for coronary calcium and cardiac chamber enlargement, but also for osteoporosis and fatty liver disease — all from the same chest scans already being performed for other reasons.”

Each year, over 19 million non-cardiac chest CTs are performed in the United States. The AHA statement calls for systematic adoption of AI-based CAC quantification and clinical integration of opportunistic screening to close the prevention gap for millions at risk of cardiovascular events.

HeartLung’s FDA-cleared AI-CAC™ and AI-CVD™ solutions enable fully automated, cloud-based analysis of CT scans to quantify CAC, cardiac chamber volumes, bone mineral density, and liver attenuation — turning every chest scan into a comprehensive cardiometabolic health assessment without additional cost, radiation, or workflow burden.

About HeartLung Technologies

HeartLung Technologies is a leader in AI-enabled cardiothoracic imaging, dedicated to transforming routine medical scans into lifesaving tools for early detection and prevention of heart, lung, bone, and liver diseases. HeartLung’s innovations, including AI-CAC™, AI-CVD™, AutoChamber™, and AutoBMD™, are designed to empower hospitals and imaging centers with precision prevention technology at population scale.

About AI-CVD™

HeartLung Technologies' AutoChamber™ and AutoBMD™ are integral components of AI-CVD™, a suite of AI-powered tools designed to detect and prevent cardiovascular disease. AI-CVD™ leverages advanced algorithms to analyze CT scans, identifying hidden heart risks and enabling early intervention. This comprehensive approach underscores HeartLung's commitment to revolutionizing preventive healthcare through innovative AI technologies.

About AutoBMD™ AI

HeartLung's AutoBMD™ is an AI-powered, cloud-based solution for opportunistic bone mineral density measurement using existing CT scans. It is the only DEXA-equivalent, CT-based osteoporosis screening approved by the FDA, applicable to over 25 million CT scans annually and reimbursed by Medicare.

About AutoChamber™ AI

HeartLung’s AutoChamber™ is designed to work with both non-contrast and contrast-enhanced chest CT scans, providing estimates of cardiac volume, cardiac chambers volumes, and left ventricular wall mass. This AI-powered tool detects cardiomegaly and enlarged individual cardiac chambers, including the left atrium (LA) and left ventricle (LV), which are often missed in routine scans. By identifying these conditions early, AutoChamber™ AI helps prevent life-threatening diseases like stroke, heart failure, and atrial fibrillation. It has received FDA "Breakthrough Designation" for its ability to identify enlarged cardiac chambers and left ventricular hypertrophy in non-contrast chest CT scans.