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Medscape
6 days ago
- Health
- Medscape
AI Can Spot Lurking Heart Condition
Artificial intelligence can detect cardiac amyloidosis from a short video of a heartbeat, according to new research in the European Heart Journal . Cardiac amyloidosis results when misshaped or misfolded proteins lodge throughout the heart, forcing it to work harder to pump blood. The condition can lead to thicker heart walls, is more common in older adults, and has features similar to those of hypertensive heart disease or aortic stenosis. Diagnosis is challenging, particularly in earlier disease stages, when thicker heart walls are not apparent on an echocardiogram. 'If the patient has symptoms we can't explain and if the echo isn't quite normal, it would be reasonable to apply this AI model to see if they have amyloid,' said Patricia Pellikka, MD, the Betty Knight Scripps Professor of Cardiovascular Disease Clinical Research at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and a co-author of the new study. Those symptoms could be nonspecific, such as shortness of breath, fatigue, or swollen ankles, Pellikka said. Cardiac amyloidosis is definitively diagnosed with a biopsy or blood and urine analysis. Although rare, the number of cases appears to be rising. The prevalence rate rose from 8 to 17 per 100,000 person-years from 2000 to 2012, according to an analysis published in Circulation: Heart Failure . A 2025 analysis by researchers at Mayo Clinic found an overall prevalence of cardiac amyloidosis of 1.25% among more than 30,000 people who received an echocardiogram, with a greater incidence in people aged 80-89 years than among those aged 60-69. 'Delays in diagnosis are very common with this disease,' said Jeremy Slivnick, MD, a cardiologist at the University of Chicago who helped conduct the latest research. In many cases, a year or more will elapse between the first appearance of symptoms and a diagnosis of amyloidosis, at which point the disease is harder to control, he said. Comparing AI to Other CA Screening Tools The new study validates previous research that led to the 2024 approval of the technology — EchoGo Amyloidosis — in the United States on a diverse population that spanned 18 global research sites. And the research shows that the AI model has broad applicability, Slivnick added. ''This is now an FDA-approved product,' Slivnick said. 'It's really critical that it works on everyone.' Pellikka and her colleagues at Mayo previously worked with Ultromics, the Oxford, UK-based biotech firm that markets EchoGo Amyloidosis, to create an AI algorithm that distinguishes cardiac amyloidosis from other types of heart disease. They fed video clips of echocardiograms of people diagnosed with the disorder into the tool, as well as video clips of people with other heart conditions. These clips showed the heart's four chambers during heartbeats. The new retrospective study tested the AI tool at 18 global sites, with 597 echo videos of people with cardiac amyloidosis and 2122 videos of people with other heart conditions. The AI model effectively spotted all subtypes of amyloidosis in the dataset, with an area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of 0.93, a sensitivity of 85% for identifying patients with the condition, and a specificity of 93% for finding those without the disorder. An apical four-chamber view of a patient with newly diagnosed hereditary ATTR amyloidosis. The patient had presented with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. This videoclip was among those used to build the model. Video courtesy of Mayo Clinic/Ultromics Compared with other commonly used diagnostic tests for the condition, including concentrations of transthyretin (which can form amyloid deposits) and measurements of cardiac wall thickness, the AI model spotted more cases of concern. The AUROC for the AI model was 0,93, compared to an AUROC of 0.73 for transthyretin concentration and an AUROC of 0.80 for increased mediation. 'Now we've got therapies for amyloid cardiomyopathy, but they work best if they're applied early in the natural history of the disease. We should be getting people on the treatment they need,' Pellikka said. Several options exist. The FDA has approved three drugs for the treatment of cardiac amyloidosis, each of which can stop further production of amyloid deposits but do not reverse the damage already done. These drugs are tafamidis (Vyndamax), acoramidis (Attruby), and vutrisiran (Amvuttra). Amyloidosis 'is a progressive disease. As of now we don't have anything to reverse the pathology, so the more protein that deposits in the heart, the worse these patients do,' said David Snipelisky, MD, an advanced heart failure and transplant cardiologist at Cleveland Clinic in Weston, Florida. Heart transplants are sometimes an option, Snipelisky said, but in other cases only the medications meant to stop amyloid production are possible. Representatives of any echo lab can upload video clips of suspected cases of cardiac amyloidosis to a secure site maintained by the company, Pellikka said, and receive a result of whether amyloidosis is likely, unlikely, or indeterminate. Although the latest findings show the potential of the algorithm to diagnose cardiac amyloidosis from a single echo image, the next step would be test the tool in a prospective clinical trial, Snipelisky said. Snipelisky reported no relevant financial conflicts of interest. Slivnick reported relationships with GE Healthcare, Pfizer, and BridgeBio. Pellikka reported funding from the National Institutes of Health, Ultromics, and Edwards Lifesciences.
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Landmark Study Shows Ultromics' EchoGo® Amyloidosis Significantly Improves Detection of Cardiac Amyloidosis with Echocardiography
Cardiac amyloidosis is an often-missed, life-threatening cause of heart failure. As new disease-modifying therapies emerge, timely and earlier diagnosis is critical. EchoGo® Amyloidosis is the first FDA-cleared AI screening tool for cardiac amyloidosis using an echocardiogram and has received Breakthrough Device designation from the FDA. Study results demonstrate accuracy of EchoGo® Amyloidosis in detecting cardiac amyloidosis, with strong performance across AL, ATTRwt, and ATTRv subtypes. OXFORD, England, July 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A large-scale, multi-center international study published in the European Heart Journal has shown that EchoGo® Amyloidosis, an AI-powered tool developed by Ultromics, significantly improves the screening of cardiac amyloidosis from a standard echocardiogram. It is the first FDA-cleared AI tool for this condition and has also received Breakthrough Device designation from the FDA. Researchers from Ultromics and Mayo Clinic, with investigators at The University of Chicago Medicine and collaborators around the world, validated and tested the model in a large and multiethnic patient population, and compared its performance to conventional diagnostic methods. The findings demonstrate that EchoGo® Amyloidosis is highly accurate, achieving 85% sensitivity and 93% specificity.1 The model performed consistently well across all major cardiac amyloidosis subtypes, and crucially distinguished the disease from phenotypically similar conditions such as hypertensive heart disease, HFpEF, and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, conditions that often contribute to missed or delayed diagnosis.1 "EchoGo® Amyloidosis is a breakthrough tool that can help us identify at-risk patients so they can receive the treatment they need," said Ross Upton, CEO and Founder of Ultromics. "It uses deep learning to analyze a single routine echocardiography videoclip to deliver insights, helping clinicians decide when further investigation is needed. Early identification is critical in guiding access to therapies that are most effective when initiated at earlier stages of disease." Cardiac Amyloidosis: An Urgent Clinical Challenge Cardiac amyloidosis is a serious and often underdiagnosed cause of heart failure, driven by abnormal amyloid protein deposits, either light chain (AL) or transthyretin-derived (ATTRwt and ATTRv), that stiffen the heart and impair its function. Symptoms often mimic those of other cardiac conditions, making diagnosis challenging. As many as two-thirds of cases may be missed clinically. 2-4 Early diagnosis is crucial, as new drug therapies such as Tafamidis are now available that can slow or halt disease progression.5 The condition is especially difficult to identify in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), a common but diagnostically complex subtype of heart failure. Studies suggest that an estimated 15% of HFpEF patients may have underlying cardiac amyloidosis,6 a hidden burden that often goes unrecognized. Study Design and Key Findings The clinical study evaluating EchoGo® Amyloidosis followed a rigorous two-phase process: Development & Optimization Phase: Conducted at Mayo Clinic using 9,786 patients, including 1,349 biopsy-confirmed cardiac amyloidosis (CA) cases and 1,263 matched controls, to train and refine the deep learning model. External Validation Phase: Conducted across 2,719 patients at 18 global centers, where the AI was independently tested against gold-standard diagnostic criteria The external validation cohort included a broad range of institutions including The University of Chicago Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Brigham and Women's Hospital, University of Pennsylvania, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, University of Washington, Hospital of the University of Occupational and Environmental Health (Japan), Instituto do Coração – INCOR (Brazil), ICBA and Centro Privado de Cardiología (Argentina), The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, NorthShore University HealthSystem, University of Virginia Medical Center, Boston University, MedStar Health Research Institute, University of Leicester (UK), and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. EchoGo® Amyloidosis was trained using apical 4-chamber echocardiographic video clips and validated against established diagnostic benchmarks, including biopsy and Tc-PYP imaging. The AI demonstrated high diagnostic performance, achieving 85% sensitivity and 93% specificity, indicating its ability to detect cardiac amyloidosis accurately from a single routine echocardiogram.1 EchoGo® Amyloidosis demonstrated strong performance across all major subtypes of cardiac amyloidosis, with sensitivities of 84% for AL, 85% for ATTRwt, and 86% for ATTRv. In a high-risk subgroup of HFpEF patients with increased wall thickness, EchoGo® Amyloidosis maintained strong diagnostic performance, demonstrating potential utility in one of the most diagnostically challenging settings in cardiovascular care.1 In comparative analysis, EchoGo® Amyloidosis outperformed two validated clinical scoring systems, the Transthyretin Cardiac Amyloidosis Score (TCAS) and the Increased Wall Thickness Score (IWT). The AI model demonstrated an AUC of 0.921, significantly exceeding TCAS (0.74) and IWT (0.80) in diagnostic accuracy.1 Decision curve analysis showed EchoGo® Amyloidosis identified 36.4% more true positive cases and reduced unnecessary referrals by 6.9% compared to the next best method.1 "EchoGo® Amyloidosis achieved high diagnostic accuracy across a broad spectrum of patients and clinical environments," said Patricia A. Pellikka, MD, Vice Chair, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, and senior author of the study. "In our subgroup analysis of older adults with HFpEF, where diagnosis is particularly challenging, the model not only maintained strong performance but also significantly outperformed traditional clinical and transthoracic echo-based screening methods. These results highlight its potential to improve early detection, reduce diagnostic uncertainty, and enhance patient care." "Current approaches to detecting cardiac amyloidosis on echocardiography often rely on markers that are either unreliable in contemporary clinical settings or time-consuming to implement consistently across high-volume echocardiography laboratories," said Jeremy A. Slivnick, MD, co-author and Assistant Professor at The University of Chicago Medicine. "With its ability to provide fully automated detection of cardiac amyloidosis using a single apical 4-chamber view, EchoGo® Amyloidosis offers a practical alternative that can be seamlessly integrated into routine workflows without compromising diagnostic performance." EchoGo® Amyloidosis is FDA-cleared and currently in use across multiple U.S. centers. It is part of Ultromics' growing AI portfolio, which also includes EchoGo® Heart Failure, an FDA-cleared device designed to aid in the detection of HFpEF, reimbursable under Medicare and commercial payer pathways, including Category III CPT Code 0932T for outpatient use and NTAP (XXE2X19) coverage for inpatient settings. Both tools operate through the EchoGo® platform, delivering diagnostic and clinical decision support from standard echocardiographic video clips, while integrating seamlessly into existing workflows to enable timely, informed care. Ultromics continues to advance the field of cardiovascular imaging by integrating AI and deep learning into everyday practice. Its mission is to support earlier detection, smarter triage, and broader access to therapies that are most effective when introduced at earlier stages of disease. Full study: About Ultromics Ultromics is a pioneering health technology company founded at the University of Oxford, dedicated to transforming cardiac care through AI-powered echocardiography. Its flagship product under the EchoGo® platform applies advanced artificial intelligence to routine ultrasound scans, helping clinicians detect heart disease earlier and more accurately, starting with HFpEF and cardiac amyloidosis. With multiple FDA-cleared solutions, including the first AI screening tool for cardiac amyloidosis, Ultromics is setting new standards for real-world clinical integration of AI in cardiovascular imaging. The company collaborates with world-leading institutions, including Mayo Clinic, Pfizer, and Janssen Biotech, Inc. (a Johnson & Johnson Company), to accelerate innovation and improve outcomes for patients globally. Learn more at Website: References [1] Slivnick, Hawkes et al., Eur Heart J (in press).[2] González-López E, et al., Eur Heart J. 2015;36:2585–94.[3] Hahn VS, et al., JACC Heart Fail. 2020;8:712–24.[4] AbouEzzeddine OF, et al., JAMA Cardiol. 2021;6:1267–74.[5] Maurer MS, et al., N Engl J Med 2018;379:1007–16.[6] Hahn VS et al, JACC Heart Fail. 2020;8:712–724. Photo: View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Ultromics Sign in to access your portfolio
Medscape
20-06-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Muscle Gains vs Heart Strain: A Deadly Trade-off?
Sudden cardiac deaths (SCDs) appear to be more frequent among men who practice bodybuilding, particularly those competing at high levels. A global study of more than 20,000 athletes is the first to report the incidence of sudden death in this population. As the author noted in the European Heart Journal , the aim was not to demonize bodybuilding but to promote safer practices. Bodybuilding focuses on increasing muscle mass and definition through physical exercise and a targeted diet. Unlike traditional sports, bodybuilding competitions evaluate the aesthetics of the body rather than athletic performance. Researchers identified 20,286 men who had competed in the International Fitness and Bodybuilding Federation (IFBB) events between 2005 and 2020. Using web-based searches, they determined which athletes died. Over a mean follow-up period of 8.1 ± 3.8 years, there were 121 deaths. Among the 99 cases with documented causes, 73 were sudden. The mean age at the time of death was 45 years. Of the 55 nontraumatic sudden deaths — excluding those from car accidents, suicide, or homicide — 46 were classified as SCDs. The overall incidence of deaths (sudden and nonsudden) was 63.61 per 100,000 person-years. Among active competitors, those who died within 1 year of their last IFBB event, the rate rose to 80.58. The incidence of SCDs was 24.18 in the entire cohort and 32.83 among competing athletes, who had a mean age of just 35 years at death. Professional bodybuilders had a fivefold higher risk for SCD than recreational bodybuilders (hazard ratio, 5.23 [3.58-7.64]). Available autopsies showed the presence of cardiomegaly and severe ventricular hypertrophy in 4 out of 5 cases. Risk Factors The study pointed to a broader issue in addition to bodybuilders, which could also affect nonprofessional athletes who practice strength training. What are the possible causes? Univadis Italy , a Medscape Network platform, asked Marco Vecchiato, MD, a specialist and researcher in the Sports and Exercise Medicine Division at the University of Padua, Padua, Italy, and the coordinator of the study. 'Our study had epidemiological purposes and was not designed to identify, in a cause-effect manner, the mechanisms underlying these premature deaths. However, the literature in the field has advanced some plausible hypotheses, suggesting that a combination of factors could contribute significantly to the increased risk,' said Vecchiato. These include: Intense training regimens, such as high-intensity workouts, place major strain on the cardiovascular (CV) and muscular systems. Extreme dietary practices, such as high protein intake and repeated weight cycling between off-season and on-season periods, can place significant stress on metabolic and CV systems. Dehydration techniques, such as rapid fluid loss before events using hydro-saline protocols or diuretics, can be dangerous. The use of doping substances, especially anabolic steroids and similar agents, can severely harm the CV, kidneys, liver, and nervous system. Doping Impact 'It is important to underline that, to date, there are no studies that have exclusively investigated the risk for death and SCD in a population of bodybuilders with the guarantee of not taking doping substances. However, recent evidence published in first-time journals and with long-term monitoring suggested a clear difference in terms of cumulative mortality between athletes with and without a history of anabolic steroid abuse,' said Vecchiato. He noted that performance-enhancing drug use is likely to be widespread at the highest competitive levels. In the US, where bodybuilding is more structured and athletes face intense competitive and aesthetic pressure with serious psychophysical consequences, many athletes speak openly about the use of performance-enhancing drugs. However, in Italy, 'The issue remains mostly hidden and is often not perceived as a medical risk but as 'a necessary means' to obtain a certain physique,' he said. Uncertain Rules Athletes are generally required to undergo regular medical checkups, but does the same apply to bodybuilders? 'In Italy, there are numerous bodybuilding federations, each with its own rules and requirements for membership. Some of these clearly state the obligation to present a competitive sports medical certificate, while others do not mention any specific medical requirements, thus allowing membership even in the absence of a health assessment. In these cases, the activity is not formally classified as a sport but rather as an activity for aesthetic purposes, which allows you to bypass some obligations required for competitive sports, including medical certification,' Vecchiato explained. Although not formally required by regulations, a sports center or gym may still ask a bodybuilder to provide a noncompetitive medical certificate, often for insurance purposes. Under Italian law, such certification is not mandatory for individuals engaging in noncompetitive physical activity unless they are affiliated with a national sports federation or a sports promotion body recognized by the Italian National Olympic Committee, which oversees organized sports and fitness initiatives in the country. 'This heterogeneous regulatory situation means that some athletes are subjected to in-depth sports medical check-ups annually, including a baseline electrocardiogram, stress test, spirometry, urine test, and any further investigations of a higher order, while others receive an evaluation with only an electrocardiogram in resting conditions. Finally, a nonnegligible portion of subjects may never be subjected to any structured medical evaluation, not even when starting or continuing the activity practiced,' he said. 'The first contact with a doctor can therefore only occur after the onset of advanced signs or symptoms, sometimes linked to already structured CV or metabolic damage, making any form of secondary prevention potentially late,' he said. These signs warrant cardiologic or psychological evaluation. 'The general practitioner can play a key role in recognizing warning signs (excessive muscle hypertrophy, extreme weight fluctuations, suspected use of illicit substances, marked and sudden mood changes in the absence of diagnosed mental illnesses, gynecomastia, extensive acne in adults not present during puberty, etc.) and directing them towards cardiological or psychological investigations,' warned Vecchiato. He also noted that 15% of SCDs in this population were traumatic. Obsessive body transformation goals, extreme practices, and substance misuse increase the risk for impulsive or self-harming behavior. This reinforces the need to prioritize the mental health of athletes. Vecchiato concluded that 'in addition to an intensified antidoping practice, the introduction of targeted CV screening and educational campaigns could significantly reduce the associated risks.' Raising awareness can encourage athletes to adopt safer training and nutrition programs and diets, to be supervised by a physician, and to refuse doping.
Time of India
25-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Is extreme bodybuilding putting your heart at risk? Here's what the study says
For a sport that glorifies control, strength, and discipline, bodybuilding conceals a sobering truth—behind the muscle and dedication lies a disproportionately high risk of sudden cardiac death. Bodybuilders push their limits through intense exercise, strict diets, and in some cases, the abuse of performance-enhancing drugs. While the result is a sculpted body, it comes at a cost, and as per a recent study, the tradeoff is human life being cut short. That stark conclusion is drawn from a large-scale study published on May 20 in the European Heart Journal. Researchers tracked 20,286 male bodybuilders who had competed in at least one bodybuilding event between 2005 and 2020. The findings revealed that professional bodybuilders were twice as likely to die from sudden cardiac death as the general population—and five times more likely than amateur bodybuilders. 'Our findings show that the risk of death among male bodybuilders is considerably high. Professional athletes had a markedly higher incidence of sudden cardiac death, suggesting that the level of competition might contribute to this increased risk,' said study co-author Dr. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Zumbido e perda de audição? Médico revela técnica caseira de 1 real para aliviar! Zumbido no ouvido Undo Marco Vecchiato, sports medicine specialist at the University of Padova, Italy. A global Pattern The study identified 121 deaths among competitive bodybuilders, with the average age at death just 45. Of these, about 40% were sudden and heart-related, often caused by underlying, often undetected, cardiac issues. The breakdown of deaths by geography painted a global picture of the crisis: North America: 40.5% (mostly USA) Europe: 38.8% Asia: 7.4% Africa: 6.6% South America: 5% Oceania: 1.7% The data was compiled through official records, social media posts, news reports, forums, and blogs in five different languages. Death reports were meticulously cross-verified and analyzed by two clinicians to confirm the cause of death. The cardiac cost of building muscle Autopsy findings from some of the deceased athletes showed signs of thickened or enlarged hearts and coronary artery disease. In several cases, toxicology reports and public information confirmed the use of anabolic steroids and other performance-enhancing substances, which are known to strain the cardiovascular system. Medical experts warn that these substances, often used without medical oversight, can lead to arrhythmias, heart failure, and sudden cardiac arrest—especially when combined with dehydration and intense training. Psychological toll The study didn't just stop at physical health. Around 15% of the deaths were categorized as sudden traumatic deaths—including suicides, overdoses, car crashes, and murders—highlighting the mental health challenges many athletes face in high-stakes competitive environments. Additional research—including a 2021 Frontiers in Psychology review—points to body dysmorphia, depression, and obsession with appearance as key mental health issues among competitive bodybuilders. 'The pressure to achieve social ideals of muscularity may contribute to psychological distress, body dissatisfaction, and athletes may develop or worsen body dysmorphic disorders,' the study noted. One step to a healthier you—join Times Health+ Yoga and feel the change
The Independent
21-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Scientists raise alarm over sudden deaths among professional body builders
Male bodybuilders are facing a high risk of sudden death from heart problems, scientists warn in a new study. The research, published on Wednesday in the European Heart Journal, highlights the health risks associated with professional bodybuilding and calls for greater awareness and preventive strategies within this community. Sudden cardiac death is when someone dies unexpectedly due to a heart problem and is generally rare among young individuals. However, the new study found that the condition kills an unusually high proportion of male bodybuilders, including young ones, with professional ones at the highest risk. In the study, an international team of researchers looked for reports of deaths among 20,286 male bodybuilders who had competed in at least one bodybuilding event between 2005 and 2020, and had these reports verified by doctors. They particularly looked for reports of deaths of any of these named competitors in five different languages across different web sources, including official media reports, social media, bodybuilding forums and blogs. Reported deaths were then cross-referenced using multiple sources and verified and analysed by doctors to establish the cause of death. Overall, researchers found 121 deaths among the over 20,000 professional bodybuilders, with the average age at death of 45 years. Cardiac death accounted for nearly 40 per cent of these 121 mortalities, according to the study. Professional bodybuilders experienced a fivefold greater risk of cardiac death compared to amateurs, scientists found. Autopsy reports of some of the deceased bodybuilders that were available showed signs of thickening or enlargement of the heart and coronary artery disease. Some also seemed to have abused anabolic substances, researchers found. 'Bodybuilding involves several practices that could have an impact on health, such as extreme strength training, rapid weight loss strategies including severe dietary restrictions and dehydration, as well as the widespread use of different performance-enhancing substances,' study co-author Marco Vecchiato said. These practices place significant strain on the heart and may lead to structural changes over time, researchers warned. 'Professional athletes had a markedly higher incidence of sudden cardiac death, suggesting that the level of competition might contribute to this increased risk,' Dr Vecchiato said. 'The risk may be greater for professional bodybuilders because they are more likely to engage intensively in these practices over prolonged periods and may experience higher competitive pressure to achieve extreme physiques,' he explained. Scientists call for proactive heart screening and counselling among bodybuilders, 'even in young and apparently healthy athletes'. 'For bodybuilders, the message is clear: while striving for physical excellence is admirable, the pursuit of extreme body transformation at any cost can carry significant health risks, particularly for the heart,' Dr Vecchiato said. 'Awareness of these risks should encourage safer training practices, improved medical supervision, and a different cultural approach that firmly rejects the use of performance-enhancing substances,' he said. The findings highlight the need for a cultural shift in bodybuilding, including stronger anti-doping measures and education campaigns about the risks of drug abuse. About 15 per cent of the 121 deaths assessed in the study were categorised as 'sudden traumatic deaths', including car crashes, suicides, murders and overdoses. 'These findings underline the need to address the psychological impact of bodybuilding culture,' scientists concluded.
