Scan-based heart age linked to higher one-year cardiac risk
Over one year, cardiac events occurred in 20.5% of patients whose scan-based heart age exceeded their actual age by at least two years, versus 5.5% otherwise.
Our read
Biomarkers- Studied:
- Cohort study of 1,672 people undergoing coronary CT angiography, against non-accelerated aging (Independent replication, multicenter)
- What changed:
- Major cardiac events were higher with accelerated cardiovascular aging: 20.5% against 5.5% with non-accelerated aging
- Why it’s aging research:
- It builds or tests a tool for aging research.
Editor of record: Boris Djordjevic · AgingResearch.News
People undergoing coronary computed tomography (CT) angiography, a scan of the heart’s arteries, were studied in an observational analysis. Researchers developed an artificial intelligence model in 7,843 people and tested it in an independent group of 1,672 followed for one year. It estimated cardiovascular age from five scan measurements of heart structure, calcium-containing artery deposits and artery narrowing. Researchers corrected the gap between estimated and actual age for bias, then classified a gap of at least two years as accelerated cardiovascular aging.
Major heart-related events occurred in 20.5% of the test group with accelerated aging, versus 5.5% without it. The model distinguished risk better than an artery-age measure based on calcium deposits. Event rates were 23.5% when both measures were elevated and 3.0% when neither was elevated.
Why it matters
Age in years does not fully reflect cardiovascular aging. The authors suggest that scans already used in care may help identify patients at high short-term cardiac risk.
Caveats
The analysis tested prediction over one year, not whether care guided by the score improved outcomes. The conference abstract did not describe participants’ ages or health profiles, limiting how clearly the findings apply to other patients.
- Machine learning
- Atherosclerosis
- Stenosis
- Major adverse cardiac event
- Agatston-derived arterial age gap
- Humans
The paper
Siemens Healthineers; The Valley Hosp
AHA Scientific Sessions 2026 Abstract, Nov 2, 2026
Presented at AHA Scientific Sessions 2026, abstract 16949
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