Capital Cardiology Physicians Contribute to New Research on AI-Guided Heart Imaging

Capital Cardiology physicians Dr. Lance Sullenberger, Dr. Kevin Woods, Dr. Jeffrey Uzzilia, and Dr. Scott Purga are co-authors of a newly published study in European Heart Journal – Cardiovascular Imaging examining how artificial intelligence can improve the diagnosis and management of coronary artery disease using CT imaging.

The study evaluated an AI-based tool that quantitatively analyzes coronary CT scans, measuring plaque burden and disease severity rather than relying only on traditional visual interpretation. The goal was to determine whether this added layer of analysis improves diagnostic certainty and leads to better clinical decision-making.

Across 750 patients in a multi-center setting, the researchers found that physicians were significantly more confident in their diagnoses when AI-assisted analysis was used. In more than half of cases, the AI findings led to changes in diagnosis or patient management compared with standard CT interpretation alone. The use of AI also reduced the need for additional downstream testing while increasing the appropriate use of preventive medical therapy, including cholesterol-lowering medications and aspirin.

The findings suggest that combining AI-driven quantitative analysis with coronary CT imaging can help clinicians make clearer, more informed decisions, reduce unnecessary testing, and identify patients who may benefit from earlier preventive treatment.

Congratulations to Dr. Sullenberger, Dr. Woods, Dr. Uzzilia, Dr. Purga, and the entire research team on this important contribution to cardiovascular imaging and patient care. At Capital Cardiology, we are constantly evaluating new and better ways to provide the Capital Region with the gold standard in cardiac care.