Biological Cardiovascular Age Derived from Coronary CTA Reports Using a Large Language Model: A Novel Predictor of

Gudrun M Feuchtner1, Yannick Scharll1, Johannes Deeg1

  • 1Department of Radiology, Innsbruck Medical University, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria.

Insights

Artificial intelligence (AI) can calculate biological cardiovascular age from coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) reports. This AI-enhanced biological age better predicts major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) than chronological age.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Medical Imaging

Background:

  • Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a leading global cause of mortality.
  • Traditional cardiovascular risk assessment methods have limitations in accuracy.
  • Novel approaches are needed to improve cardiovascular risk prediction.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate an AI-driven method for calculating biological cardiovascular age from coronary CTA reports.
  • To assess the predictive capability of this AI-enhanced biological age for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE).

Main Methods:

  • A large language model (LLM), ChatGPT-4.0v, analyzed coronary CTA reports.
  • Key metrics included coronary artery calcium (CAC) score, stenosis severity (CAD-RADS), plaque characteristics, and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF).
  • 346 reports from symptomatic patients with suspected CAD were successfully analyzed.

Main Results:

  • The mean biological age (bioAGE) was 57.2 years, compared to a chronological age of 58.5 years.
  • Biological age exceeded chronological age in 45.4% of patients, indicating significant intra-individual deviations.
  • AI-enhanced bioAGE demonstrated superior accuracy (c = 0.768) in predicting MACE compared to chronological age (c = 0.590).

Conclusions:

  • Calculating biological age from coronary CTA reports using LLM is feasible.
  • While intra-individual deviations in bioAGE can be substantial, it offers improved MACE prediction accuracy over chronological age.
  • This AI-enhanced approach holds promise for more precise cardiovascular risk stratification.

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