Emerging Artificial Intelligence Tools for the Screening of Structural and Valvular Heart Disease

Structural heart disease (SHD) encompasses diseases involving the heart valves, chambers, walls, and muscles. Current diagnostic methods have limited accessibility and predictive value. This review aims to present recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI)-guided tools in the screening of SHD and valvular heart disease (VHD), and to present challenges and opportunities for their use in clinical practice.

AI-guided models trained on ECGs, chest X-rays, and coronary artery calcium scans have a high accuracy in the diagnosis of SHD, heart failure, low left ventricular ejection fraction, and VHD. Some of these models can highlight the signals that influence their predictions, improving explainability. The use of AI in screening for SHD and VHD could lead to earlier diagnosis, enhanced accuracy, and better accessibility. However, outcome data on earlier diagnosis using these tools is required before broad deployment.