STONY BROOK, NY, May 14, 2024 – Stony Brook Medicine is the first on Long Island — and one of a select number of healthcare systems nationwide — to implement an artificial intelligence (AI) technology, HeartFlow Plaque Analysis™, to enable its physicians to more accurately understand the blockages present in the coronary arteries of patients with suspected heart disease. This advancement, introduced at Stony Brook through a collaboration by the Division of Cardiology and the Department of Radiology, represents a significant milestone in the fight against heart disease, which remains the leading cause of death for adults in the United States.
“This innovative AI technology offers comprehensive assessment of a patient’s coronary artery disease with details that were previously unattainable with standard cardiac CT,” said Michael Park, MD, a cardiologist and leading expert in non-invasive cardiac imaging at Stony Brook Medicine. “With this level of detail, we can accurately describe the amount of cholesterol and plaque in a patient’s arteries to develop a personalized treatment plan for our patients designed to reduce cardiovascular risk, prevent complications, and improve our patient’s quality of life.”
“At Stony Brook Medicine, we are continuously pushing the boundaries of innovation in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of heart disease,” says Hal A. Skopicki, MD, PhD, Co-Director of Stony Brook Heart Institute, Ambassador Charles A. Gargano Chair of Cardiology and Professor of Medicine. “By incorporating this cutting-edge AI technology, initially at our locations in Commack, Stony Brook and Riverhead, we are raising the standard of care and ensuring the best possible outcomes for our patients through early and precise intervention.”
Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most prevalent form of heart disease and affects nearly half of the adult population. CAD develops when cholesterol plaque accumulates in the coronary arteries, restricting blood flow to the heart and potentially leading to life-threatening events such as heart attacks. Early detection and treatment of CAD are crucial for improving patient outcomes and is especially important based on Long Island’s higher than average prevalence of heart disease risk factors including diabetes, elevated cholesterol levels, and hypertension. HeartFlow Plaque Analysis™ uses a CT scan with imaging of the arteries and combines it with advanced AI algorithms to create a virtual map of your heart’s arteries to assist Stony Brook’s expert physicians in properly evaluating coronary artery plaque burden.
“As an interventional cardiologist, I often see patients who come to us after years of untreated coronary artery disease, frequently with irreversible damage,” says On Chen, MD, Director of Center for Advanced Lipid Management at Stony Brook Medicine. “The ability to detect and accurately characterize plaque at an early stage, cause fewer unnecessary cardiac catheterizations and give us a significant advantage in improving the health of our community.”
This technology is especially beneficial for both patients at high risk for heart disease, such as those with hypertension, diabetes, or family history of heart attacks, as well as those who have had prior heart testing, such as stress tests with inconclusive results or chest pain but no answers as it provides clearer insights and aids in more accurate decision making. “I would encourage any patient to ask their physician about this technology or schedule a consultation with one of our Stony Brook Cardiologists,” added Dr. Park.
About Stony Brook Heart Institute:
Stony Brook Heart Institute is located within Stony Brook University Hospital as part of Long Island’s premier university-based medical center. The Heart Institute offers a comprehensive, multidisciplinary program for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease. The staff includes full-time and community-based, board-certified cardiologists and cardiothoracic surgeons, as well as specially trained anesthesiologists, nurses, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, respiratory therapists, surgical technologists, perfusionists, and other support staff. Their combined expertise provides state-of-the-art interventional and surgical capabilities in 24-hour cardiac catheterization labs and surgical suites. And while the Heart Institute clinical staff offers the latest advances in medicine, its physician-scientists are also actively enhancing knowledge of the heart and blood vessels through basic biomedical studies and clinical research. To learn more, visit www.heart.stonybrookmedicine.edu.
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