AI-Powered Mammogram Screening Now Also Checks Heart Risk

Birmingham OB/Gyn, in partnership with Onsite Women's Health, has launched an innovative screening program called Mammo with Heart that uses artificial intelligence to identify breast arterial calcifications (BAC) during routine mammography. This program provides women and their healthcare providers with additional insight into cardiovascular risk without added imaging, radiation, or appointments. Heart disease remains the leading cause of death among women across Central Alabama, including Jefferson, Shelby, Blount, St. Clair, Walker, and Tuscaloosa Counties. According to the Alabama Public Health Community Health Profiles 2023, female heart disease mortality rates range from 152.0 deaths per 100,000 women in Tuscaloosa County to 503.4 deaths per 100,000 women in Walker County.

"Women trust their OB/Gyn for preventive care throughout their lives," said Ashley Przybysz, M.D., Birmingham OB/Gyn. "This program allows us to provide even more value from a screening test women are already receiving. By identifying potential cardiovascular risk earlier, we can help patients have important conversations with their healthcare providers before serious cardiovascular disease develops." Mammo with Heart uses FDA-cleared CureMetrix® cmAngio® technology to analyze routine mammography images for the presence of breast arterial calcifications. Research has shown that BAC may be associated with increased cardiovascular risk and can serve as an opportunity for earlier risk assessment and prevention.

The screening allows a routine mammogram to provide information about both breast health and heart health from a single exam. Breast arterial calcifications are present in approximately 12% to 42.5% of screening mammograms, yet historically many of these findings have not been routinely reported. As part of this initiative, Birmingham OB/Gyn is working to develop a coordinated cardiovascular care pathway with Alabama Cardiovascular Group (ACG), an affiliate of Grandview Health, to help ensure that women identified as having elevated cardiovascular risk have access to timely specialty evaluation and preventive care when appropriate. "For many women, their OB/Gyn is the healthcare provider they see most consistently," said David Carmichael, CEO of Birmingham OB/Gyn. "This program gives us an opportunity to identify cardiovascular risk earlier and connect patients with appropriate preventive care before heart disease develops." Birmingham OB/Gyn performs more than 8,400 screening mammograms annually and delivered babies for families residing in 28 Alabama counties during the past year. Mammo with Heart is now available to patients undergoing screening mammography at Birmingham OB/Gyn. For more information, visit https://www.birminghamobgyn.com or call 205-933-8334.