Imagine if you could predict a heart attack

An article by Dr Edward Leatham, Consultant Cardiologist

A heart attack – also known as acute coronary thrombosis, or myocardial infarction, can be a life-altering event, often striking without warning. For many, it may be the first sign of a serious heart condition. Alarmingly, in over half of all cases, a heart attack or sudden death is the initial indication of coronary heart disease (CHD), which remains the leading cause of death globally. This statistic reveals a troubling reality: a vast number of people are unknowingly walking around with this silent killer, only discovering its presence when it’s too late.

Coronary heart disease, characterised by the build-up of cholesterol-rich plaques in the coronary arteries, progresses silently over the years. Most people are unaware that signs of this deadly disease can be detectable as much as a decade before the first symptoms manifest. Imagine if you could predict a heart attack years before it happened. What if you could intervene early enough to prevent it altogether?

The Hidden Dangers of Coronary Heart Disease

A heart attack is a severe and sudden event, but the process leading to it is often gradual. Over time, cholesterol deposits accumulate in the walls of the coronary arteries, which supply blood to the heart muscle. These deposits, known as plaques, can remain stable for years. However, under certain conditions, they can rupture, triggering a chain reaction in the bloodstream. Platelets, the blood’s clotting cells, rush to the site of the rupture in an attempt to seal the damage. This can lead to the formation of a large clot, which may block the artery entirely, cutting off the blood supply to the heart. The result is a heart attack, characterised by chest pain and, in many cases, life-threatening arrhythmias such as ventricular fibrillation (an abnormal heart rhythm causing cardiac arrest).

Despite the apparent suddenness of a heart attack, the underlying condition—atherosclerosis—has usually been present for decades. This long-term build-up of plaque often goes unnoticed, as it does not always cause symptoms until a critical event occurs. For many, the first sign of trouble is a catastrophic heart attack. This raises a crucial question: Could these heart attacks be prevented if we had the tools to detect the disease earlier?

Advances in Detection: CT Scans and Artificial Intelligence

Thanks to advances in medical technology, the answer may be yes. The latest developments in cardiovascular imaging, particularly through the use of advanced CT (computed tomography) scans, are changing the way we approach the detection of coronary heart disease. CT is a sophisticated X-ray technique that allows doctors to visualise the coronary arteries of the heart non-invasively. Unlike traditional methods, which often only reveal problems after symptoms arise, CT can detect the presence of calcium deposits and cholesterol-rich plaques in and around the coronary arteries long before they cause any symptoms. But the innovation doesn’t stop there. Researchers at Oxford University have developed cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) techniques that go beyond simply identifying plaque.

These AI-driven tools can measure coronary inflammation, the underlying cause of most cases of atherosclerosis. Inflammation in the coronary arteries is a key indicator of future heart attacks, as it signals the body’s immune response to the build-up of harmful substances within the artery walls.

This breakthrough technology is now available to patients with risk factors as young as 40 years of age. By detecting coronary inflammation early, cardiologists can identify individuals at high risk of a heart attack years before it would otherwise occur. This early detection opens the door to a range of preventive measures that can significantly reduce the risk of a heart attack.

Personalised Medicine: A New Era in Cardiac Care

At the Surrey Cardiovascular Clinic, we offer a mixture of specialist consultations and health screening packages designed to detect and manage heart disease early. Our access to state-of-the-art imaging, coupled with AI data processing, allows us to provide our patients with an individualised risk assessment for having a heart attack within the next eight years. This personalised approach is more accurate than traditional population based risk calculators, which often rely solely on factors like age, weight, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels.

Personalised medicine is revolutionising the way we approach cardiac care. By using advanced techniques to assess each patient’s unique risk profile, we can tailor interventions to their specific needs. This might include lifestyle changes, such as diet and exercise modifications, or the use of medications to control risk factors like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes. The goal is to reduce the likelihood of a heart attack by addressing the root causes of coronary heart disease before they lead to a life-threatening event.

Conclusion

The potential to predict and prevent heart attacks is not just a possibility—it is a growing reality. At the Surrey Cardiovascular Clinic, we are committed to staying at the forefront of this exciting field, offering our patients the best in personalised cardiovascular care. Through a combination of advanced technology, expert medical care, and patient-centred approaches, we are helping to change the future of heart health. Imagine a world where heart attacks are no longer a sudden and unexpected event, but a preventable condition. That future is within our reach, and it starts with early detection and proactive care.

If you would like to receive email notification each month featuring three blog stories please feel free to subscribe to our monthly updates

Related articles

Preventing a heart attack; what can be done?