<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It's the routine test taken by millions of Australian women to detect breast cancer, but there are new details of how mammograms and artificial intelligence could be used to detect heart disease.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Each year, approximately 1.8 million Australian women participate in free mammogram screenings provided by BreastScreen clinics. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Researchers at the George Institute for Global Health have now developed an AI algorithm that analyses the tests to identify subtle indicators of cardiovascular risk.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/susan-goodwin-search-updates-police-probing-cold-case-disappearance-uncover-bone-in-backyard/7145a1f5-434c-4fa7-b326-e08bb6394486"><strong><span>Major breakthrough for detectives as bone found in backyard in reopened cold case</span></strong></a><strong><span></span></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The AI model examines mammograms for signs such as calcium build-up in arteries, alongside the woman's age, to predict the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>This two-for-one screening approach was designed and validated using routine mammograms from 49,000 women across Victoria, linking that data to their hospital and death records.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Researchers compared the AI model to traditional methods in testing for cardiovascular risk factors such as blood pressure and cholesterol. </span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/health/mammogram-cariovascular-disease-screening/44aaaedd-d1b5-45ea-a14a-151e4aa9a210" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>They found that screening using mammograms worked just as well.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/treasurer-jim-chalmers-says-opposition-is-run-by-weird-collection-of-cookers-and-crackpots/5bd36faf-cadc-4cce-9859-a067326460bb"><strong><span>Treasurer says opposition is run by 'weird collection' of 'cookers and crackpots'</span></strong></a><strong><span></span></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We're leveraging a tool that women engage with," Associate Professor Clare Arnott from the George Institute said. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"BreastScreen is tremendous. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Fifty per cent of eligible women biannually attend and if we can enable those women to have both breast cancer screening and cardiovascular screening, we're absolutely going to save lives."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Experts say heart disease in women is underdiagnosed and undertreated, and mammograms could be a cost-effective solution.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><em><span>This article was produced with the assistance of</span></em><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/technology/9express/16480c33-636a-461f-9c4f-d0e2522c722a"><em><span>9ExPress</span></em></a><em><span>.</span></em></div></div>