New AI tool can predict heart failure five years early with 86% accuracy

Experts at the University of Oxford have found a way to use artificial intelligence to predict the future as part of potentially life-saving research.

As a press release detailed, the university's AI tool analyzes routine chest CT scans — some 350,000 are ordered in the United Kingdom each year for chest pain — and can predict if the patient is at high risk of experiencing heart failure five years early. 

The AI examination pinpoints heart muscle inflammation beneath fatty tissue and other structural changes not visible to the human eye on typical imaging. The study, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, observed that changes in heart fat can serve as a sensor for impending failure. 

The early warning provides crucial time for patients and their doctors, which is especially important for high-risk people. The experts said that higher-risk patients in the study had a one-in-four chance of developing heart failure within five years. The tool predicted heart failure within that timeframe with 86% accuracy. 

"This will allow doctors to make more informed decisions about the best way to treat patients, giving the most intensive treatment to those at the highest risk," research lead Professor Charalambos Antoniades said in the release. "We hope that, if this program is rolled out nationwide, it could reduce hospital pressures by helping patients live well for longer."

For its part, AI can cause some heartburn of its own. As more job functions and personal computing leverage the powerful tech, the number of data centers needed to meet demand is growing. 

Goldman Sachs reported that computing power draw is expected to increase 175% by 2030, contributing to electricity price increases in the United States that are rising faster than inflation. 

Worse yet, the facilities are massive resource hogs. Large data centers can require up to 5 million gallons of water each day, enough for a town of 10,000 to 50,000 people, according to the Environmental and Energy Study Institute. As a result, some community members are fighting to keep the hubs out of their towns. 

Data collector Statista reported that, as of 2025, the United States leads the world with more than 4,100 data centers. The U.K. is second with 499. 

Some regions require data center developers to bring their own generation — or BYOG — according to consulting group PA Knowledge Limited. But natural gas is often the fuel of choice, creating another layer of air quality concerns. 

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If AI is used to identify deadly health conditions early, its merits could outweigh its costs. Heart failure is a terrible condition impacting 6.7 million Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

The University of Oxford's report said a million U.K. residents suffer from the disease. The AI heart scan was validated on more than 70,000 people, per the release. 

The experts are fine-tuning the tool to work on other types of chest scans. 

"We are now working toward applying this method to any CT scan of the chest, performed for any reason," Antoniades said.

Adding more plants to your diet is an easy way to protect your heart without AI. Eating the right fruits and veggies can cut your risk for certain cancers, heart disease, and diabetes, according to Harvard Medicine — all while saving you money at the grocery store.

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