Stunning facts revealed in AI based study on cardiac screening, says expert Dr Ramesh Babu

GUNTUR: Groundbreaking AI based scientific analysis of over 30,000 CT Coronary Angiogram (CTCA) investigations has revealed critical insights into coronary artery disease, significantly refining how doctors decide between medication, stenting and bypass surgery. Disclosing these findings at the Continuing Medical Education (CME) programme organised by aster ramesh hospitals, chief cardiologist Dr Pothineni Ramesh Babu said advanced data analytics and machine learning-based algorithms were used to assess coronary stenosis severity, plaque characteristics and long-term risk indicators with greater precision. He explained that plaque burden alone does not determine heart attack risk. The nature of plaque — whether stable or unstable — and its functional impact on blood flow are equally decisive. Modern assessment tools such as CT-FFR (Fractional Flow Reserve derived from CT) provide a scientific basis to evaluate whether a patient truly requires a stent or can be managed safely with medicines. Dr Ramesh Babu noted that CT-FFR is based on newton’s laws of motion, computational fluid dynamics and navier-stokes equations, enabling precise measurement of pressure differences before and after a coronary blockage. Multiple global clinical trials have shown that when CT-FFR values fall below 0.75, outcomes are better with stenting or bypass surgery. Above this threshold, many patients can avoid invasive procedures. He said their hospital has introduced AI-based CT Coronary Angiography (CTCA), CT-FFR and CT-guided PCI technologies in India, enabling comprehensive 3D coronary imaging within 15–20 minutes. The non-invasive scan accurately maps plaque location, size and percentage of blockage without procedural pain. Highlighting a shift in interventional cardiology, Dr Ramesh Babu described CT-guided PCI as a “map first, intervene later” strategy. By preparing a complete procedural roadmap before entering the cathlab, cardiologists can select the appropriate stent, reduce procedure time and improve long-term patient outcomes. He also stressed the importance of personalised statin therapy. Prescribing uniform medication to all patients is scientifically unsound, he said. Treatment must be tailored to lipid profile, diabetes status, blood pressure, family history and overall cardiovascular risk, in line with international guidelines. The decision between stenting and bypass surgery, he added, is now increasingly taken through a heart team approach — a multi-specialist evaluation supported by CT imaging and CT-FFR analysis. About 800 doctors and medical students from Telangana, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh attended the event, recognised by the National Board of Examinations (NBE), aster ramesh hospitals currently trains 80 medical students, offering structured clinical exposure and academic mentorship. The CME featured scientific sessions on modern diagnostics, interventional cardiology, case-based discussions and emerging global guidelines, reinforcing the institution’s commitment to research-driven, evidence-based cardiac care. IMA city unit president Dr Y Subbarayudu presided over the session in which Dr Raja Ramesh, Dr Anoop, Dr Ram Manohar, Dr Mahesh, Dr Swarajyam, Dr Sabari Girish and Dr Nanda Kishore were also present.