A. I. Mammograms Predict Heart Disease in Women 03/09/26

Welcome to Cardiology Today – Recorded March 09, 2026. This episode summarizes 5 key cardiology studies on topics like cardiac aging and empagliflozin. Key takeaway: A. I. Mammograms Predict Heart Disease in Women. Article Links: Article 1: Silent plaque ruptures in non-obstructive lesions of non-infarct-related arteries: a multimodality, serial intracoronary imaging study. (European heart journal) Article 2: Artificial intelligence-based quantification of breast arterial calcifications to predict cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. (European heart journal) Article 3: Endothelial ZBTB16: a molecular shield against cardiac aging. (European heart journal) Article 4: Empagliflozin in De Novo vs Acute Decompensated Chronic Heart Failure: A Prespecified Analysis From EMPULSE. (JACC. Heart failure) Article 5: BRISC Deficiency Drives Heart Failure by Regulating β-Catenin K63 Ubiquitination. (Hypertension (Dallas, Tex. : 1979)) Full episode page: https://podcast.explainheart.com/podcast/a-i-mammograms-predict-heart-disease-in-women-03-09-26/ Featured Articles Article 1: Silent plaque ruptures in non-obstructive lesions of non-infarct-related arteries: a multimodality, serial intracoronary imaging study. Journal: European heart journal PubMed Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41795942 Summary: This study revealed that silent plaque ruptures frequently occur in non-obstructive lesions within non-infarct-related coronary arteries of acute myocardial infarction patients. Researchers characterized the specific morphological features of these ruptures. The study tracked changes in rupture sites over 52 weeks, demonstrating their dynamic nature. It also identified the baseline morphology associated with new-onset ruptures, advancing understanding of coronary artery disease progression beyond the infarct-related artery. Article 2: Artificial intelligence-based quantification of breast arterial calcifications to predict cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Journal: European heart journal PubMed Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41795899 Summary: Artificial intelligence-based automatic quantification of breast arterial calcification from screening mammograms significantly predicted cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality. This A. I. methodology demonstrated superior predictive value beyond existing PREVENT scores in a large, racially diverse cohort of 123762 women. The results establish breast arterial calcification as a robust and automatically quantifiable biomarker for cardiovascular risk. These findings support integrating A. I. assessment of mammograms into cardiovascular risk stratification for women. Article 3: Endothelial ZBTB16: a molecular shield against cardiac aging. Journal: European heart journal PubMed Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41493057 Summary: This study identified zinc finger and B. T. B. domain-containing protein 16, or ZBTB16, as playing a critical protective role against cardiac aging. Researchers found that endothelial ZBTB16 functions as a molecular shield, counteracting age-related cardiac dysfunction. The data revealed specific epigenetically regulated mechanisms underlying endothelial cell impairment during aging. These findings provide novel insights into the molecular processes of cardiac aging and suggest potential therapeutic targets. Article 4: Empagliflozin in De Novo vs Acute Decompensated Chronic Heart Failure: A Prespecified Analysis From EMPULSE. Journal: JACC. Heart failure PubMed Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41793401 Summary: This prespecified analysis from the EMPULSE trial found that empagliflozin significantly improved clinical outcomes in patients hospitalized for heart failure. The sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor demonstrated consistent efficacy, safety, and tolerability in both de novo heart failure and acute decompensated heart failure subgroups. The benefits of empagliflozin were observed early, providing critical support for initiating this therapy during hospitalization for heart failure regardless of its onset. These findings broaden the evidence base for empagliflozin in a diverse heart failure population. Article 5: BRISC Deficiency Drives Heart Failure by Regulating β-Catenin K63 Ubiquitination. Journal: Hypertension (Dallas, Tex. : 1979) PubMed Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41789465 Summary: This study revealed that deficiency in BRISC, a B. R. C. C. 3 isopeptidase complex, drives heart failure by regulating beta-catenin K63 ubiquitination. Researchers found that BRISC functions as a K63-specific deubiquitinase crucial for preventing adverse cardiac remodeling. Analysis showed altered BRISC subunit expression in hypertrophic human and murine hearts, directly linking its dysregulation to cardiac dysfunction. These findings offer a novel molecular mechanism underlying hypertensive heart failure and potential therapeutic targets. Transcript Today’s date is March 09, 2026. Welcome to Cardiology Today. Here are the latest research findings. Article number one. Silent plaque ruptures in non-obstructive lesions of non-infarct-related arteries: a multimodality, serial intracoronary imaging study. This study revealed that silent plaque ruptures frequently occur in non-obstructive lesions within non-infarct-related coronary arteries of acute myocardial infarction patients. Researchers characterized the specific morphological features of these ruptures. The study tracked changes in rupture sites over 52 weeks, demonstrating their dynamic nature. It also identified the baseline morphology associated with new-onset ruptures, advancing understanding of coronary artery disease progression beyond the infarct-related artery. Article number two. Artificial intelligence-based quantification of breast arterial calcifications to predict cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Artificial intelligence-based automatic quantification of breast arterial calcification from screening mammograms significantly predicted cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality. This A. I. methodology demonstrated superior predictive value beyond existing PREVENT scores in a large, racially diverse cohort of 123762 women. The results establish breast arterial calcification as a robust and automatically quantifiable biomarker for cardiovascular risk. These findings support integrating A. I. assessment of mammograms into cardiovascular risk stratification for women. Article number three. Endothelial ZBTB16: a molecular shield against cardiac aging. This study identified zinc finger and B. T. B. domain-containing protein 16, or ZBTB16, as playing a critical protective role against cardiac aging. Researchers found that endothelial ZBTB16 functions as a molecular shield, counteracting age-related cardiac dysfunction. The data revealed specific epigenetically regulated mechanisms underlying endothelial cell impairment during aging. These findings provide novel insights into the molecular processes of cardiac aging and suggest potential therapeutic targets. Article number four. Empagliflozin in De Novo vs Acute Decompensated Chronic Heart Failure: A Prespecified Analysis From EMPULSE. This prespecified analysis from the EMPULSE trial found that empagliflozin significantly improved clinical outcomes in patients hospitalized for heart failure. The sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor demonstrated consistent efficacy, safety, and tolerability in both de novo heart failure and acute decompensated heart failure subgroups. The benefits of empagliflozin were observed early, providing critical support for initiating this therapy during hospitalization for heart failure regardless of its onset. These findings broaden the evidence base for empagliflozin in a diverse heart failure population. Article number five. BRISC Deficiency Drives Heart Failure by Regulating β-Catenin K63 Ubiquitination. This study revealed that deficiency in BRISC, a B. R. C. C. 3 isopeptidase complex, drives heart failure by regulating beta-catenin K63 ubiquitination. Researchers found that BRISC functions as a K63-specific deubiquitinase crucial for preventing adverse cardiac remodeling. Analysis showed altered BRISC subunit expression in hypertrophic human and murine hearts, directly linking its dysregulation to cardiac dysfunction. These findings offer a novel molecular mechanism underlying hypertensive heart failure and potential therapeutic targets. Thank you for listening. Don’t forget to subscribe. Keywords cardiac aging, empagliflozin, coronary artery disease, plaque rupture, artificial intelligence, mortality prediction, cardiac remodeling, ZBTB16, acute myocardial infarction, epigenetics, de novo heart failure, non-obstructive lesions, acute decompensated heart failure, heart failure, sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor, BRISC, intracoronary imaging, beta-catenin, mammography, endothelial cells, breast arterial calcification, ubiquitination, cardiovascular disease. About Concise summaries of cardiovascular research for professionals. Subscribe • Share • FollowThe post A. I. Mammograms Predict Heart Disease in Women 03/09/26 first appeared on Cardiology Today.