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.

Each year, approximately 1.8 million Australian women participate in free mammogram screenings provided by BreastScreen clinics.

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.

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.

This two-for-one screening approach was designed and validated using routine mammograms from 49,000 women across Victoria, linking that data

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