Birmingham OB/Gyn, in collaboration with Onsite Women's Health, has announced the launch of Mammo with Heart, a novel screening program that utilizes artificial intelligence to detect breast arterial calcifications (BAC) during standard mammography. This initiative aims to provide women and their healthcare providers with additional cardiovascular risk insights without requiring extra imaging, radiation, or appointments.
Heart disease remains the leading cause of death among women in Central Alabama, including Jefferson, Shelby, Blount, St. Clair, Walker, and Tuscaloosa Counties. According to the Alabama Public Health Community Health Profiles 2023, female heart disease mortality rates vary widely, from 152.0 deaths per 100,000 women in Tuscaloosa County to 503.4 deaths per 100,000 women in Walker County. The program seeks to address this disparity by leveraging routine mammography to identify early indicators of cardiovascular risk.
"Women trust their OB/Gyn for preventive care throughout their lives," said Ashley Przybysz, M.D., of Birmingham OB/Gyn. "This program allows us to provide even more value from a screening test women are already receiving. By identifying potential cardiovascular risk earlier, we can help patients have important conversations with their healthcare providers before serious cardiovascular disease develops."
Mammo with Heart employs the FDA-cleared CureMetrix® cmAngio® technology to analyze mammography images for the presence of breast arterial calcifications. Research suggests that BAC may be associated with increased cardiovascular risk, offering an opportunity for earlier risk assessment and prevention. Breast arterial calcifications are present in approximately 12% to 42.5% of screening mammograms, yet historically many of these findings have not been routinely reported.
As part of this initiative, Birmingham OB/Gyn is developing a coordinated cardiovascular care pathway with Alabama Cardiovascular Group (ACG), an affiliate of Grandview Health, to ensure that women identified with elevated cardiovascular risk have access to timely specialty evaluation and preventive care. "For many women, their OB/Gyn is the healthcare provider they see most consistently," said David Carmichael, CEO of Birmingham OB/Gyn. "This program gives us an opportunity to identify cardiovascular risk earlier and connect patients with appropriate preventive care before heart disease develops."
Birmingham OB/Gyn performs more than 8,400 screening mammograms annually and delivered babies for families residing in 28 Alabama counties during the past year. Mammo with Heart is now available to patients undergoing screening mammography at Birmingham OB/Gyn. For more information, visit https://www.birminghamobgyn.com or call 205-933-8334.
