#United Kingdom #Oxford #Caristo Diagnostics #ESC Congress #FAI-Score

Groundbreaking Findings from ESC Congress 2025

The recent 75th annual ESC Congress 2025, held in Oxford, England, showcased a remarkable advancement in cardiovascular risk assessment through Caristo Diagnostics' FAI-Score™ technology. This innovative approach has been confirmed to possess a significantly enhanced predictive value for cardiac death when compared to traditional markers like high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP).

The Study at a Glance

During a dedicated session for late-breaking clinical science, researchers from the University of Oxford presented compelling evidence underscoring the FAI-Score's capabilities. The study involved a robust cohort of 103 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgeries and included 16,465 individuals part of a comprehensive risk factor assessment from the Oxford Risk Factor and Non-Invasive Imaging (ORFAN) study. This dual approach, which included both surgical and post-mortem evaluations, provided profound insights into the interplay between systemic inflammation and localized coronary inflammation—key indicators in cardiovascular health.

FAI-Score operates by measuring changes in perivascular adipose tissue during routine coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA), distinctively capturing specific inflammatory pathways that contribute to atherosclerosis. In contrast, hsCRP is known as a broader inflammatory biomarker that doesn't pinpoint particular subsets of inflammatory response.

FAI-Score: A Leap Forward in Predictive Medicine

The results were striking—FAI-Score proved to be significantly more effective in identifying high-risk individuals, particularly those displaying a calcium score of zero and no visible coronary plaques. In circumstances where low hsCRP levels were observed, those with elevated FAI-Score were found to have a sevenfold increased likelihood of experiencing cardiac death. Notably, individuals with both elevated FAI-Score and hsCRP faced a staggering 25-fold increase in mortality risk when both markers pointed to inflammation.

Professor Charalambos Antoniades, the BHF Chair of Cardiovascular Medicine at Oxford and the study's lead investigator, highlighted the FAI-Score's ability to fine-tune risk assessments by zeroing in on local inflammatory mechanisms. His commentary emphasized the potential of this unique scoring system to revolutionize clinical decision-making in cardiovascular disease treatment.

Future Implications for Cardiovascular Care

Caristo Diagnostics is not just an innovator in technology but is actively collaborating with healthcare systems to implement these findings. The CaRi-Heart technology, which integrates the FAI-Score assessment, has already gained regulatory approvals across Europe, the UK, and Australia, with pending reviews for FDA clearance in the United States. In 2025 alone, significant strides have been made, including the approval of new Category III CPT® codes for the CaRi-Heart technology and FDA clearances for the associated CaRi-Plaque™ technology intended for plaque quantification.

As a spinout from the University of Oxford and supported by the British Heart Foundation, Caristo is on a fervent mission to enhance cardiovascular disease diagnostics. This evolving technology not only marks a significant milestone in cardiac care but also positions itself as a game-changer in predicting potential heart attacks before symptomatic manifestations occur.

For those interested in the latest pioneering advancements in heart health, following Caristo’s journey offers a glimpse into a future where personalized treatment options will better serve the vast population at risk of cardiovascular diseases.

For more information about Caristo Diagnostics and its groundbreaking work, visit caristo.com or connect via LinkedIn, YouTube, and X.