Introduction
Australia’s latest AI technology has made a groundbreaking leap. Through free breast cancer screening, doctors can now also detect the risk of heart disease — benefiting millions of Australians.

01: Free Screening Can Now Predict Heart Disease

Australia has long been recognized for its robust public healthcare system. Among its most impactful initiatives is the free breast cancer screening program, which protects the health of millions of women.

Now, this routine check has revealed a new and unexpected benefit. Researchers in Australia have discovered that mammograms not only help in the early detection of breast cancer, but they can also identify signs of heart disease risk — giving women double protection through a single test.

Each year, around 1.8 million Australian women undergo free mammogram screenings through BreastScreen clinics. While this program has been crucial in catching breast cancer early, it may now also help prevent cardiovascular disease.

Researchers from the George Institute for Global Health have developed an artificial intelligence algorithm capable of analyzing mammogram images to detect subtle indicators of cardiovascular risk.

The AI model identifies arterial calcification and other signs within the breast tissue, and when combined with age data, it can predict a woman’s likelihood of suffering a heart attack or stroke.

02: AI Model as Effective as Traditional Tests — A Lifesaving Advance

This “one test, two diagnoses” method was confirmed after researchers analyzed the health records of nearly 50,000 women in Victoria, linking mammogram results with hospital admissions and death registries.

The findings revealed two key mechanisms:

If plaque builds up in the arteries of the heart, it often appears in other blood vessels as well — including those in the breast.

Higher fat content in breast tissue correlates with higher fat deposits around the heart, both of which show up in mammogram imaging.

Over a nine-year follow-up, more than 3,400 women who had undergone breast screening later developed heart disease, stroke, or were diagnosed with arterial plaque.

The AI model’s performance was then compared to traditional diagnostic tools such as blood pressure and cholesterol checks. The results showed that mammogram-based AI predictions were just as effective.

This groundbreaking research, now published in the medical journal Heart, was confirmed by Dr. Jennifer Barraclough, a cardiologist at the George Institute for Global Health. She stated that mammogram screenings can indeed help women reduce their risk of heart disease.

Associate Professor Clare Arnott of the George Institute further emphasized:

“We are leveraging a tool that women are already using. The BreastScreen program is extremely important, with 50% of eligible women participating every two years. If we can use the same screening to detect both breast cancer and cardiovascular disease, we can absolutely save more lives.”

Experts noted that heart disease in women has long been underdiagnosed and undertreated, and mammogram screening may offer a cost-effective and widely accessible solution.

Conclusion
This major discovery may transform the future of medicine. With one free screening, women could be protected against not just one, but two of the most serious health threats: breast cancer and heart disease.