Late-breaking Data Shows CCTA + FFRCT is Superior to Traditional Testing

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New trial results show that evaluating stable chest pain patients by applying advanced artificial intelligence (AI) to coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) increases diagnostic accuracy, reduces unnecessary testing and offers higher confidence in identifying patients needing treatment compared to the traditional diagnostic approaches that include stress testing or invasive catheterization.

The results from the Prospective Randomized Trial of the Optimal Evaluation of Cardiac Symptoms and Revascularization (PRECISE) Trial were presented today as late-breaking clinical data at the American Heart Association’s (AHA) Scientific Sessions in Chicago. 

PRECISE is the first global randomized controlled trial of its kind, enrolling 2,103 participants at 65 sites. The trial confirms that the CCTA+FFR_CT-centered strategy, recognized by the AHA/ACC Guidelines, is the superior diagnostic pathway for patients with stable chest pain and suspected coronary artery disease.

The trial compares a non-invasive Precision Pathway to Traditional Testing which includes stress testing and/or invasive cardiac catheterization. The Precision Pathway is consistent with the AHA/ACC guideline-recognized approach that defers testing for low-risk chest pain patients and tests all others with CCTA and conditional FFR_CT. FFR_CT uses human analysis coupled with AI to create an interactive 3D computer model of the heart that quantifies and displays blood flow and blockages. 

Compared to Traditional Testing, the PRECISE trial showed that the Precision Pathway:

1. improved non-invasive diagnostic accuracy, significantly lowering the rates of false negatives and false positives compared to Traditional Testing in patients with coronary artery disease. 
2. reduced unnecessary tests, providing better patient experience and more efficient use of hospital resources with a 4x reduction in unnecessary invasive catheterization and necessitating fewer initial diagnostic tests overall.
3. increased confidence in treating the right patients - 75% more likely to identify patients in need of intervention. 

A CCTA + FFR_CT pathway is already adopted by more than 725 hospitals worldwide, including 80% of the Top 50 Heart Hospitals in the US. 

^{2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR Guideline for the Evaluation and Diagnosis of Chest Pain: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines}