PMcardio’s Queen of Hearts algorithm has demonstrated breakthrough accuracy in detecting acute heart attacks—otherwise known as STEMIs—in a major multi-center U.S. validation study. Published in JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions, the results indicate the AI tool can significantly improve heart attack recognition while reducing unnecessary procedures, thereby achieving higher accuracy and fewer false alarms.

In one of the largest real-world studies of its kind, researchers at Harvard’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (Boston), UC Davis (Sacramento, Calif.), and UTHealth (Houston) reviewed more than 1,000 patients treated in an emergency capacity for suspected acute heart attack. The Queen of Hearts AI correctly identified 92% of true heart attacks on the first ECG compared with 71% using standard triage, while cutting false alarms from 42% to just 8%, representing a fivefold reduction.

“These results show that AI ECG analysis can help clinicians diagnose heart attacks faster and more accurately, getting patients to treatment sooner,” said Dr. Timothy D. Henry, director of Clinical Research at The Christ Hospital in Cincinnati. “This is especially important for patients transferred from smaller or rural hospitals that don’t perform emergency heart procedures, where only 17% currently receive timely treatment.”

The findings build on encouraging results from the ongoing DIFOCCULT-3 clinical trial—the largest randomized study of AI in cardiology—enrolling 6,000 patients at 18 Turkish hospitals. Early data show that patients in the AI-assisted group received treatment up to five hours faster and experienced improved short-term outcomes. Data is expected next year on AI’s mpact on long-term survival.

“These consistent results from both real-world and randomized studies highlight how AI could improve long-term outcomes,” Powerful Medical Co-Founder/Chief Medical Officer Dr. Robert Herman, Ph.D., said. “Since up to 40% of heart attacks present with atypical ECGs, our technology helps ensure these patients receive lifesaving care in time.”

The Queen of Hearts algorithm was trained on millions of ECGs and provides visual explanations that show clinicians the parts of the ECG that most influence decisions, helping them better understand and trust AI’s findings. Together, these studies underscore the platform’s potential to transform emergency cardiac care by improving diagnostic accuracy, reducing unnecessary procedures, and saving more lives worldwide.

Powerful Medical is augmenting human-made clinical decisions with artificial intelligence. Its primary focus is on cardiovascular diseases, the world’s leading cause of death. The company aims to transform the journey of cardiac patients, ensuring that every medical decision is data-driven. Leveraging big data, machine learning, and innovative methods, Powerful Medical provides physicians with the necessary tools for precise diagnoses and tailored patient care.