The European Union has launched a new project to bring artificial intelligence into heart disease care. The project is called the European Cardiovascular Health Data and AI Network, or CHAIN.
It is funded by the EU4Health Programme. The project will run for 36 months.
Heart and blood vessel diseases are the leading cause of death and disability in Europe. They are also the biggest burden among diseases that do not spread from person to person.
The quality of care still differs between countries and hospitals. Health data and AI could help with prevention, early detection and treatment, but their use across Europe is scattered. There is also no standard way to check if AI tools work.
Who Is Behind the CHAIN Project
The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) is coordinating the project. It leads a group of 53 partners from 20 European countries.
Partners include universities, research centres, hospitals, technology companies, national health ministries and patient groups.
CHAIN builds on the ESC's EuroHeart registry network. That network already links 18 ESC member countries with standard data on heart care and patient outcomes.
Professor Cecilia Linde, President of the ESC, said one in three deaths in Europe is caused by heart disease. She added that the €282 billion yearly cost to the EU is larger than the EU's annual budget.
"CHAIN is about turning the promise of AI into better cardiovascular health for everyone," Linde said.
How the Network Will Work
The plan is to build a connected system that links hospitals, health data hubs and disease registries across Europe. It will follow the rules of the European Health Data Space.
This setup will let AI tools be tested, checked and used on a large scale. The goal is to help doctors find disease earlier and give more consistent care.
The system is a key part of the EU Safe Hearts Plan. It supports that plan's main effort to bring AI and digital tools into heart care.
Validated AI tools will be placed in a European repository. Each tool will have an "AI Passport" that records how well it works, how safe it is and where it fits in clinical use.
Six real-world use cases will be tested in 13 countries. They will cover prevention, early detection, decision support for doctors and care for complex heart conditions.
CHAIN will also work with other EU projects, including EUCAIM, COMPASS AI, AI4HF and DataTools4Heart.
Professor Folkert Asselbergs, the project's scientific coordinator, said patients and doctors are looking to medical societies like the ESC for trusted solutions.
EU Health Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi said, "The question is no longer simply what AI can do. The question is how we make it work safely and effectively for patients and health professionals in everyday healthcare."
Asselbergs said the team hopes to create a roadmap for expanding AI use in cardiology across Europe over the next three years.
