Mammograms Could Detect Early Heart Disease in Women, Doctors Say

Pennsylvania doctors find breast arterial calcification visible on mammograms is linked to higher risk of heart attack and stroke.

Published on Feb. 8, 2026

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Mammograms, routinely used to screen for breast cancer, can also detect the presence of breast arterial calcification (BAC) - calcium buildup in the breast's blood vessels. Recent research shows that BAC is associated with a higher risk of future heart attacks and strokes in women. Doctors in Pennsylvania are now using mammogram results to inform patients about their BAC levels and encourage them to seek further cardiovascular assessment and treatment.

Why it matters

Detecting BAC through mammograms could help improve overall heart health among women and reduce serious cardiac events. Many more women get mammograms than specialized heart scans, so mammograms provide an opportunity to screen a large population of women for this heart disease risk factor.

The details

Calcium buildup in the arteries, whether in the heart or the breast, is a sign of cardiovascular disease. Doctors can assess heart attack and stroke risk by looking for this calcification. While coronary artery calcium scans are used to directly measure calcium in the heart's arteries, mammograms can show calcium deposits in the breast's blood vessels, known as BAC. BAC makes the vessels stiffer, which is also an indicator of heart disease. Hospitals in the Philadelphia area have started including BAC information in mammogram reports and offering additional screening options to help patients understand their heart health.

  • In August 2022, Jefferson Health hospitals in the Greater Philadelphia area began adding BAC information to their mammogram screening reports.
  • A couple days before a woman's scheduled screening mammogram, patients at Jefferson Health receive a flyer with information about BAC.

The players

Dr. Matthew Nudy

A noninvasive cardiologist and assistant professor of medicine and public health science at Penn State College of Medicine.

Dr. Jason Shames

An assistant professor of radiology at Thomas Jefferson University and associate director of research in the division of breast imaging at Jefferson Health.

Jefferson Health

A health system in the Greater Philadelphia area that has started including BAC information in mammogram reports and offering additional screening options.

Solis Mammography

A partner of Jefferson Health that offers a program called Mammo+Heart, which uses AI software to analyze BAC visible in mammogram images.

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What they’re saying

“If a patient knows that they have a BAC, they may be more in tune with what their blood pressure is, they may be more likely to get medications, they may be more aware of their health.”

— Dr. Matthew Nudy, Noninvasive cardiologist and assistant professor (whyy.org)

“So that it's not just a shock and awe, but it's something that helps provide a positive impact for the patient without adding unnecessary stress and anxiety to an exam that's already riddled with, unfortunately, a lot of anxiety and stress.”

— Dr. Jason Shames, Assistant professor of radiology (whyy.org)

What’s next

Doctors hope that informing patients about their BAC levels through mammograms will encourage them to seek further cardiovascular assessment and treatment, such as medications or lifestyle changes, to improve their overall heart health.

The takeaway

Mammograms, a routine screening tool for breast cancer, can also provide valuable information about a woman's heart health by detecting calcium buildup in breast blood vessels. This new use of mammograms could help identify heart disease risk factors in a large population of women and motivate them to take steps to reduce their risk of serious cardiac events.