Heartflow’s FFR_CT Added to CCTA for CAD Diagnostic Pathway Evaluated in FISH&CHIPS Study

May 12, 2025—Heartflow, Inc., a developer of artificial intelligence (AI) technology for coronary artery disease (CAD), recently announced 2-year data from the real-world, multicenter, retrospective FISH&CHIPS study in the United Kingdom.

The study was conducted by the National Health Service (NHS) England. It was designed to assess the incremental impact of adding Heartflow fractional flow reserve (FFR_CT) derived from coronary CT angiography (CCTA; CCTA+FFR_CT) to a CCTA-first diagnostic paradigm for CAD at a national level, stated Heartflow.

The findings were published online by Timothy Fairbairn, MBChB, FRCP, PhD, et al in Nature Medicine.

According to the company, FISH&CHIPS analyzed data from 27 NHS hospitals in England and included 90,553 patients followed for at least 2 years. The primary objective was to determine the clinical utility and safety of introducing a CCTA+FFR_CT diagnostic pathway compared to a standard-of-care CCTA diagnostic chest-pain pathway.

The FISH&CHIPS data showed improved care efficiency and reduction in unnecessary tests with CCTA+FFR_CT versus CCTA alone, reported the company.

As summarized in Heartflow’s press release, key outcomes from the study included the following:

• CCTA+FFR_CT reduced the need for an invasive coronary angiography (ICA) procedure by 7% and led to a reduction in inappropriate ICA procedures that did not result in treatment by 16%.
• CCTA+FFR_CT helped to identify more patients that would benefit from revascularization, with one additional appropriate percutaneous coronary intervention identified for every two negative diagnostic catheterizations that were avoided.
• CCTA+FFR_CT showed a 12% relative reduction in the need for a secondary noninvasive test after CCTA (eg, requiring a repeat CCTA or nuclear stress test).

Dr. Fairbairn, who is principal investigator for the study, is from Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and associate professor at the University of Liverpool in Liverpool, United Kingdom.

“New findings from the FISH&CHIPS study demonstrate that a CCTA+FFR_CT pathway at a national level can positively impact individual patient care, improving the suspected CAD patient’s journey,” commented Dr. Fairbairn in HeartFlow’s press release. “FFR_CT is a major AI-driven advancement in the management of cardiac disease that is helping to ensure that patients receive more precise, improved care, by reducing unnecessary invasive procedures and additional tests whilst identifying those who need intervention.”