Innovative cardiac MRI screening enables the early detection of heart failure, often years before the first symptoms appear. Initial results from the G-BA-funded ‘HerzCheck’ project show that almost fully automated, telemedically monitored cardiac MRIs can identify asymptomatic heart failure at an early stage and provide targeted treatment. This improves the prognosis and quality of life of patients, while reducing hospitalisation and follow-up costs.
On 30th of March 2025, the ‘HerzCheck’ team from Charité's German Heart Centre (DHZC) presented these findings at the ACC Congress in Chicago. More than 4,500 patients in rural regions were examined in the study. Almost a quarter were diagnosed with subclinical heart failure using state-of-the-art MRI diagnostics - on average almost seven years earlier than in the control group using conventional diagnostic methods. The full evaluation results are expected in summer 2025.
‘Our results show that early detection is crucial in order to avoid serious courses of heart failure,’ says “HerzCheck” consortium leader Prof. Sebastian Kelle, Head of Cardiovascular Imaging at the German Heart Centre of the Charité (DHZC), Virchow-Klinikum campus. ‘Modern early detection methods such as ‘HerzCheck’ could therefore be integrated into standard care. In particular, the possibility of recognising cardiac insufficiency independently of examiners, mobile, telemedically monitored, needs-based and with established measurement methods offers many opportunities - also as a template for other organ systems. We also need more valid data and targeted research into preventive measures in order to find out which therapies can effectively prevent the progression of asymptomatic heart failure and how the need for care can be estimated in the coming years.’
