HeartFlow has partnered with the Boone Heart Institute (Colorado, USA) to launch the GAMEFILM registry, a postmarket, data collection registry designed to define cardiac risk in retired National Football League (NFL) players.
Retired NFL players Joel Dreessen and Le-Lo Lang will be among the first individuals in the registry to receive a coronary artery disease (CAD) assessment with HeartFlow’s artificial intelligence (AI)-driven technology. Dreessen played tight end for eight seasons with the Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, and New York Jets, while Lang played four seasons as a cornerback for the Broncos.
The GAMEFILM registry will enrol approximately 120 NFL alumni. The registry will leverage coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) imaging and insights from the HeartFlow ONE platform (HeartFlow FFRCT and Plaque Analysis) to collect observational data with the goal of better understanding CAD prevalence, risk factors, severity, and treatment protocols among retired athletes.
The first site for the GAMEFILM registry is now enrolling at the Boone Heart Institute in Colorado, representing a significant step forward in understanding the cardiovascular health of retired professional athletes, a population that faces distinct risks due to the physical demands of their careers, HeartFlow said in a press release.
“While up to one in three retired professional football players die of cardiovascular disease, much remains unknown about the prevalence of risk factors and severity of disease among these former high-performing athletes,” said Jeffrey L Boone, founder and medical director of the Boone Heart Institute. “By offering CCTA combined with HeartFlow FFRCT and Plaque Analysis, we’ll generate real-world data in the GAMEFILM registry that will provide deeper insights into the unique cardiovascular challenges facing former professional football players, which will help us form protocols that meet their unique needs. The findings will help pave the way for actionable strategies for prevention, earlier detection, and improved care within this population.”
By utilising HeartFlow’s US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-cleared FFRCT and Plaque Analysis technologies, the study will inform development of prevention and treatment strategies tailored to former NFL players and similar populations worldwide. HeartFlow’s AI-driven technologies have helped healthcare providers diagnose CAD and guide treatment decisions for more than 400,000 patients.
“More than 50% of people who die from coronary artery disease have no prior diagnosis or testing, underscoring the importance of getting a clear picture of your heart health to understand and try to prevent heart attacks and death,” said Joel Dreessen, retired Denver Broncos tight end. “Participating in the GAMEFILM registry is an important step toward better understanding our heart health and addressing the unique cardiovascular risks we face as retired professional athletes.”
“Better, more specific insights, while certainly beneficial for my health, could also ultimately help protect the heart health of generations to come,” added Le-Lo Lang, retired Denver Broncos cornerback. “I’m proud to be partnering with Dr Boone and HeartFlow to encourage all retired players to take advantage of this helpful technology and get a personalised 3D model of their cardiovascular health.”
“We are proud to initiate the GAMEFILM registry to help identify at-risk patients using HeartFlow’s CAD diagnosis and management technology,” said John Farquhar, president and chief executive officer of HeartFlow, and an NFL alumnus. “I’m optimistic that through this effort we can help other NFL alumni gain valuable insights into their heart health.”
By combining the advanced imaging capabilities of CCTA with the HeartFlow ONE platform, clinicians can better understand functional information about each coronary artery and blockage and quantify and characterise plaque burden in coronary arteries, enabling more precise risk assessment and targeted medical interventions.
