Overview
- Johns Hopkins researchers used deep learning to segment adrenal glands on routine chest CTs and derive an Adrenal Volume Index normalized by height.
- In 2,842 MESA participants (mean age about 69), higher index values aligned with perceived stress scores, multi-sample salivary cortisol exposure and greater allostatic load.
- The imaging metric was associated with higher left ventricular mass index, indicating links to cardiac structural changes.
- Each 1 cm³/m² increase in the index predicted higher risks of heart failure and all-cause mortality over as long as 10 years, with hazard ratios near 1.04 for both outcomes.
- The results, presented for the RSNA meeting, highlight a potential opportunistic tool from existing scans without added testing, though evidence remains retrospective and needs prospective validation.