Covera Health launches AI platform to boost early detection in women's health
'Protect Her' uses routine imaging to identify hidden health risks
A new artificial intelligence-driven technology has been launched to address the chronic underdiagnosis of serious health conditions in women, with a specific focus on early detection and treatment.
Radiology company Covera Health has introduced ‘Protect Her’, an AI-powered platform designed to identify early signs of breast cancer, cardiovascular disease, and osteoporosis - conditions that disproportionately affect women over 40 and often go undiagnosed in routine imaging.
Millions of women undergo mammograms, chest x-rays, and CT scans every year, yet critical warning signs of life-threatening diseases frequently go unnoticed. Protect Her aims to change that by leveraging advanced AI to spot more subtle markers of disease that traditional radiology may overlook.
Closing the diagnostic gap
The statistics are sobering: one in five breast cancers is missed on screening mammograms, and up to one in six women display early signs of heart disease - such as breast arterial calcifications - on routine mammograms, yet these indicators are rarely reported or acted upon. Osteoporosis is similarly underdiagnosed, despite the fact that half of all women with the condition will suffer a fracture in their lifetime, and 20% of those who experience osteoporotic hip fractures will not survive beyond the first year.
"Early detection is the single most powerful tool we have to improve health outcomes, particularly for women, who are frequently underdiagnosed in these areas," said Ron Vianu, CEO of Covera Health.
"Protect Her empowers providers with AI-powered insights that can detect serious and life-threatening conditions early, allowing women to get the right care before it's too late. This is a game-changer for women's health."
Protect Her integrates directly into existing radiology workflows, requiring no additional effort from patients or healthcare providers. By analyzing imaging studies women are already undergoing, the AI platform can detect signs of disease at an earlier stage than traditional methods.
Harnessing AI to transform radiology
The potential of AI in radiology is vast, and Protect Her has been developed to capitalise on its strengths. The technology is capable of detecting:
Breast Cancer: AI identifies subtle patterns in mammograms that may indicate early malignancies, reducing the likelihood of missed cancers.
Cardiovascular Disease: The system flags breast arterial calcifications (BAC), a marker of heart disease visible on mammograms but rarely reported, and Coronary Artery Calcium (CAC) on chest CT scans, a key predictor of heart disease.
Osteoporosis: AI scans for signs of vertebral spine fractures, which often go undetected in their early stages.
Dr. Phoebe E. Freer, a leading radiology expert and Fellow of the Society of Breast Imaging, highlighted the transformative potential of AI in medical practice.
"AI has the ability to transform how we practice medicine, especially when it comes to our ability to detect early signs of disease," she said.
"By using advanced technology to analyze a patient's image beyond the primary concern, we can detect high-impact conditions more readily, giving patients and their physicians critical insights that may help them act before a crisis occurs."
A win for employers and healthcare providers
Beyond individual patient care, Protect Her presents a compelling case for employers, benefits managers, and health insurers looking to manage healthcare costs and improve employee well-being. By catching diseases at an earlier stage, the platform has the potential to lower long-term healthcare costs and improve workforce productivity by reducing missed work due to late-stage illness.
Covera Health argues that the benefits of Protect Her extend beyond early detection. By supporting radiologists in detecting incidental clinical findings - those unrelated to the primary reason for a scan - AI can improve overall diagnostic accuracy and patient outcomes.
As AI continues to reshape modern medicine, Protect Her could mark a pivotal step towards closing the long-standing diagnostic gap in women's healthcare, ensuring that fewer life-threatening conditions go undetected until it is too late.