Digital Twins and Artificial Intelligence in Heart Failure: The Premise and the Promise.

Mehra, M. R., Vukićević, M., & Isath, A. (2026). Digital Twins and Artificial Intelligence in Heart Failure: The Premise and the Promise.. Journal of Cardiac Failure.

Abstract

Heart failure care has advanced, yet outcomes remain inconsistent and clinical deterioration is still recognized too late. Traditional artificial intelligence has evolved from rule-based, predictive, to generative and generally operates at the population level. Thus, it cannot keep pace with the rapidly shifting physiologic states that define heart failure. Digital twin technology offers a decisive shift: a continuously calibrated, mechanistically grounded computational replica of an individual patient that integrates multimodal physiologic, imaging, clinical, molecular, and behavioral data. Anchored in physics-informed models and paired with advanced artificial intelligence layers, the digital twin functions as a real-time simulator rather than a static predictor. It enables 4 transformative applications: early physiologic instability forecasting, virtual comparator control arms for pragmatic trials, mechanism-anchored phenotyping, and system-level resource optimization. If built with rigor, equity, and transparent validation, digital twins can transition heart failure care from reactive management to anticipatory, individualized, and mechanistically informed decision-making, bringing long-sought precision to this complex syndrome. Yet, this staged translation will require responsible, evidence-based implementation and precise recognition of limitations.

Last updated on 04/01/2026
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