Artificial Intelligence in Image-based Cardiovascular Disease Analysis: A Comprehensive Survey and Future Outlook

Recent advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI) have significantly influenced the field of Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) analysis, particularly in image-based diagnostics. Our paper presents an extensive review of AI applications in image-based CVD analysis, offering insights into its current state and future potential. We systematically categorize the literature based on the primary anatomical structures related to CVD, dividing them into non-vessel structures (such as ventricles and atria) and vessel structures (including the aorta and coronary arteries). This categorization provides a structured approach to explore various imaging modalities like Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), which are commonly used in CVD research. Our review encompasses these modalities, giving a broad perspective on the diverse imaging techniques integrated with AI for CVD analysis. Additionally, we compile a list of publicly accessible cardiac image datasets and code repositories, intending to support research reproducibility and facilitate data and algorithm sharing within the community. We conclude with an examination of the challenges and limitations inherent in current AI-based CVD analysis methods and suggest directions for future research to overcome these hurdles.