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Detecting Asymptomatic Coronary Artery Disease Using Coronary Artery Calcium Score and Coronary Computed Tomography

Showly Nicholson1, Dhrubajyoti Bandyopadhyay1, Sandeep Hedgire2

  • 1Cardiovascular Imaging, Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.

Radiologic Clinics of North America
|April 22, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) enhances cardiovascular risk assessment. This imaging technique helps personalize preventive therapies by identifying high-risk plaques and arterial blockages, potentially preventing future cardiac events.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Medical Imaging
  • Preventive Medicine

Background:

  • Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a primary global cause of death and illness.
  • Coronary artery calcium scoring aids in risk stratification and statin therapy decisions.
  • The 2021 ACC/AHA chest pain guideline promotes increased use of CCTA for symptomatic individuals.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To highlight the growing role of coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) in cardiovascular risk assessment.
  • To emphasize CCTA's ability to detect and characterize high-risk plaques and arterial obstructions.
  • To underscore CCTA's potential in personalizing preventive strategies for cardiovascular events.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing CCTA as an initial noninvasive imaging modality.
  • Analyzing CCTA for the detection of noncalcified plaques.
  • Assessing CCTA for identifying obstructive and nonobstructive coronary artery disease.

Main Results:

  • CCTA improves risk stratification beyond traditional methods.
  • High-risk noncalcified plaques can be detected and classified using CCTA.
  • Both obstructive and nonobstructive coronary artery disease are identifiable with CCTA.

Conclusions:

  • CCTA is increasingly valuable for evaluating symptomatic individuals.
  • The technique offers personalized preventive therapy options.
  • CCTA has the potential to reduce future cardiovascular events.

Keywords:
Asymptomatic coronary artery diseaseCAD-RADSCoronary artery calcium scoreCoronary computed tomographic angiographyQuantitative plaque analysis

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