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A heart attack often doesn’t start with a dramatic warning sign. It starts quietly, with plaque building in the coronary arteries, until one day a vulnerable plaque ruptures, a clot forms, and blood flow stops. That’s why we focus on a question that matters to anyone who wants true heart attack prevention: how do you detect dangerous coronary artery disease before symptoms show up?

We dig into the risk factors everyone knows like high cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, and family history and also the bigger reality that there are many more drivers of atherosclerosis than most people ever hear about. Then we explain what actually causes a heart attack at the artery level, and why common tools like the cardiac stress test can miss earlier disease. We also talk candidly about the limitations of stress testing for women, where false positives can turn the results into more confusion than clarity.

From there, we shift to the future of preventive cardiology: coronary CT angiogram screening paired with artificial intelligence plaque analysis. We explain how AI tools such as Clearly can differentiate stable versus unstable soft plaque, quantify total plaque burden across the coronary arteries, and report stenosis with much higher precision. We also name other platforms in this space such as HeartFlow, Elucid, and Caristo and discuss how measuring perivascular inflammation may add another layer to cardiovascular risk assessment. Finally, we share why we pair imaging with an advanced lipid panel and inflammatory biomarkers like ApoB, lipoprotein(a), and hs-CRP, plus a quick look at the Luna trial that uses AI imaging to track plaque changes over time.

If you want a clearer, more personalized view of your heart health, hit play, then subscribe, share this with someone you love, and leave a review with your biggest heart screening question.

Longevity Personalized offers Coronary CT with AI plaque analysis. Be sure your scan is interpreted by a board certified cardiologist with training in Cardiac CT scanning. Visit longevitypersonalized.com to learn more and to schedule your scan.

Age Gracefully exists to provide you with cutting edge science related to healthy aging in a relaxed, easy going, educational, conversational format.

This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional before making any changes to your health regimen or starting any new treatment. Do not disregard or delay seeking medical advice based on something you hear in this podcast. Your health is personal, and the information provided here may not be suitable for everyone. You have the power to shape your health and well-being.