By Dr. Jeffrey L. Boone

In the United States, one person dies from cardiovascular disease every 34 seconds. In 2022 alone, heart disease and stroke caused more deaths than all forms of cancer and chronic respiratory disease combined. But most people don’t think much about the disease until it forces their hand.

Heart disease doesn’t only threaten the heart. Atherosclerosis is a systemic process, and the same plaque that narrows the coronary arteries often develops in the brain, kidneys, and other vascular beds. Studies show that vascular risk factors tied to coronary disease, such as hypertension, elevated cholesterol, and diabetes, increase the likelihood of dementia.
Early detection with imaging provides an opportunity to intervene before these downstream effects emerge. A dedicated cardiac CT scanner can detect plaque at its earliest stages, map it in detail, and guide targeted treatment without invasive procedures. For most patients, however, access is a barrier. Long waitlists, insurance preapprovals, and limited scanner availability waste valuable time while the disease silently progresses.

Delays often lead patients to older tests, such as stress tests, which can miss dangerous plaque even in high-risk individuals. Expanding access to these scanners and making them a standard part of preventive care would give more patients the chance to protect their heart and their overall health years before problems arise.

The silent progression of heart disease
Atherosclerosis is the gradual buildup of plaque inside the arteries that narrows vessels and restricts blood flow. Over time, plaque can become unstable and rupture, which causes a heart attack or stroke. Because it develops without obvious symptoms, the disease often goes undetected until an acute event.

That delay has consequences, including higher mortality, more complex interventions, longer hospital stays, and greater long-term costs to the health system. Most care pathways still rely on reactive detection, waiting for chest pain, an abnormal stress test, or an ER admission before taking action. By that point, the disease may have been progressing for decades.

Dedicated cardiac CT scanners can reveal signs of atherosclerosis years before symptoms appear, providing detailed images comparable to invasive catheterization but without the procedural risks or delays. In a single, noninvasive scan, the technology captures high-resolution images of the heart’s arteries, supports calcium scoring and CT angiography, and helps clinicians assess disease severity. For health systems, earlier detection enables timely intervention, lowers downstream costs, and helps prevent avoidable hospitalizations.

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