Coronary atherosclerosis develops gradually, often over many years. It can be present before a person develops significant symptoms.
Coronary CT angiography can look directly at the arteries that supply blood to the heart. It can detect atherosclerotic plaque, even when the plaque does not yet cause significant narrowing of the artery.
Why is knowing this important?
Finding coronary plaque shows that coronary atherosclerosis is already present. This gives doctors additional information when assessing cardiovascular risk and deciding how prevention should be managed.
Depending on the individual patient, this may lead to closer attention to cholesterol, blood pressure, smoking, diabetes and other factors that increase cardiovascular risk. It may also influence decisions about preventive treatment.
A major long-term clinical study published in 2025 showed why detecting coronary atherosclerosis can matter.
The study followed more than 4 100 people with stable chest pain for 10 years. People whose assessment included coronary CT angiography had fewer non-fatal myocardial infarctions and deaths from coronary heart disease.
The study, known as SCOT-HEART, does not mean that the CT examination itself prevents a heart attack. Its value is in the information it provides. Detecting coronary atherosclerosis can help doctors identify coronary disease and guide more targeted cardiovascular prevention.
