CT-Based Plaque Norms: Rethinking Risk in Healthy Adults | JACC Baran

Hosts Mitsuaki Sawano, MD, Kentaro Ejiri, MD, and Satoshi Shoji, MD welcome Dr. Keishi Ichikawa, MD (Lundquist Institute at Harbor–UCLA) to discuss his JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging study from the Miami Heart Study, defining the population norms of coronary plaque using AI-based coronary CT angiography. In 2,301 asymptomatic adults, AI detected plaque in nearly 9 out of 10 individuals —providing age- and sex-specific nomograms for calcified and noncalcified plaque. The episode explores how these data move beyond calcium scoring, reveal “hidden” plaque burden, and lay the groundwork for future preventive strategies and risk stratification in truly asymptomatic populations.