Why Half of Heart Attacks Come Without Warning and How AI-Powered Cardiac Imaging Can Spot the Dangerous Plaque Your CAC Score Misses

Do you know what the first symptom is for 50% of cardiovascular disease patients? A heart attack or sudden cardiac death. That’s the terrifying reality of a disease that can progress silently for decades before making its presence known. But what if we could identify the danger long before symptoms appear? In today’s episode with diagnostic radiologist extraordinaire Dr James Thompson, we explore the cutting edge of preventative cardiology, from revolutionary diagnostic technologies and advanced cardiac imaging to the rapidly evolving power of AI to detect hidden risks, personalize interventions and potentially save lives.

About Dr. James J. Thompson

James J. Thompson, D.O., is a diagnostic radiologist and physicist specializing in advanced cardiovascular imaging, including cardiac CT and cardiovascular MRI. With more than 20 years of experience in cardiovascular imaging, his work combines clinical medicine, imaging physics, and emerging technologies in artificial intelligence. Dr. Thompson has extensive experience developing advanced cardiovascular imaging programs, including launching cardiac CT and cardiovascular MRI services, developing imaging protocols, and educating physicians and clinical teams. His clinical interests include coronary CT angiography, cardiovascular MRI, adult congenital heart disease, preventative cardiovascular imaging and quantitative imaging. His academic and research interests focus on the integration of artificial intelligence and advanced imaging technologies into cardiovascular care, with particular emphasis on earlier disease detection, improved diagnostic capabilities and the development of clinically meaningful imaging technologies.

Contact:

• Website – https://drjamesthomps.com

Join us as we explore:

• Why preventative cardiac care is the most important proactive health step you can take right now.
• No, your “good” CAC score does not put your in the clear for cardiovascular event risk but AI is here to give us exact visuals and measurements of the most dangerous arterial plaque at the vessel level.
• From soft to non-calcified to vulnerable to high risk plaque – why you need to understand and measure this.
• Why you have to know your VAT.
• Why a negative CTA test gives you a predictive value of nearly 100% and why Dr Thompson does not believe in doing imaging just for imaging sake.
• Why AI is NOT actually going to make radiologists extinct, but actually enhance their skills in disease identification and prevention.

Mentions

• Research – Williams M, Wereski R, Tuck C et al. Coronary CT angiography-guided management of patients with stable chest pain: 10-year outcomes from the SCOT-HEART randomised controlled trial in Scotland, The Lancet, 405, 329-337
• Research – NICE guidelines, https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance