The Heart of Prevention is a podcast that helps clinicians stay up to date on preventive cardiology. Hosted by Cardiovascular Disease Fellow Keerthana Pakanati, MD, each episode features leading experts discussing real-world strategies to prevent heart disease, from lifestyle changes like diet and exercise to medical treatments , including new therapies. This podcast explores emerging research, innovative technologies, and patient-centered approaches, giving listeners actionable tools for their practice. We bring in experts actively shaping the field, ensuring the latest, most practical insights. Whether you're a medical student, resident, or practicing clinician, this podcast challenges, informs, and enhances your approach to cardiovascular prevention.
Coronary artery calcium (CAC) scoring has emerged as one of the most powerful tools for refining cardiovascular risk assessment in asymptomatic individuals. A CAC score of zero is associated with extremely low event rates even among those with multiple risk factors, while elevated scores identify individuals who benefit most from preventive therapies. Yet despite robust evidence and guideline endorsement, CAC scoring remains underutilized in clinical practice. In this episode of "The Heart of Prevention," Dr. Michael Blaha and Dr. Khurram Nasir explore how CAC scoring transforms primary prevention from a population-based approach to truly personalized medicine. They discuss the "power of zero"—how the absence of coronary calcium can safely defer or avoid certain preventive therapies—and how elevated scores guide intensification of treatment, from statins to aspirin and beyond.
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