You Can Feel Healthy and Still Be at Risk for a Heart Attack | More Life for Living Ep. 3

Heart disease remains the leading cause of death for both men and women, yet many heart attacks occur in people who never experienced warning signs.

In Episode 3 of More Life for Living, Dr. Christopher Maroules, Director of Cardiac Imaging at SimonMed, explains how heart disease develops silently over decades and why the future of preventive cardiology may depend on identifying plaque buildup long before symptoms appear.

Dr. Maroules discusses how Coronary CT Angiography (CCTA) and AI-powered plaque analysis are transforming cardiovascular risk assessment by allowing physicians to look directly inside the coronary arteries, measure plaque burden, identify high-risk plaque, and personalize prevention strategies before a heart attack occurs.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why heart attacks often appear to come “out of nowhere”
• How plaque develops silently over decades
• The difference between reactive and preventive cardiology
• Why traditional stress tests may miss early heart disease
• How CCTA allows physicians to visualize plaque directly
• The role of AI in identifying high-risk plaque
• Why heart disease presents differently in women
• When people should begin thinking about heart screening
• How plaque analysis can help guide treatment and track progress over time
• Why feeling healthy doesn’t always mean your arteries are healthy

Whether you’re focused on longevity, prevention, or simply understanding your personal risk, this episode explores how advances in cardiac imaging may help identify heart disease before it becomes a life-changing event.

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