Cleerly AI Coronary CT: Seeing Soft Plaque a Calcium Score Misses

Coronary artery disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States — yet a great deal of it goes undetected until a heart attack. Part of the reason is that the most familiar screening test, the calcium score, only sees one kind of plaque. Cleerly AI coronary CT is designed to see the rest.

The Problem With Looking at Calcium Alone

A traditional coronary calcium score (CAC) is a fast, low-dose CT that counts calcified plaque in your arteries. It is a genuinely useful risk marker. But calcium is essentially old, stabilized plaque. The plaque most likely to rupture and cause a heart attack is often soft, non-calcified plaque — and a calcium score does not measure it. That is why some people with a low or even zero calcium score can still have meaningful disease.

CCTA: Imaging the Artery Wall, Not Just the Calcium

Coronary CT angiography (CCTA) uses IV contrast to image the inside of the coronary arteries and the artery wall itself. Instead of only counting calcium, CCTA can show the lumen (the channel blood flows through), areas of narrowing, and the composition of plaque in the wall — including the soft plaque a calcium score misses. Learn more about our coronary CT angiography with AI analysis.

What Cleerly AI Adds

Cleerly is FDA-cleared AI software that analyzes the CCTA images and produces an automated, quantitative plaque assessment. It can:

• Quantify total plaque and break it down by type (calcified vs. non-calcified/soft)
• Grade the degree of narrowing (stenosis) in each segment
• Provide a structured, consistent report your physician can act on

It offers this detailed, vessel-by-vessel analysis non-invasively — without the catheter required by traditional invasive angiography. A radiologist (and where appropriate, a cardiologist) reviews the study with the AI output.

Who Should Consider It

Cleerly-enhanced coronary CT may be appropriate if you have:

• Intermediate cardiac risk and want a clearer picture than risk calculators alone provide
• A family history of early heart disease
• High LDL cholesterol despite a normal or low calcium score
• Symptoms such as atypical chest pain or unexplained shortness of breath (evaluate urgent symptoms with your doctor or emergency care)

It is not a substitute for emergency evaluation of an active heart attack. Discuss whether this test fits your situation with your physician.

What to Expect

The scan itself takes only about 15 minutes. To slow and steady your heart rate for the sharpest images, you may be given a beta-blocker beforehand. IV contrast is used so the arteries light up clearly. Our team screens you for contrast and medication considerations before the exam.

At AMI

AMI performs the coronary CTA and applies the Cleerly AI analysis, with interpretation by our cardiovascular radiologist. Your physician receives both the images and the structured plaque report to guide prevention or treatment decisions.

Self-Pay — No Referral Needed

Self-pay patients do not need a referral; our medical director reviews each request. Because pricing depends on the specific protocol, please call (727) 398-5999 for self-pay pricing.

Schedule Your Coronary CT

Learn more about Coronary CT Angiography with AI, then schedule online or call (727) 398-5999. To compare with the simpler calcium test, see our post on cardiac calcium scoring.