Wild Health Podcast 501 | Dr. James Min | How We Can Detect Heart Disease Before Symptoms Appear
Dec 17, 2025
Dr. James Min, a pioneering cardiologist and founder of Clearly, dives into the revolutionary world of coronary CT angiography. He emphasizes that plaque, not just cholesterol or stress tests, is key in identifying heart disease early. The discussion explores how imaging can lead to personalized treatment plans and better understanding of cardiovascular risks. Min also highlights the critical differences in plaque types and how certain features can predict heart attacks. This groundbreaking approach aims to eradicate heart attacks altogether by shifting the focus to early detection and effective intervention.
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Detect Disease Not Just Symptoms
- Coronary CT angiography lets clinicians detect plaque—the actual disease—before symptoms appear.
- James Min says this shifts care from symptom-driven testing to disease-focused prevention and tracking.
Plaque Type Matters More Than Calcium
- Not all plaque is equal; plaque type and burden predict risk differently.
- Low-density, fatty plaques are the strongest predictors of heart attacks, according to James Min.
Who To Consider Scanning
- Consider coronary CT angiography for proactive patients in their 40s+ or those with strong genetic risks.
- James Min describes the TRANSFORM trial testing imaging-based disease detection versus risk-factor based care.