What’s Inside Your Coronary Arteries? with Anita Vadria, MS, PA-C (Episode 182)

Menopause and age raise our cardiovascular disease risk. Athletes and highly active people also tend to have a higher prevalence of coronary artery calcium and atherosclerotic plaque (though it tends to be the benign kind). But what does that all mean? How can we know what’s really going on in those coronary arteries of ours? To find out, host Selene Yeager had a Cleerly-enabled coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA), which uses AI-enabled software to help characterize coronary plaque composition and cardiovascular disease risk. This week, she sat down with Anita Vadria, MS, PA-C, who is the Director of Medical Science Liaisons and Clinical Education at Cleerly to go over her results, talk about plaque and heart disease risk, and how technology is helping advance our understanding of our personal risk.  Anita Vadria, MS, PA-C, is the Director of Medical Science Liaisons and Clinical Education at Cleerly. She is a Board Certified Physician Assistant with a focus in Cardiology. She received her undergraduate degree in Molecular and Cell Biology and received her Masters in Physician Assistant Studies from Western University of Health Sciences in Los Angeles, CA.ResourcesImpact of atherosclerosis imaging-quantitative computed tomography on diagnostic certainty, downstream testing, coronary revascularization, and medical therapy: the CERTAIN study, hereAtherosclerosis Imaging Quantitative Computed Tomography (AI‐QCT) to guide referral to invasive coronary angiography in the randomized controlled CONSERVE trial, hereCoronary Artery Calcification Among Endurance Athletes “Hearts of Stone”, herePhysical Activity and Progression of Coronary Artery Calcification in Men and Women, hereMost heart attack patients' cholesterol levels did not indicate cardiac risk, here Lipid levels in patients hospitalized with coronary artery disease: an analysis of 136,905 hospitalizations in Get With The Guidelines, here2010 ACCF/AHA Guideline for Assessment of Cardiovascular Risk in Asymptomatic AdultsA Report of the American College of Cardiology Foundation/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines, hereHeart attacks with no obvious risk factors on the rise, hereJoin us at Feisty Fest September 18-20, 2026: https://feisty.co/events/feisty-fest/Join the Feisty Strong STRONG Club: https://feisty.co/training/strong-club/ and use code:  HITPLAY15 to save 15%Sign up for our FREE Feisty 40+ newsletter: https://feisty.co/feisty-40/Learn More about our 2026 Feisty Events, including Bike Camps and Cycling Trips: https://feisty.co/events/Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopauseHit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099Support our Partners:Midi Health: You Deserve to Feel Great. Book your virtual visit today at https://www.joinmidi.com/Previnex: Get 20% off your order with code FEISTYBRAIN at https://www.previnex.com/ Wahoo: Use the code FEISTY2026 to get a free Headwind Smart Fan (value $300) with the purchase of a Wahoo KICKR RUN at https://shorturl.at/WVhdr