Artificial-intelligence-assisted CCTA quantifies sex differences in coronary atherosclerotic burden at low atheroma volumes.

BACKGROUND

Coronary artery disease (CAD) manifests differently between sexes, with data suggesting females develop more non-calcified plaques that traditional calcium-centric tools may not detect.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 100 individuals with low total atheroma volume (TAV) < 250 mm using artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) to assess sex-based differences in coronary plaque composition. Plaque subtypes included calcified, non-calcified, and low-density non-calcified atheroma volumes.

RESULTS

Females had significantly lower total (p = 0.018) and non-calcified plaque (p < 0.001) burden compared to males. Calcified (p = 0.52) and low-density non-calcified (p = 0.16) plaque volumes did not differ significantly. Age was a consistent predictor of plaque volume across most subtypes.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite low overall plaque burden, males demonstrated a higher non-calcified plaque burden than females. This finding contrasts with previous literature and underscores the potential of AI-enabled CCTA to detect subclinical coronary disease, particularly in low-risk cohorts. These results support the use of comprehensive plaque profiling in both sexes to improve early risk stratification.