Piedmont Athens Regional introduces heart plaque analysis technology for cardiac care

Athens, Ga. (November 9, 2026) – Piedmont Athens Regional is now offering Heartflow Plaque Analysis, an advanced noninvasive technology that provides cardiologists with a more comprehensive view of plaque buildup in a patient’s coronary arteries and can help providers develop a personalized treatment plan against heart disease.

Heartflow Plaque Analysis technology uses images from a coronary CT angiography, or CCTA, to identify potentially high-risk plaque buildup within the coronary arteries and create a personalized analysis including the amount, location, and type of plaque present.

“Heartflow Plaque Analysis gives us another advanced tool to better understand a patient’s coronary artery disease and identify higher-risk plaque,” said Lindsay Griffeth, director of Cardiovascular Services at Piedmont Athens Regional. “By providing a more complete picture of a patient’s plaque burden, we can support earlier intervention and more personalized management with the goal of helping prevent future cardiac events.”

Heartflow Plaque Analysis differs from a coronary artery calcium score. A calcium score measures calcified plaque in the coronary arteries, while Plaque Analysis uses data from a CCTA to evaluate total plaque, including calcified, noncalcified and high-risk plaque. The analysis can provide physicians with additional information about the type of plaque present and whether high-risk features may warrant more aggressive treatment.

The technology can also detect higher-risk plaque that may not appear on a calcium score scan.

For patients, the additional information can provide a more complete picture of their heart disease risk and help their care team determine an appropriate treatment plan.

Heartflow is also the technology Piedmont Athens Regional uses for fractional flow reserve analysis. Offering both services gives patients in Athens and surrounding communities access to advanced cardiovascular imaging technology close to home.

“Providing this service allows us to offer patients some of the latest technology in cardiovascular imaging right here in our community,” Griffeth said. “It’s another way we are continuing to advance the cardiovascular care available to patients throughout the northeast Georgia region.”

Patients should talk with their physician to determine which cardiac imaging test is appropriate for their individual needs.