The study found that such heart attacks occurred in 50% of cases when the stent was implanted directly over a cholesterol-rich plaque, compared with 4% involving stable plaque.

WSJ: Predicting Who Will Have Heart Attacks

New catheter-based imagers aim to improve IVUS by letting doctors distinguish stable plaque, safely ensconced in scar tissue, from the inflamed plaque that is more likely to rupture and trigger a heart attack.

FORBES: Peeking at Plaque

Software would quickly calculate total plaque volume, tally the percentage of stable versus unstable plaque and spit out a "vascular age" score corresponding to heart risk.

FORBES: Peeking at Plaque