Butler Memorial Hospital Participates in Landmark DECIDE Registry for Coronary Artery Disease

New data demonstrates how Heartflow Plaque Analysis can deliver a clinically meaningful impact by helping clinicians identify the right patients for targeted interventions

BUTLER, Pa., Sept. 11, 2025 – Independence Health System’s Butler Memorial Hospital is proud to announce its participation in the DECIDE Registry, the largest prospective registry on plaque analysis in coronary artery disease (CAD), a condition in which plaque builds up in the heart’s arteries and reduces blood flow. 

Spearheaded by Heartflow Inc., the leader in AI technology for CAD, the DECIDE Registry demonstrates how Heartflow Plaque Analysis with Plaque Staging empowers physicians with clinical insights that can lead to real-world impact. 

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for adults in the United States, and CAD is the most common type, affecting nearly half of the adult population.^1,2  Traditional risk factors — such as age, family history, smoking or hypertension — help predict CAD at the population level but fall short at the individual level.^3,4 While coronary CT scans – also known as coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) – can show the presence of plaque in the heart’s arteries, traditional readings do not measure how much plaque is present or what kind it is, which can be a better predictor of heart problems.

“Participating in the DECIDE Registry has a meaningful impact on how we approach patient care,” said Rekha Pinto, MD, lead physician of the Coronary CTA Program at Butler Memorial Hospital. The Heartflow Plaque Analysis with Plaque Staging helps simplify decision-making and empowers our clinicians to identify ideal candidates for targeted interventions more efficiently. Our team is excited to be part of these innovations that are reshaping coronary care and enabling more personalized patient management.”

The primary endpoint showed that Heartflow Plaque Analysis led to a change in medical management in more than half of patients beyond CCTA alone, regardless of traditional risk factors or CCTA findings. Data were presented at the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (SCCT) 2025 Annual Scientific Meeting by Sarah Rinehart, MD, FACC, medical director of cardiovascular imaging, Charleston, West Virginia, and co-lead principal investigator of the registry.

“CCTA alone often underreports non-calcified and low-attenuation plaque, which leaves many high-risk patients incorrectly classified,” said Dr. Rinehart. “These data confirm what we’re seeing in clinical practice — Plaque Analysis provides individualized insights that go beyond what an analysis of a patient’s risk factors or CCTA alone can show.”

In addition, patients achieved a 23% average reduction in “bad” LDL cholesterol levels, which may correlate with a 15% decreased risk of cardiac events. These findings suggest Plaque Analysis can deliver a clinically meaningful impact by helping clinicians identify the right patients for targeted interventions.

In addition to quantifying total plaque burden, Heartflow’s recently introduced Plaque Staging framework is helping translate these advanced insights into simplified, actionable treatment plans. This technology enables physicians to personalize care and intervene earlier, which can change the trajectory of a patient’s coronary health.

To learn more about Independence Health System’s award-winning cardiology services, visit www.independence.health.

1 https://www.cdc.gov/heart-disease/data-research/facts-stats

2 Gulati et al., Circ 2021

3 Mueller, et al. Euro Heart J 2024. DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehae666.1657

4 Arora, et al. J Clin Lipidol 2021. DOI: 10.1016/j.jacl.2021.12.001

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Nationally recognized for quality care, Independence Health System comprises Butler Memorial, Clarion, Frick, Latrobe and Westmoreland Hospitals with a combined bed count of 925. With more than 1,000 physicians and advanced practice providers and 7,300 employees, the System is the third largest in western Pennsylvania serving a population base of 750,000 in a footprint spanning more than 10 counties. 

The System includes tertiary programs rated among America’s best for cardiac care and surgery, earning accolades from a number of prestigious outlets and organizations. Locally owned and locally controlled, Independence Health System offers its patients low-cost, high-quality care across the care spectrum in such specialties as cardiology, cardiovascular and thoracic surgery, orthopedics and sports medicine, minimally invasive and robotic surgery, women’s health and obstetrics, emergency medicine, behavioral health and primary care. Its network of outpatient centers sees more than 1.2 million visits annually. The homecare division further supports patients at all stages of life with home health and hospice services. Learn more at www.independence.health