Cracking those hardened plaques in your heart arteries

The article discusses treatments for atherosclerosis, the buildup of hardened plaque in coronary arteries, which can lead to heart attacks or strokes. While soft plaques can be treated with balloons and stents, severe calcification requires specialized procedures like rotational atherectomy, high-pressure balloon angioplasty, and intravascular lithotripsy (IVL). IVL uses sonic pressure waves to crack hardened plaque, offering a breakthrough despite its limitations.