The findings, presented during a Hot Line session at ESC Congress 2026, also revealed a striking difference in how consistently patients took their medication. Those advised to use statins based on calcium buildup in their coronary arteries were substantially more likely to follow their treatment recommendations.

Although the results suggest that heart scans could help doctors make more targeted treatment decisions, the trial did not establish that the scan approach was as effective as conventional risk assessment. Researchers say additional studies are needed to determine whether it offers a better strategy for preventing cardiovascular disease.

Why Predicting Heart Disease Risk Remains a Challenge

Cardiovascular disease remains the world’s leading cause of illness and death. Much of this burden comes from atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), which develops when fatty deposits known as plaque accumulate inside arteries, restricting blood flow and increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Coronary artery disease and ischemic stroke are two major forms of this condition.

Several common factors increase the likelihood of developing ASCVD, including smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure, and elevated cholesterol. Doctors use these factors to estimate a person’s cardiovascular risk and determine whether preventive medications are appropriate.

Statins are among the most widely used treatments for lowering that risk. These medications reduce cholesterol levels, particularly low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, often called LDL or bad cholesterol. They also help lower the likelihood of serious cardiovascular complications.

However, identifying which patients stand to benefit from statins remains a significant challenge. Some people who eventually experience a heart attack do not appear to be at particularly high risk under conventional screening methods.

“For far too many patients, the first symptom of ASCVD is a heart attack,” said Doctor Joseph B Muhlestein from the Intermountain Medical Center, Murray, USA, the Principal Investigator of the CorCal Outcomes trial. “Statins have been shown to be highly effective in the prevention of ASCVD; however, there is a major gap in risk assessment, statin initiation, and statin persistence.”

According to Muhlestein, many people who suffer their first heart attack, particularly younger adults, would not previously have been classified as having enough cardiovascular risk to justify statin treatment. This limitation has prompted researchers to investigate whether directly examining the arteries might provide more useful information.

Can Heart Calcium Scans Improve Statin Decisions?

The CorCal Outcomes trial investigated two different approaches for determining which patients should be advised to begin statin therapy before experiencing a cardiovascular event.

The first relied on the pooled cohort equations (PCE), a commonly used risk assessment tool that estimates cardiovascular risk using traditional factors such as age, cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and smoking status.

The second approach measured coronary artery calcium (CAC), which provides a more direct indication of plaque buildup in the arteries supplying the heart.

This measurement uses a computed tomography (CT) scan to detect calcium deposits in the coronary arteries. Calcium can accumulate within atherosclerotic plaque, making it a useful marker of underlying coronary artery disease, even in people who have not developed symptoms.

Unlike traditional risk calculators, which estimate the likelihood of future cardiovascular problems based on personal characteristics and health measurements, calcium scans provide evidence of disease already present in the coronary arteries.

Researchers wanted to determine whether using this information to guide statin recommendations could improve cardiovascular outcomes.

Nearly 5,800 Patients Put Both Methods to the Test

The trial enrolled 5,772 patients from the Canyons and Desert regions of Intermountain Health Care in the United States. Participants had no known history of ASCVD or diabetes and had not previously received statin therapy.

Their average age was 64, and women accounted for 51% of the study population.

Eligible participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to one of two groups. One group received statin treatment guidance based on traditional cardiovascular risk scores, while the other received recommendations based on coronary calcium scan results.

Both patients and their physicians were informed of the treatment recommendations generated by the study protocol. However, the final decision about whether to start taking statins remained with the patients and their doctors.

The researchers then tracked major cardiovascular events (MACE; all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction, stroke, and arterial revascularization).

This combined outcome included death from any cause, heart attacks, strokes, and procedures to restore blood flow through narrowed or blocked arteries.

Heart Scans Led to Far Fewer Statin Recommendations

After an average follow-up of 4.2 years, researchers found that major cardiovascular events occurred at exactly the same observed rate in both groups.

A total of 2.7% of patients in each group experienced one of the events included in the study’s primary outcome. The estimated relative risk over time was also nearly identical (hazard ratio 0.99; 95% confidence interval 0.71 to 1.38; p=0.045 for noninferiority).

However, this similarity did not establish that the two strategies were equally effective. The study failed to meet its predetermined statistical requirement for demonstrating that the calcium scan approach was not meaningfully worse than conventional risk assessment.

A notable difference emerged in how frequently patients were advised to begin taking statins.

Participants evaluated using traditional risk scores received recommendations to start statin therapy more than three times as often as those whose decisions were guided by coronary calcium measurements.

Despite this substantial difference in treatment recommendations, both groups experienced the same observed rate of major cardiovascular events during the follow-up period.

A Surprising Difference in Statin Adherence

Perhaps the most intriguing finding involved whether patients actually followed their prescribed treatment.

Among those advised to take statins, patients whose recommendations were based on calcium scans were much more likely to adhere to their medication regimen than those assessed using traditional cardiovascular risk factors.

The difference was substantial (62% vs. 23%).

In other words, patients recommended statins based on visible evidence of calcium buildup in their arteries were approximately 2.7 times as likely to follow their medication regimen.

One possible explanation is that seeing evidence of disease in their own arteries makes patients more motivated to take preventive medication. However, the trial did not establish why adherence differed so dramatically between the groups.

The findings raise the possibility that coronary calcium scans could influence not only which patients receive statin recommendations, but also whether those patients consistently take the medications.

What the Findings Mean for Heart Disease Prevention

Despite these potentially important differences, the researchers emphasized that the study could not establish whether calcium scan-guided treatment provides cardiovascular protection comparable to traditional risk assessment.

One important limitation was that fewer participants experienced major cardiovascular events than the investigators had anticipated. With fewer events to analyze, the trial had less statistical power to determine whether a meaningful difference existed between the two approaches.

“The power of the study to detect a difference was reduced by the lower-than-expected event rates and we did not demonstrate noninferiority between the groups,” said Doctor Muhlestein, who concluded: “The study did provide important hypothesis-generating insights into the efficiency of statin initiation and adherence when decisions are based on CAC scoring. Taken together, our data could be used to plan an additional well-powered randomized trial comparing CAC with current risk factor-based algorithms.”

The findings may help researchers design future trials capable of determining whether coronary calcium scans can improve the efficiency of statin prescribing without compromising cardiovascular protection.

Current European recommendations already recognize a potential role for these measurements. The 2025 Focused Update of the 2019 ESC/EAS Guidelines for the management of dyslipidemias recommends considering increased coronary calcium scores, when available, as an additional factor in cardiovascular risk assessment.

This guidance applies particularly to people at moderate cardiovascular risk or those whose estimated risk falls near the threshold at which preventive medication would normally be recommended.

For these individuals, evidence of calcium buildup may help doctors make more informed decisions when the need for statin therapy is uncertain.

The CorCal Outcomes findings add to the discussion by suggesting that heart scans may also influence how faithfully patients follow treatment. Whether that advantage translates into better long-term cardiovascular outcomes remains an important question for future research.

Three meteor showers offer multiple opportunities to catch shooting stars, including occasional fireballs bright enough to stand out dramatically against the night sky. Meanwhile, two of the solar system’s most recognizable planets will appear unusually close together just before sunrise.

As if that weren’t enough, humanity’s most distant spacecraft is reaching a point where radio signals from Earth take an entire day to arrive.

Here’s what NASA recommends watching for in November.

November 2026 Skywatching Highlights

• Around November 5: The Southern Taurid meteor shower reaches its peak, with the possibility of exceptionally bright fireballs.
• Around November 12: The Northern Taurids peak, producing approximately five meteors per hour under ideal viewing conditions.
• November 15 and 16: Mars and Jupiter appear just 1.2 degrees apart in the southeastern sky before sunrise.
• November 17: NASA celebrates Voyager 1’s historic distance milestone with its Shine Bright for Voyager’s Light-Day activation.
• November 17 and 18: The Leonid meteor shower offers its best viewing opportunities before dawn, after the Moon sets, with potentially 15 meteors per hour under ideal conditions.
• November 24: A full supermoon illuminates the evening sky, beginning a sequence of three consecutive supermoons.

Three Meteor Showers Could Light Up November’s Sky

November gives skywatchers several chances to see meteors flash across the darkness. The first opportunities come from the Southern and Northern Taurids, two related meteor showers that reach their highest activity levels about a week apart.

The Southern Taurids peak around November 5, followed by the Northern Taurids around November 12. Both showers get their names from the constellation Taurus, where their meteors appear to originate when viewed from Earth.

Neither shower is especially prolific. Even under excellent conditions, each typically produces only about five meteors per hour. However, the Taurids are known for occasionally producing impressive fireballs, exceptionally bright meteors that can make even a relatively quiet night of skywatching memorable.

The Leonids provide another opportunity later in the month. Their best viewing periods are expected during the early morning hours of November 17 and 18, particularly after the Moon has disappeared below the horizon. Under ideal conditions, observers could see approximately 15 meteors per hour, although actual counts will generally be lower.

For the best chance of spotting meteors, travel somewhere away from bright city lights. Allow your eyes roughly 30 minutes to become accustomed to the darkness, then watch a broad section of the sky rather than concentrating on one small area.

Mars and Jupiter Appear Almost Side by Side

Meteor showers aren’t the only reason to get outside before dawn. On November 15 and 16, Mars and Jupiter will create an eye-catching pairing in the southeastern sky.

The two planets will appear separated by only about 1.2 degrees, slightly more than the apparent width of two full Moons placed next to each other.

Jupiter will be the brighter of the two, making it relatively easy to identify. Nearby, Mars will stand out with its characteristic reddish appearance.

No telescope or binoculars will be necessary to enjoy the sight. Both planets should be readily visible to the unaided eye under suitable viewing conditions.

Although they will appear remarkably close from Earth’s perspective, Mars and Jupiter remain separated by enormous distances in space. Their apparent proximity is simply a result of their positions along our line of sight.

Watching the planets over several consecutive mornings will reveal another interesting feature of their motion. They will gradually appear to move closer together before their positions shift and they begin separating again.

Voyager 1 Reaches an Extraordinary Deep Space Milestone

While November offers plenty to observe in Earth’s skies, something equally remarkable is happening far beyond the planets.

NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft is reaching a historic distance of one light-day from Earth, becoming the first human-made object ever to travel that far from our planet.

A light-day is the distance light travels through space in 24 hours. Because radio signals move at the speed of light, a message transmitted from Earth will require an entire day to reach Voyager 1 at that distance.

If the spacecraft sends a response immediately, the return signal will take another 24 hours to arrive. That means even the fastest possible round-trip communication will require approximately 48 hours.

The milestone illustrates just how far Voyager 1 has traveled since leaving Earth and how challenging it has become to communicate with a spacecraft exploring such distant regions of space.

To get a sense of the spacecraft’s current direction, look toward the constellation Ophiuchus, also known as the Serpent Bearer. Voyager 1 is traveling through space in that general direction, far beyond anything visible to the unaided eye.

NASA is marking the achievement on November 17 with its Shine Bright for Voyager’s Light-Day activation, inviting people to celebrate this extraordinary accomplishment in space exploration.

November’s Supermoon Begins a Three-Month Celestial Show

The final major skywatching highlight arrives on November 24, when a full supermoon will rise into the evening sky.

A supermoon occurs when a full Moon coincides with a period when the Moon is relatively close to Earth in its orbit. Because the Moon follows a slightly elliptical path rather than a perfect circle, its distance from our planet changes throughout the month.

When a full Moon occurs near the closer portion of that orbit, it can appear somewhat larger and brighter than an average full Moon. Although the difference is real, it is often subtle enough that casual observers may not immediately notice it.

November’s event is particularly noteworthy because it begins a sequence of three consecutive supermoons. Another will follow in December, with a third arriving in January.

For an especially memorable view, NASA recommends looking toward the eastern horizon around sunset on November 24, when the full Moon will be rising.

The Moon may seem unusually enormous when it first appears near the horizon. However, much of that dramatic impression comes from a familiar visual phenomenon called the Moon illusion.

This optical effect makes the Moon appear larger when it is close to the horizon than when it is high overhead, even though its actual apparent size changes very little. The illusion can occur during any full Moon, not just a supermoon.

With three meteor showers, a close planetary pairing, a historic Voyager 1 milestone, and the beginning of a supermoon series, November offers plenty of reasons to look up and explore the night sky.

Launched in 2004, Swift was a pioneering space observatory equipped with three telescopes designed to study some of the most powerful explosions in the universe. Its instruments could detect different types of light, allowing scientists to investigate energetic cosmic events that would be difficult to understand using a single telescope.

NASA’s Swift Observatory Re-Enters Earth’s Atmosphere

The U.S. Space Force confirmed that Swift entered the atmosphere at 7:39 a.m. EST on Wednesday above North Sumatra, Indonesia. The reported location was approximately 3.4 degrees north latitude and 98.6 degrees east longitude.

NASA anticipated that most of the spacecraft would burn up as it plunged through the atmosphere. However, officials acknowledged that some components might have survived the intense heat of re-entry.

A Two-Year NASA Mission That Lasted Nearly 22 Years

Swift was originally developed to investigate gamma-ray bursts, extraordinarily powerful flashes of high-energy radiation associated with some of the most extreme events in the cosmos. These bursts can occur when massive stars collapse or when certain compact objects, such as neutron stars, merge.

Although NASA initially planned for Swift to operate for just two years, the observatory continued making scientific contributions for more than two decades.

One of its most important capabilities was its ability to respond quickly to sudden cosmic events. When Swift detected an energetic outburst, it could rapidly redirect its telescopes toward the source and notify observatories around the world. This coordinated approach allowed astronomers to study brief astronomical phenomena before they faded from view.

Swift also observed multiple wavelengths of light, giving researchers different ways to examine the same event and better understand the physical processes behind it.

From Black Holes to Exploding Stars

Over its remarkably long lifetime, Swift’s scientific contributions expanded far beyond its original focus on gamma-ray bursts.

The observatory helped astronomers investigate active galaxies powered by supermassive black holes, stars that produce powerful X-ray flares, and supernovae, the enormous explosions that mark the deaths of certain stars.

Its observations also extended much closer to home, including studies of comets and asteroids within our own solar system.

By combining rapid observations with the ability to detect different forms of radiation, Swift became a valuable tool for exploring both distant cosmic explosions and nearby objects. Its re-entry marks the end of a mission that greatly exceeded its planned lifespan and helped transform scientists’ understanding of some of the universe’s most energetic phenomena.