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Should I worry about a high Calcium score

Heart & Blood Health | Last Active: Mar 22 6:50pm | Replies (44)
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@mayoconnectuser1

wagbert1,

Lots of us out there!

So, for you to have been on atorvastatin for so long, you must have had other heart issues?

And, my understanding (not a medical professional) is that statins will cause CAC scores to be higher - because the statin is doing exactly what the medical scientists want it to do - reduce LDL and calcify the softer plaques to prevent then from breaking off.

You could get your LDL lower, and your total cholesterol lower - it all might help, but your numbers are pretty good, I think.

You don't mention taking meds for hypertension - do you?

You don't mention having stress tests - you should have had a few, by now. Please post your stress test numbers if you have them.

Consider getting an advanced cholesterol test - one lab calls is "Cardio IQ" - this will provide more info on your types of cholesterol and other factors.

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Replies to "wagbert1, Lots of us out there! So, for you to have been on atorvastatin for so..."
wagbert1 | @wagbert1 | Mar 15 9:23am

Thank you for responding. It’s very much appreciated. So here is my back story. I’m an Engineer so I read and think in terms of preventative rather than reactive. I have never really had heart problems. In 2017 started having palpitations and just overall felt sensations, had a holter 48 hr holter, no problems, echo Cardiogram, no big issues, normal thickening but nothing of concern, regular stress test every year for past 5 years, no issues, echocardiogram 2 weeks ago before my calcium test, just because it was my 5 year echo, no significant difference from baseline. I am on blood pressure medication and it’s controlled (115-125 / 70-80) most days. So really no past significant heart issues. Just a history of high cholesterol that’s been under control for 20 years. I did the CT calcium simply as preventative thinking it would be fine, boy was I shocked. So the doc has ordered a nuclear stress test (hope that will be able to detect blockages) and we’ll go from there, the part bothering me the most is I feel like with this new information/high CAC that I could drop dead before the nuclear stress test, a timebomb so to speak. Can anyone reassure me that’s no exactly the case? PCP upped my Lipitor to 80 mg from 40, that’s it so far, anyone been put on blood thinners as preventative? Any thoughts on any of this would be appreciated.

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