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I have a very high calcium score. What next?
Just joined the site and I'm looking to share with others who have had a high calcium score. I found out today that mine is 2996 and I am scared by this. I am 61 and I am totally asymptomatic. Now I feel like a walking time bomb. I am thinking of requesting an angiogram to see if there's any narrowing anywhere and if it can be corrected with a stent. After a second heart doctor told me that the plaque buildup might be uniform over the course of years with no big problem areas, I am encouraged. But the score still freaks me out, specifically my LAD at 1333. I don't smoke or drink but I have to lose 40 lbs.
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I’ll look up the book where it comes from but it was written by a doc and he was absolute in his statement that what you eat has nothing to do with cholesterol. Sorry if I don’t have that at my breakfast table but I promise to send.
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1 ReactionDonna I am 54 CAC 900 asymptomatic . I had stress test with exco on treadmill. How often did you get checked for blockage and what tests . I heard nuclear stress is more accurate ? I know the cath is too invasive for an asymptomatic person . Also any words of wisdom because every time I feel a twinge I think now I am having a heart attack when before I knew I was fine . I am on several medications and good weight
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1 ReactionHi Missy,
My 2235 CAC was shortly after the stents were put in place so you are a long way from that level. I hope you are on a statin or similar cholesterol lowering drug. I couldn't tolerate statins and this was before the injectable non-statins were developed so my body was continuing to produce plaque and it was being deposited in my arteries.
It sounds like you have a good cardio. I have the nuclear stress test about once every three years. I have echocardiograms every 6 months which keeps an eye on things. For me, for a few months I experienced left arm pain while walking up hills. I thought it was because I was pinching something in my neck because of my posture. On the day that I went to the ER, I found the most minimal amount of effort was causing left arm pain that took a half hour to ease. For me, the left arm pain was not like a muscle ache -- it was totally different and I was quite aware it was cardio related. On that day I called my cardio and she sent me to the ER and the catheterization and stents were done the next day.
I wish you good health and a long life.
Donna
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2 ReactionsAnyone take Niacin? I saw a recent publication that Niacin may actually be worse for CV disease.
"How excess niacin may promote cardiovascular disease"
https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/how-excess-niacin-may-promote-cardiovascular-disease#:~:text=A%20metabolite%20of%20niacin%20(vitamin,effects%20of%20too%20much%20niacin.
I agree, my diet is pretty much pristine and I know my body produces the cholesterol. For me I have a high VLDL level and Lp(a). But my doc doesn't want me to eat eggs so I am more comfortable following her advice. I figure she knows more than I do about all of this.
Donna
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1 ReactionOkay so here's the book I read/listened to where the doctor insisted that what you eat has no relationship to the cholesterol your body produces. His name is Dr. Peter Attia: "Outlive, the science and art of longevity" He seems legit to me. Of course, he's selling stuff like his podcast, books etc. but he is a well-respected doctor with testimonials from well-known people. I have not vetted him like a seasoned journalist. See for yourself. He's all over the internet.
Got it, thanks.
Here's his Wiki - not sure it sounds favorable. Didn't complete residency? Not board certified? No fellowship training?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Attia
Thanks for sharing this. I did the initial patient study on Niacin where we got up to 3000 mg/day. It did lower LDL and raise HDL, and I was on this (at 2000) until a few years ago when word started getting out that the high Niacin intake had a negative effect. The world is still learning what works and what doesn't
My research, and what I follow, is that your environment is 75% of the risk, and genes the last 25% (I've seen numbers as high as 90/10, but I'll go with the most common numbers). Meaning, what you eat, how you exercise, sleep quality, etc., matters a great deal. And since I'm beating my family history with my lifestyle, I'm a believer.
That means near daily cardio exercise, a mostly plant based diet, no red meat, no tropical oil, no fried foods, etc. It's working for me (yes, also with drugs), so consider all the options and choose what works for you
Ok but I also know you can limit your eaten cholesterol a great deal and your body can still produce high levels. Depends who you are but I agree generally that one should avoid saturated fats and a lot of red meat but, even if you do, there's no guarantee your cholesterol levels with go down anywhere near what they will with medication IMO and that of many others. 🙂