Living with high calcium score

Posted by pop77 @pop77, Oct 10, 2023

I am a 53 year old male. Just found out I have a CAC of 731. Most of it (699) is in the right coronary. I exercise 5 times a week , used to eat eggs every day (15-20 per week), cottage cheese and yogurt. Upon hearing this news, stopped eating eggs right away. Just trying to figure out what else to adjust. I don't have BP and am at a healthy weight of around 160 lbs for 5'8".
Doctor still has to reach out to me and I think most likely I will be put on Statins. I have high LDL and Apo(b), but triglycerides are under control.
The question I have is, how else should I adjust the lifestyle. I don't drink or smoke or eat meat. Should I reduce how hard I work out? I used to take my HR to 165 and whenever I did it I used to get a heartburn. I was thinking that the workout has triggered acid reflux but looks like something else is going on.
For those with high CAC , how hard do you work out? Should I stop hiking and running? Looking for some insights.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Heart & Blood Health Support Group.

mayoconnectuser1 | @mayoconnectuser1 | Apr 21 9:34am

In reply to @leeds "I totally agree. I’m a 54 F. Looking back, I wish I would’ve been more educated..." + (show)

@leeds

I totally agree. I’m a 54 F. Looking back, I wish I would’ve been more educated about my cholesterol. For the past 10-20 years my #s were high. I have a family history of heart disease and my cholesterol is now 240. In the past it was always 198-220. My primary dr said “don’t worry just watch certain things you eat, your active, not overweight etc & she also said my other #s balanced it all out. Gosh, I should’ve pushed more and went to see a cardiologist back then. So disappointed in not advocating nor taking it more serious at the time.

I recently had a ct calcium scan (recommended from my husband pcp as he said we’re getting older and it’s probably a good idea to look into the test) which came back high 444. I had my cholesterol checked immediately and that was elevated as well. I then went to a cardiologist and she started me in 40 mg Atorvastatin & did another lipid 3 months later. At that time all my #s went down but my ldl was still above 70 (80) so I was put on another 40mg. (My cardiologist wants it 70 or less) Currently I’m now on 80mg of Atorvastatin/aspirin daily. I wasn’t expecting that at all and was honestly scared about the whole situation. I asked to see if I could stay in the 40mg and watch everything I ate but she felt with my family history and knowing now it’s hereditary I should do the 80 mg. I asked for further testing but was told because I’m asymptomatic it’s not necessary. I told my cardiologist that I do have a pain on my left side that comes & goes but that was coughed up to muscular so idk. I considered myself somewhat active, I don’t eat red meats nor a lot of dairy. So all in all I’m just asking myself the same thing…..if I would’ve been put on meds 15-20, years ago especially with my family history (father heart disease, stents open heart surgery etc, along with a few of his brothers and both paternal grandparents dying from heart related issues & my mother and older sister have high cholesterol & bp with meds) could that have prevented the calcium buildup? I should’ve been more concerned way back then but I’ve just followed what my PCP Drs advice and she didn’t seem overly concerned.

Ugh…so frustrating that this is something I can’t control. I’ve never been on any meds like this so now I have daily statin/aspirin for preventative purposes. It’s hard to hear “heart disease” and it’s very scary.

I’m reaching out to get a second an opinion about my care moving forward. I have so many more questions that need answers and my first cardiologist seemed to just brush off what I’m dealing with. I need more guidance instead of being told don’t eat meat dairy (which I don’t) keep active (which I do) so at this point just getting another Drs perspective on my situation just to ease my mind.

Jump to this post

leeds,

Your numbers sound like many on this site. You knew you had high cholesterol, but didn't do anything about it until you got a high CAC score - also pretty common.

You don't mention - good idea to get these done?
- stress test
- PAD test
- advanced lipids test

leeds | @leeds | Apr 21 9:59am

In reply to @mayoconnectuser1 "leeds, Your numbers sound like many on this site. You knew you had high cholesterol, but..." + (show)

Thanks for your response. I followed my PCP suggestions all these years and now looking back, I should’ve pushed more for further testing etc. especially with my family history. When I look back in my medical records and it said HIGH on everything. I was always told “you’re young, active, not overweight etc” so no need to be concerned at this point and that went on for over a decade.

I did ask my current cardiologist about additional testing, and was told “not necessary at this point because I’m not showing any symptoms”. In my gut, I feel I need additional testing. I’m in the process of getting another opinion . I’ll see what happens & update.

mayoconnectuser1 | @mayoconnectuser1 | Apr 21 12:23pm

Easy first thing that you can do yourself is get an advanced lipid test - one company’s name is CardioIQ - I think really inexpensive. https://www.questdiagnostics.com/healthcare-professionals/about-our-tests/cardiovascular/cardio-iq-report

Review the results and be prepared to make your case.

It’s surprising you haven’t had a stress test - even a basic one would be helpful in understanding. A stress test with echo would be an even better thing to get - standard stuff but you need to push - perhaps even drop back to your PCP instead of the cardiologist.

writer418 | @writer418 | Apr 22 6:27am

In reply to @leeds "I totally agree. I’m a 54 F. Looking back, I wish I would’ve been more educated..." + (show)

@leeds

Jump to this post

I’ve said this before on this thread so here’s the short version. To get my LDL down (it was around 80), my cardiologist put me on an injectable….first Praluent and now Repatha plus a 10 mg dose of Lipitor generic. In six months, my LDL was 5 mg! It was said to be too low so I cut the Lipitor to 5 mg and now it’s 25. If you want to get the LDL down, investigate injectable’s. They work! You take a very easy shot twice a month, self administered. It’s a piece of cake. The medication is costly if your insurance does not pay but Repatha has a $5 co-pay program which is pretty sweet.

newhere18 | @newhere18 | May 2 7:42am

In reply to @writer418 "I’ve said this before on this thread so here’s the short version. To get my LDL..." + (show)

May I ask if you had any side effects with the Repatha...or any with statin that changed with Repatha? Just concerned about any possible new side effects. Thanks

agb | @agb | May 3 8:29am

In reply to @newhere18 "May I ask if you had any side effects with the Repatha...or any with statin that..." + (show)

I've been on a statin since forever and since last October, added Repatha. Zero side effects other than seeing my LDL drop from 109 down to 27

lp77 | @lp77 | May 18 8:42am

My husband had a calcium score of 846 . We were shocked . He is 65 , not overweight , nonsmoker . He has been on a statin for 20 years before learning of his high calcium score .
Saw cardiologist , put on higher statin and zetia , baby aspirin , following Mediterranean diet , cardio 150 min per week .
He passed stress test and had a normal EKG .
Dr said he doesn’t need angiogram now because he passed the stress test and EKG .
I feel like it’s Russian roulette .
Any advice ?
Can you live a normal life with a high calcium score ?
)

keithl56 | @keithl56 | May 19 7:42am

In reply to @lp77 "My husband had a calcium score of 846 . We were shocked . He is 65..." + (show)

Yes! I found out I had a CAC of 1100 when I was 61, six years later it is 1300. As long as your husband is asymptomatic there is nothing more to do than what you are doing right now. It is stressful at first, but you learn to live with it. Enjoy life and work on that bucket list.

lp77 | @lp77 | May 19 8:03am

In reply to @keithl56 "Yes! I found out I had a CAC of 1100 when I was 61, six years..." + (show)

Thank you .
It has been very concerning.to us .
Are you on a statin ?

ativ1207 | @ativ1207 | May 19 8:41am

In reply to @lp77 "My husband had a calcium score of 846 . We were shocked . He is 65..." + (show)

For 6 yrs my cardiologist ordered a stress test every year that always showed everything was fine. They would not give me a catherization because the stress test always said everything is normal. Went back and saw another doctor in the group after yet another stress test. He looked at the results and said what are you doing here, everything is fine. Told him over the past 6 years I was dizzy and had passed out in shower in gym several times after a workout. That is the reason why so many stress tests, that always showed everything was fine. He ordered a calcium score test and when I went back for results he told me this test probably saved my life. My score was 960 and because it was high he was able to order a catherization for the next day.. results were that my left aortic was 87 % blocked and the inserted 2 stents. The doctor said it is called the “Widow Maker”. I was a walking time bomb for all the years the stress test said everything was fine !!

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