High calcium score: I'm in shock

lp77,

Not sure "cholesterol numbers are good" tells the story effectively.

What are the lipid numbers? Even better, what are the numbers from an advanced lipids test?

LDL 78 HDL 98 Triglycerides 51
CRP 06

Those are not just good, they are very good. LDL could be lowered a bit more.

HDL is pretty high, but I don't know much about that, however, lots written on it - this from a Cleveland Clinic link: (https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/24395-hdl-cholesterol )

"What does it mean if I have high HDL?
An elevated, or abnormally high, HDL level is anything above 80 mg/dL.
One thing that can make your HDL cholesterol high is a genetic mutation. Some mutations to your genes can cause your body to produce too much HDL cholesterol or have trouble getting rid of it. For example, a mutation to the CETP gene can cause your HDL to be higher than 150 mg/dL.
Other causes of abnormally high HDL can include:
Hyperthyroidism.
Primary biliary cholangitis.
Alcohol use disorder.
Certain medications.
Your healthcare provider will investigate the cause of your elevated HDL and tell you if you need treatment."

Hi There.

Regardless of your calcium score if a person does a treadmill stress test ( Bruce protocol ) and hits the highest level with very strong recovery. Too me it makes sense that there is very lots of blood flow to the heart allowing for a fast recovery,

Does this make sense to everybody ? It seems to me if there was a lot of blockage it would be difficult to do well on this test.

My sense (not med prof) is that a great stress test score might hide underlying blockages based on superior physical condition ... or even arterial remodeling.

A stress test with echo is probably a better indicator of condition, combing the stress test with before and after heart ultrasound. Next test would be nuclear stress test.

I agree with the other commenter who said to go for advanced lipid test. I thought all my lipid scores were good but had some kind of fractional lipid test that showed about 15-20 different numbers. For example: It showed the lipoprotein (a) and Apo (b) numbers that I had never seen before. It also showed the breakdown of the LDL particles into small, medium and large particles. Those are important numbers that you and your doctor need to know. If your regular GP won't do these tests then you can probably can order them through a blood testing facility like Quest. I went to a functional doctor for mine. Do you have a cardiologist by the way? If not, I would definitely find one.

The calcified plaque is not the problem…the stuff they cannot see on the CT scan is. Keep up the healthy lifestyle and enjoy life. My CAC was nearly 1000 at age 57. I did the same, good diet, exercise but I have high Lp(a) - worse than LDL. I am still percolating at 62, but at a much slower pace. Get your Lp(a) checked and keep up the healthy lifestyle. Life is good.

I am 76 with a 3600.
Wonder what it was at 50. No symptoms. Workout regularly. Eat well. Had chemo and radiation 12 years ago. My research shows that if you do not have symptoms you do not need to know whether you are 50%. Also, and more importantly, my research shows that if you have over 70% in the angiography and a stent is placed, it does not protect you from a heart attack anyway because soft plaque can come from anywhere and cause a heart attack. First, do others agree with this? I have a failed stress test, no symptoms, and see a cardiologist Aug 8 and I am thinking he will say no need for angiography and stenting since I have no symptoms and regularly workout. Second, and more important to you, is I am alive and well, so far, and have gotten to age 76...so quit worrying about it and go to a mostly plant based diet and get all the meds you can to get your cholesterol down. What I see is these CAC scores scaring all of us unnecessarily. The hard Calcium plaque is not the problem...its the soft. (By the way, a nationally syndicated column today, July 23, 2024, in "Dear Dr. Roach" is exactly on point saying the same things to a 69 year old with an 1100 CAC. Try to google it.)

Hi. I’m a young looking 60 year old woman with a family history of CAD. I’ve always had high cholesterol and starting taking statins about 15 years ago. I’m probably ten pounds over my ideal weight. My blood pressure is good. I exercise for at least thirty minutes every day with rare exceptions. I am proactive about my heart health due to those risk factors. But my LDL is 99 and a recent calcium score is LAD 7. I meet with my cardiologist in a couple of days to go over the results. I know it’s not terrible but it definitely has my attention. Any suggestions? Thanks.

I realize this post was back in October but I had a calcium score of 3,000. My dr said he had a patient with a calcium score of 10,000 with no blockages. Had a nuclear stress test because I have a bad ankle. I was terrified of taking a medicine that caused stress on the heart but all the nurses/techs said they have never had a patient have any problems. It does take 4 hours as it is 3 parts (they even sent me for breakfast between parts) and the palpitations only lasted a few seconds.