High calcium score: I'm in shock

Hi @chrisaw
I am a medical professional and a medical executive (but not dispensing Medical Advice). Happy to hear about no blockages...definitely a big relief I am sure. Two years ago I had a CAC scan and I work in the field....holy crap it comes back non-zero about 171. Yes...not as high as many here, but put the fear of God into me pretty quickly. I am an extremist LOL.....I dropped 30lbs to a normal BMI, now exercise 4x a week, passed all my additional diagnostic testing even though I was told it was not needed. I am lucky in that I do not pay for any medical services within my organization. I was put on Crestor 10 mg and 81 aspirin and told...go enjoy life and eat better. My LDL is 27...and because I am obsessed asked to also add Zetia...10mg which I will start next week. I eat a lot of Fiber, Fruit, Vegetables, maybe red meat every other week that is like 93% lean and fish...which I like. I definitely believe you need to be your OWN advocate, but also don't go down the rabbit hole IMHO. Too much invasive testing can actually awaken the beast...which I have seen to often...the cure worse than the illness. I would advocate lab testing to see some inflammatory markers...I do believe part of the route cause is inflammation. I come from a long line of family with Heart Disease---luckily they all live to be in their 90's. I think genetics plays a big role.

I fell the same . I feel like I got a gun to my head. My cac was at 1400 and I am fit and have no symptoms. So my doctor increased my crestor to 20gms even though my chestrol is very good . I am trying to cut out red meat and eating more vegetarian . My hope is that I my plaque is calfied which is safer then soft plaque which is more dangerous. Wishing you good health. Stay strong.

Hi, I was diagnosed with 390 calcium score a few yrs ago. I’m 70 yrs old and have family history of heart disease, always ate healthy and exercised thus was pretty shocked upon hearing the diagnosis. Overtime got used to it.
I am on Pravachol 20mg and low dose aspirin.
Would say to others to stay away from red meat.
And keep moving.!

I have to say "me, too". I am a fit 71 yo male who had no real family history of heart disase although my dad was diagnosed with CAD as a side finding during scans for esophageal cancer. He passed from the cancer aged 85, never having had a heart attack.

I had always had moderately high cholesterol that mimicked my dad's, and rising as I got older. But I was also a hard core runner, swimmer, cyclist, etc, who had done maybe 150,000 miles on my bikes over the last few decades and ate a reasonable diet so I was arrogant enough to believe I was fine. When my LDL cholesterol got up to ~170 in my 60s the doc wanted a calcium score, which came back ~1000! Damn.

Since I am asymptomatic and "passed" a nuclear stress test, which I was told meant I didn't have anything blocked more than 70%, I have not yet had an angiogram. I am on daily baby aspirin, Zetia, and now 20mg Crestor. I had been on 40mg but my liver ALT was a bit out of range. Still out of range on 20mg but not as bad. I continue to ride and stay as active as I can possibly be. My LDL is 73, which is just above the 70 that the doc wants. But it still feels like I am living on borrowed time.

There is somewhat of a lesson here, that many, including me are too arrogant to recieve when young. What you do and eat in your youth makes a big difference. I grew up in the age of trans-fats which were literally in everything back in the day and I will fully admit my diet wasn't great then. I grew up in the south and especially loved fried chicken and seafood and had my share of fast food. When we are young we all belive that we can eat anything and everything as long as our weight is good. Unfortunately nothing could be further from the truth. Bad diets when you are young are a ticking time bomb.

@raylo32
Great post...and great advice! Thanks for sharing.

Sounds you you are doing great. I will try to follow your example. Appreciate your insight.

I am 65 and recently got a score of 240. I was shocked. I'm a runner and I've always considered myself to be fit. But, as was just mentioned, poor diet choices can take a toll over time. Runners, especially, think they're immune!

Interesting story: my scan showed a complete blockage in one section of an artery. I've never had any symptoms. I just had an angiogram which explained it. Connecting the main arteries are a number of small arteries known as coronary collaterals. In some runners, the body starts to widen and use these arteries for blood flow. Essentially, my heart created its own bypass! The doctor didn't even want to put a stent in, He said my blood flow was fine. Moral: aerobic exercise is really important!

What kind of choices are you referring to? Just curious.

Oh, nothing crazy. Just years of eating bagels and pizza and cookies and French fries, and not watching sodium, and so on. I was never overweight, so I always thought I could eat anything I wanted at any time. And maybe there's something hereditary that caused an issue over decades. So, now I look at certain foods as treats.

I have a friend who had a stroke bc his carotid artery was 100% blocked. At that point, he said doctors told him it was too dangerous to operate and anyway, his body had created its own pathways, much as you’re describing. If not, he wouldn’t be here. It was a close call.