Crazy high calcium score of 3,000+

Update for those following along. My stress test was fine. Cardiologist says no further testing necessary as long as I remain symptom-free. A childhood friend who's also a cardiologist agrees. They both disagreed with those here and elsewhere who say you can't trust these things alone and must get an angiogram or heart cath to be sure.

@mayoconnectuser1 I asked my cardiologist today about advanced testing. I also asked my childhood friend, also a cardiologist, about it on Saturday. Both said not really necessary, I believe their reasoning being it wouldn't change anything regarding treatment.

5,250. Anyone else have a score this high? Wondering what to expect when the cardio doc calls. Might want to respond quickly, by my calculations I probably have like an hour to live.

You're not going to die within the next hour. Doctor will likely recommend an angiogram to see what the story is. You can just ask for one, in fact.

I'm going in to see my cardiologist soon. Is an angiogram a difficult proceedure, its non-invasive right? I have a score of just 153 but it's all in the LAC

There are two kind of angiograms that I am aware of. One is a CT coronary angiogram, which is non-invasive. https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=ct+coronary+angiogram&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

There's also a coronary angiogram that is invasive. https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/coronary-angiogram/about/pac-20384904

To my understanding, both are reasonably accurate, but the coronary angiogram is the most accurate and is used for a definitive diagnosis of a blockage severe enough to require intervention.

I believe that often the first step is a nuclear treadmill stress test https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/nuclear-stress-test/about/pac-20385231 or even just a regular treadmill test.

Which is prescribed first (or at all) seems (from my untrained perspective) to depend on the cardiologist and the CAC score.

@orionrex: As @nix58 alluded to, the number is an indicator, but it's not a direct measure. Poke around on these boards and you'll learn about people that have lived many years with scores in the thousands. Some have had interventions, but there's life on the other side of those too. The first step is to wait and see what your cardiologist suggests. When I got my high CAC score (600ish so not as high as yours) I was surprised and somewhat concerned at how slowly things moved. That appears to be normal. In your place, I'd read about the lifestyle recommendations and start working on those right away. It may make you feel in more control and it's something you should probably do anyway.

If you are feeling fine, no need to panic. If you had the diagnosis because of angina/chest pain, then it might mean you are going to need imaging and possibly an angioplasty or a bypass operation. No sense in brooding about it just yet...too early to lose sleep. Again, if you feel fine, enjoy life. In time, as bitsgirl suggests, you will be asked to submit to a number of procedures. For me, with an arrythmia, it was the nuclear stress test first, with chest x-rays, eventually an MRI of my chest, and finally a catheter angiography where they slide a thin tube the size of a toothpick up my wrist to my heart and had a look with a tiny camera (fiber optic). I was awake, although the gentleman surgeon asked if i though I might want a gentle sedative. I declined, and soon felt the thin wire zip up my arm, into my armpit, and after that there are thankfully no nerves. Six minutes later, I feel him pull it out, he leans over and said, 'Only minor deposits, you're good.' The worst part of it all? Having to lie still back in my cubicle for about three hours until they were sure I wouldn't bleed from the incision. I kept waving my hands around, when I talked so they put my arm in sling which stopped that right short. The talking...not my arm waving. 😀

@njx58 @guyrien @bitsygirl @gloaming

Thank you guys! You all seem smart, kind, and supportive, one of my favorite combinations. I have poked around this site and several others. I prefer to get information from multiple sources, and you folks are right in line with the prevailing opinions I have encountered which includes that of my PCP. As far as lifestyle changes, I can't even begin to list what I've altered or eliminated in order to still be above ground in 2025. All worth it . . . so far. 🙂

Walk (don't run) to your cardiologist! Seriously, I'm in your boat, I'm going to see a cardiologist on monday and then get a second opinion if he recommends anything invasive.

Reply to orionex, i had 3500 2 years ago, passed stress test and now take statin and baby aspirin. I haven't done angiogram although cardiologist suggests it. He said ct angiogram would be inconclusive because of so much calcium.
I am getting second opinion from a different healthcare practice.
Incidentally, my cardiologist said he had a 55 year old athletic guy with over 5000 and his angiogram showed no blockage, bucking the test's odds.
I am alert in case i get symtoms.
If second opinion suggests angiogram, i very well might do it.