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What would you do in my situation? Should I be worried?
Heart & Blood Health | Last Active: Mar 12 1:31pm | Replies (34)Comment receiving replies
I've been on a statin for 27 years (currently early 50s). For the first 15 years I took it more often than not, but now I take it religiously every day.
My cardiologist prescribed me Crestor and my HDL is above 50 my LDL below 100 now.
I did a calcium heart scan and it came back with;
"Agatston Coronary Calcium Score:
LMA: 0
LAD: 144
LCX: 8
RCA: 0
Total: 152
Percentile: 88%
CARDIOVASCULAR FINDINGS:
Vessels: Aorta and pulmonary artery are not significantly dilated.
Heart and Pericardium: Normal.
Extra-coronary Calcification: None."
So the percentile is high but the finding are nothing too serious.
He says to just on keep on keeping on. No changes except baby asprin. He even said I could keep on eating red meat, cheese etc as the 153 reading is due to the last 10 years and the next 10 years is going to be better due to being on a stronger statin.
2nd opinion or not?
Replies to "I've been on a statin for 27 years (currently early 50s). For the first 15 years..."
Hello @guyrien, I combined you new discussion with your existing discussion:
"What would you do in my situation? Should I be worried?"
- https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/what-would-you-do-in-my-situation-should-i-be-worried/
Here you met @gloaming, @manuelpo, @mikekennedy759 and @sandrajane who all shared their experiences with you and can continue your health journey conversation here.
@guyrien, did you raise any concerns with what your current provider said about any health changes or not needing to make dietary changes? If you were to ask if it could help to change your diet even incrementally, do you think you would be supported with some data or suggestions?
Cardinal rule: a second opinion, like time spent on research, is seldom wasted. If nothing else, you'll have a confirmation, and if the two are even somewhat disparate, you can then decide which way to look at it on your own behalf.
The LAD score isn't great, but nor is it cause for panic. It's just a photo, a snapshot, of what extent of calcification is extant.
A statin, aside from its anti-lipid capability, is also a mild anti-inflammatory. You may have some systemic inflammation, maybe just in and around the LAD. Deposition of plaque is exacerbated by inflammation, notably of the endothelial linings of arteries. So, maybe it wouldn't hurt to ask your 'second opinion' what he/she thinks of a CRP test to find out if you are also at the 75%ile or higher in terms of inflammation? Something to think about, or certainly to run past your cardiologist.
Finally, despite what may be your scrupulously excellent diet and fitness regimen, your genetics may predispose you to producing a kind of LDL, size and stickiness, that adheres particularly well to your LAD (for some reason well beyond me), but not to other blood vessels. BTW, while I'm thinking about this, it wouldn't hurt to learn what your carotid arteries look like if they were not part of this scan. A Doppler ultrasound will show their current extent of deposition.
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Second opinion. Please research statins and dementia, diabetes, etc.