High Coronary Calcium Score: How do others feel emotionally?

I am 45 with a very high calcium score (a brother that had a heart attack at 45 and ended up needing a heart transplant and a cousin that just had a heart attack at 48, I am in the same boat- i have been taking lipitor for 8 years and they doubled it and added zetia, but i want more answers. I had a stress test and echo and it was normal. I feel like everyone is just waiting for something to happen.
For the rest of the group, this test measures buildup of plaque in the arteries of the heart not free floating calcium in your blood. It is used as a way to predict an elevated risk of heart attack and stroke. An elevated score shows a risk for a major event such as heart attack.or stroke within the next 5-10 years

@mcristodero Welcome to Mayo Connect - we are pleased that you have joined this online patient support community. I am sorry to hear of the build up of plaque in the arteries of your heart. I can certainly understand your concern given your family history as well as your age of only 45. If I were in this situation I would probably want to consult with a large medical center, even if it meant a longer drive than your current doctors. Have you considered a second opinion? Teresa

What Teresa, Volunteer Mentor @hopeful33250 Sez... Additionally, I would go further, and highly recommend and suggest that, if you live close enough to one of the Mayo Clinic Centers, you making an appointment with their Cardiovascular Diseases Department to get a second opinion medical evaluation. Mayo Clinic has "Top Nationally-Recognized Cardiovascular Docs."

Hello @mcristodero,

I'd like to add my welcome, and thank you so much for sharing your history; this is what Connect is all about: learning from one another's experiences and journeys.

I would encourage you to read about Mayo Clinic's Preventive Cardiology Program in the Cardiovascular Research Center, which s designed to increase understanding and education about ways to prevent heart disease and to encourage preventive care:
http://mayocl.in/2t31zEk

The Clinic's Center for Individualized Medicine is a fantastic resource that offers genomic testing to patients, and where health care providers use knowledge about a patient’s DNA to potentially diagnose, predict, treat and prevent disease:
http://mayocl.in/2tCJh9V

You may also wish to view this discussion on Connect:
What are the best methods for removing plaque from the artery? http://mayocl.in/2s3z7gO

Please meet @ram675 @scottb @abespizza @bayouhawk @loyd1934deborah @mlemieux @truhealth76 @HeartPatches @mcphee @michellr @gailfaith. I’m sure others will jump in as well.

@mcristodero, what follow-up has your doctor recommended?

I just found this group today. Ten years ago when I was 73 I found out I have a calcium score of 2274. I will be 84 years old next week. I feel fine and have had no heart related problems. That's why my user name is LuckyG. I am on a statin and a 325 aspirin every day and I try to limit my saturated fat intake and keep my weight down, When I first found out I was scared to death but I don't think about it much at this point. Good luck. Gary

@luckyg Hello Gary:

Welcome to Connect! I appreciate your post and certainly congratulate you on your good heart health in spite of the high calcium score. If I may ask, do you exercise on a regular basis? Is your family history free of heart disease?

Thank you again for your encouraging post. I look forward to hearing from you again!

Teresa

I'm so glad you joined us on Connect, @luckyg. As Mentor @hopeful33250 mentioned, we look forward to getting to know you and perhaps learning from your experiences and insights too.

yes, I walk about 2.5 miles 4 times a week. not very fast but have been doing this for 10 years.

my died of heart attach at age 67 any my younger brother has had 2 heart attacks. I also drink pretty much alcohol every day. at this point I have cut my drinks to about 3 a day. my doctor thinks the alcohol may have keep me alive before I started on meds.

Hello, Bo from Texas. Yesterday I received my calcium score and was shocked! 2450. Going to see Doc today to talk to him about this terrible score. I feel great,go to gym every morning for one hour of hard exercise. Never stop doing weights and aerobics. My cholesterol is about 155 with Hdl at 80 and ldl 75. Take 40 mg of Zocor daily. I have always considered myself in great heath at 75. Thanks for reading my post. Any suggestions. Have a nuclear stress test scheduled in two weeks.