High Coronary Calcium Score: How do others feel emotionally?
I have a calcium score of 1,950 which is extremely high which means I am at a very high risk for a cardiac event,heart attack,stroke or sudden death.
I take a statin and baby aspirin. I have never been sick, have excellent cholesterol, low blood pressure and I am not overweight. I have no other health problems and I have never been sick. But I feel like a walking time bomb which has caused me a lot of stress. I am 70 yrs old.
I wonder how others with this condition feel emotionally?
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@jimk849 good to hear this is the key to good health
This is a follow-up post. I have been formulating some questions to ask a cardiologist on an upcoming first consultation visit and would like to see if anyone has any suggestions for additional questions I should ask. In summary, I have NO cardiac risk factors or symptoms, am 70 years old and have a calcium score over 1,600, almost all of it concentrated in two arteries, the right circumflex and the LAD. I had a stress/echo test and the results were normal My PCP started me on 40 mg of Lipitor.I am a life-long exerciser. Here is my current list of questions for the cardiologist:
(1) Is plaque in the coronary arteries representative of the plaque burden throughout the body and brain, putting me at higher risk for stroke?
(2) Current thinking is that the LDL cholesterol should be as low as possible? Should I be taking a higher dose of statin to accomplish that or is the goal to get LDL below 70 and leave it at that?
(3) What do we know for certain based on the the high calcium score and the normal stress/echo test?
(4) Do you recommend any specific supplements to help with heart health, for example ,Vitamin K2?
(5) What is the significance of two coronary arteries having a high calcium score and two coronary arteries at almost zero?
(6) My PCP mentioned that my coronary blood supply may be good, despite the high calcium burden, because of collateral circulation. What does that mean?
(7) How is coronary artery disease monitored and how frequently? EKG? Stress Test? Symptoms?
(8) Should I be taking any other medications other than a statin, for example, a platelet inhibitor?
@tim1028- That's a great list to start with. The one thing I would ask about is when it comes to lowering your LDL below 70 I had been trying to accomplish that for years by both food choices as well as being on statins (atorvastin, simistatin) both at 40mg w/o any success. All my numbers were much better but my LDL was stuck at about 78. When I went to the Scottsdale Mayo last April for a 2nd opinion on my EF (injection fraction) being so low after a heart attack I had back in 2014, this subject came up and my cardiologist there suggested I try the statin Rosuvastatin at 20mg to start. After taking it for 6 months I had a lipid work-up and my LDL had dropped down to 67.
Both my GP and cardiologist here wanted me to be on 40 mg of it, but I resisted until getting the results. I was pleasantly pleased with the results and not so much comments from my Drs. here? Best of luck to you! Jim@thankful
For some people their calcium score actually increases due to the statins. This is explained by the fact that it's the calcium that is a stabilizing factor in plaque. It is the unstable plaque that can cause a sudden heart attack. There is still so much that is unknown about the complicated process of atherosclerosis.
I think your right, I certainly feel that hypertension was a contributing factor to my high CAC score.
@pcspetpro Thank you for the reply. I've since taken a nuclear stress test, and was told everything is normal. The cardiologist monitoring the test did told me that I probably don't want to take the CT scan again for that reason....
I am 67 male from south east asia .I take medicines to control my BP and Cholesterol and a blood thinner tablet also .My lipid profile is fine and BP is in normal range .My echocardiogram was fine also .My thyroid tests (T3,T4 and TSH) are normal.I am 84 kg with a height of 5 feet 8 inches .Still working and very active .My CT calcium score done last week was 1824 ..
Can the Group members provide some guidance to me on my high score of calcium I am on a strict diet control and starting some exercise also .Liaquat
How high was your cholesterol/lipid profile before taking cholesterol lowering medication? What diet were you on and how have you changed your diet? Do you have any insights into why your CAC score is so high? Have you taken a stress test?
@liaquat I just read on http://www.WebMD that a high Vit D level could be a cause have your lab work done on Vit D level ,hope this helps
i had Vitamin D deficiency and took some capsules and injections .Now my vitamin D level is within normal limit .