High Coronary Calcium Score: How do others feel emotionally?

Posted by mcphee @mcphee, Dec 14, 2016

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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@pcspetpro

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?

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My triglycerides were on a higher side before taking lipitor .cholesterol level remained in limits .I now avoid sugar and any item made of sugar .Also avoid fat .I have not taken the stress test yet .I used to take vitamins and minerals supplement which I have stopped now .
I have a small gall stone and slight impact of gerd .

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@pcspetpro

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?

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i just read an article which states that use of statins may result in high calcium score .i have been using liptor 10 mg daily for last 5 years or so

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@liaquat

My triglycerides were on a higher side before taking lipitor .cholesterol level remained in limits .I now avoid sugar and any item made of sugar .Also avoid fat .I have not taken the stress test yet .I used to take vitamins and minerals supplement which I have stopped now .
I have a small gall stone and slight impact of gerd .

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Triglycerides can be lowered by adopting a low carb diet. Grains, starchy vegetables and many fruits are high carb and turn to sugar. There are good fats and bad fats. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPhafYuey1k

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@liaquat

i just read an article which states that use of statins may result in high calcium score .i have been using liptor 10 mg daily for last 5 years or so

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Statins will probably increase a CAC score.

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My thoughts from both sides of the gurney..... Modern cardiology does NOT understand the extraordinarily high CAC levels we have. Neither do we, but as the owners of vessels turning to stone, we think about it a lot, fret about it, and are driven to do something about it. I've also wondered about the Vitamin D hypothesis. It has become very fashionable in the last decade to take historically large quantities of Vit D supplements to get serum levels between 70 and 100 (up from 30ish). The Vit D prophets proclaim myriad health benefits to that approach and there are some studies that support those claims. But, BUT, what if there are inflammatory states, or bacterial biofilms in cardiac vasculature that induce calcification IN THE PRESENCE OF HIGH LEVELS OF VIT D??? No one knows, but it's not a silly hypothesis. I'm one of those guys who has been doing a lot of supplements over the years..... hell, over the decades since my meeting with Linus Pauling when I was in med school at Stanford a very long time ago. I no longer have any real attachment to beliefs that all that stuff is helping me and in my increasing skepticism about EVERYTHING, I have to wonder..... So, I have stopped taking 5-10K U of Vit D daily and am only taking smaller amounts found in a multivit. Then there's chelation. The TACT study showed decreased vascular disease following a series of intravenous EDTA treatments. So, calcium is good in that it stabilizes atheroma, but up to a point? Who knows. And who knows where our calcium is deposited. It seems to me that it makes a big difference whether it's inside the vessel wall or in the middle layer of the artery. Or even perhaps the outer layer? Modern cardiology assumes that coronary calcium is in dangerous atheroma and is basically a marker for the presence of those lesions that can lead to a heart attack. But what happens when there's so much calcium that fragile atheromas turn to rigid caking in the pipes? Or if it's not inside the vessel, what is the consequence of a rigid vessel in a moving part? I exercise a lot and seem to have no exercise intolerance despite my CAC above 2600. But I can't say that I'm at ease with my image of my stone vessels being torqued by myocardial activity. Might it crack sometime? Then what? Might chelation reduce that risk and allow my vessels to revert to a more flexible state? I don't know and I don't expect to ever know. If I drop dead on the elliptical trainer, or in bed, it won't surprise me. If I live a long time like one of the members of this group, I will be surprised, for sure. In the meantime, perhaps some cardiology group or department somewhere will be able to shine some light on this condition for us fellow sufferers.

Coincidentally, there is an article out now about how dietary fiber promotes intestinal bacterial metabolism that protects against coronary disease. In my probably meaningless study where group size n=1 (ie, me), I've had the habit of consuming a big dose of oat bran every day for the last couple of decades. Makes for regularity with fluffy poop. Did it protect me from coronary disease? Certainly not based on my CAC....... probably other factors at play though...... nothing is simple. n=1, over and out. jon

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Recently received a 979 CAC Score, passed a stress test and was prescribed 40mg Atorvastatin. After some statin research and learning the difference between relative risk/absolute risk plus the fact that statins increase calcium, I stopped the statin. I started a LCHF diet and increased exercise and supplementation. I monitor my Macro and Micro nutrients content daily. I Have no symptoms and feel great! I plan on experimenting with both diet and supplementation with the goal of slowing progression, there are reports of people actually lowering their CAC score. I will continue to research and modify and will have another CAC test in about 18 months. I'm actually enjoying the research and I'm more motivated to exercise than ever before. I can actually say that the discovery of a high CAC score has had a positive effect on my life.

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@pcspetpro

Recently received a 979 CAC Score, passed a stress test and was prescribed 40mg Atorvastatin. After some statin research and learning the difference between relative risk/absolute risk plus the fact that statins increase calcium, I stopped the statin. I started a LCHF diet and increased exercise and supplementation. I monitor my Macro and Micro nutrients content daily. I Have no symptoms and feel great! I plan on experimenting with both diet and supplementation with the goal of slowing progression, there are reports of people actually lowering their CAC score. I will continue to research and modify and will have another CAC test in about 18 months. I'm actually enjoying the research and I'm more motivated to exercise than ever before. I can actually say that the discovery of a high CAC score has had a positive effect on my life.

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Good going @pcspetpro. In your research, n=1 and that's a worthy design leading to a unique therapy for the only patient!

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Hi McFee, Hope your doing well. Im 64 and just got my calcium score of 726. They say Im highest risk. What have you done since 2016?

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@pcspetpro

Recently received a 979 CAC Score, passed a stress test and was prescribed 40mg Atorvastatin. After some statin research and learning the difference between relative risk/absolute risk plus the fact that statins increase calcium, I stopped the statin. I started a LCHF diet and increased exercise and supplementation. I monitor my Macro and Micro nutrients content daily. I Have no symptoms and feel great! I plan on experimenting with both diet and supplementation with the goal of slowing progression, there are reports of people actually lowering their CAC score. I will continue to research and modify and will have another CAC test in about 18 months. I'm actually enjoying the research and I'm more motivated to exercise than ever before. I can actually say that the discovery of a high CAC score has had a positive effect on my life.

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I just received my score of 706 and was told Im in the highest risk group. Score of 4 in the widow maker. 0 in the left circumflex, 436 in the anterior descending and 266 in the right coronary. Im 64, 5"10" 175Lbs. 34" waist, 42" chest. Less then 20% body fat. I get on my elliptical trainer 2-3 times a week for 25-30 minutes. I walk miles other days, play golf 2 times a week. I will admit my strength and energy level is not what it used to be but so are my friends my age. I felt my blood pressure rise when my Dr called to tell me. Trying to find comfort to get me to the next stage....

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