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Living with high calcium score
I am a 53 year old male. Just found out I have a CAC of 731. Most of it (699) is in the right coronary. I exercise 5 times a week , used to eat eggs every day (15-20 per week), cottage cheese and yogurt. Upon hearing this news, stopped eating eggs right away. Just trying to figure out what else to adjust. I don't have BP and am at a healthy weight of around 160 lbs for 5'8".
Doctor still has to reach out to me and I think most likely I will be put on Statins. I have high LDL and Apo(b), but triglycerides are under control.
The question I have is, how else should I adjust the lifestyle. I don't drink or smoke or eat meat. Should I reduce how hard I work out? I used to take my HR to 165 and whenever I did it I used to get a heartburn. I was thinking that the workout has triggered acid reflux but looks like something else is going on.
For those with high CAC , how hard do you work out? Should I stop hiking and running? Looking for some insights.
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At your age and reported levels, you should have already been on a statins quite a while ago. Genetics play most of the causative role in CAD and calcium scores, and there’s not a thing to be done about that. Triglycerides will flux with your raised cholesterol levels as a byproduct. You can’t change a calcium scores. Knowing it can be a bad thing since it’s mostly permanent. Use the knowledge for motivation to perhaps reduce stress, gain flexibility, etc. There aren’t any one size fits all insights either because clinical information, symptomology, family history and many other factors are other important factors that must be factored into the calcium score for any next steps to take if any are taken.
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1 ReactionI am a 73 year old female that decided to take full control of my health utilizing precision medicine.
My 1st calcium score was 1852 and I started maximum therapy including Ezetimibe, Rosvastatin, Repatha,Propranolol, Enteric 81 mg aspirin, Amlodipine Besylate and Spiroactalone. This was my strategy to lower my cardiac risk. This resulted in LDL 9, Tchol 83, HDL 80, Trig 41.
Three years later my CT calcium score increased to 2753. I hypothesised that my Arterial Calcification may not be lipid based but rather polymorphisms in the SHANK,SHANKL and OPG genes. These genes control morphogenic distribution of calcium into your teeth, bones and arteries. I chose the least risky option versus biophosphates and Prolia utilizing Vit K2 Mk7 and 4, Magnesium and a controlled amount of Vitamin D. By utilizing this stack as it regulates whether my calcium is deposited into my arteries. I am also consuming a minimal amount of calcium and definitely no supplements.
I am currently scheduled to get a PCCT (Photon Counting CT). Previously a CCTA was attempted but my calcification resulted in too many blooming artifacts thus it was of zero value. Hopefully, I will obtain clear images of my arterial tree enabling me to plan my next steps.
I have assembled a expert team of physicians including cardiologists, endocrinologist and neurologist (for GBS) located at the TMC in Houston spanning across multiple institutions including Methodist, Baylor, UT and UTSW in Dallas.
I have selected each and every medication and dosing, imaging and all laboratory blood work.
My team concurs with my treatment regime even though it's outside the "standards of care" medical model. They all communicated that I am receiving a much more intensive regimen than any of their other patients. At my appointments they just tell me to keep doing what I have been doing. Both comforting and terrifying simultaneously. With my APO (a) being as high as 228 plus my calcium score this puts me in the ultra high risk category. I have never had a MACE and or Stroke. I am definitely a statistical outlier.
I hope my experience and insights is able to help others.
I take my vitamin D3 along with my magnesium. There’s a reason for that you can find it somewhere online. I just don’t know where it is right now. But since I take magnesium at night, I then take the vitamin D3 at night with magnesium rather than during the day. Either way, I’m usually indoors and don’t see the sun and we don’t have that much sun where I live so hopefully it does what it’s supposed to do.
@robertaholmes wow! You’re amazing! I was starting to think I was alone with all this. Thank you so much for sharing and I look forward to your posts!
@robertaholmes What dosages of K2 Mk7 and Mk4, magnesium and vitamin d are you taking?