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High calcium score: I'm in shock
Heart & Blood Health | Last Active: Nov 4 2:36pm | Replies (214)Comment receiving replies
I respectfully disagree that comments from people who are not “medical professionals” but who are touting “ the latest book or podcast by the latest YouTube doc” are whacky.
I’m a registered nurse with a 25-year history of CCICU and SICU experience. That does not make me an MD, but puts me in a position to see the benefits of conventional medicine and it’s failures in this specialty.
I would venture to guess that most people who find their way to this site are not anti-conventional medicine and can think for themselves.
For myself, I explore answers to health issues from a wholistic perspective and I know many doctors who do the same.
I have very high cholesterol and before agreeing to statins I asked for the
CAC and ultrasounds of my carotids and jugular veins. All were perfectly clear. I suspected they would be because decades ago I read an article in the NYTs that the problem with cholesterol may not be the amount of cholesterol but the size. Remembering this, when my cholesterol went up I paid out of pocket to discover the size. They were the large, fluffy kind known not to stick to the arteries.
Now we know of a simple calculation that will indicate the size of your cholesterol:
Divide your triglycerides by your HDL. Lower is better and you want to be below 2 and closer to 1. Mine, with a total cholesterol consistently over 300 is 1 or just below 1.
I offer these comments in the spirit of encouraging people to keep an open mind and in hopes that people will continue to offer information they have come across that they think make sense or would like feedback on.
BTW, I think that Vitamin K2 has played a part in keeping my arteries clear.
Replies to "I respectfully disagree that comments from people who are not “medical professionals” but who are touting..."
My CAC score decreased from
199 to 18 after I started Vitamin K2 mk7. I have high cholesterol, high LDL, and high HDL. My TG/HDL is 0.9. I don’t like to take statins because they have caused worsening neuropathy in my feet in the past. However, I am back on a very low statin dose because I have soft plaque developing according to a recent CT Angio, and a low carb diet. I need to lose a few pounds.
I order my advanced lipid labs through Ulta Lab Tests. https://www.ultalabtests.com for a big discount. You can shop on their site for discount coupons. They do not bill insurance and you don’t need a doctor’s order in most states. The CardioIQ panels are run at Quest Cleveland Heart Lab. Most doctors are reluctant to order the advanced CardioIQ labs because Medicare and many other insurers won’t pay for them.
The Quest Cardio IQ advanced panels give you a more detailed breakdown of your particle size. I am Pattern A. I order panel 94220 which includes hsCRP.
https://www.questdiagnostics.com/healthcare-professionals/about-our-tests/cardiovascular/cardio-iq-report
This may be a helpful option. I have a strong immune system and LDL plays an importent role in the process. I don’t want my LDL too low and I like the option of monitoring my own lipids. I have been able to order a simple cholesterol panel for $15 with a coupon plus a $8 lab draw fee. I do the more advanced panel once a year, which is more expensive.
I have a similar situation and was a patient of the physician who developed the CAC. [He's a great doctor but no longer geographically-accessible.]
I have high cholesterol but continue to have excellent echocardiograms, Endopat results and a low CAC of 4. Dr. A. ordered the then-available Berkeley cardiology profile and the explanation for the good test results was in the percentage of larger-molecule, non-sticky cholesterol. Since I can't tolerate statins anyway, and have the genetic market for heart disease, those fluffy molecules are good news indeed.
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I would encourage you to join the CAC site mentioned to determine whether many are whacky. Some are very reasonable and consistent, but MANY are grasping at any information that agrees with their beliefs - while, at the same time disparaging medical care by professionals because they believe the medical profession to be owned by the large pharmaceutical companies.
While I appreciate that everyone has an opinion, the constant selling of the latest YouTube doctor, the latest podcast doctor, or the latest book written by one of the aforementioned, was overwhelming. That particular fb group allows unqualified folks to motivate others to do potential damage to themselves.
My personal background is why I started reviewing this topic - 68 yo, 6'1", 200 pounds, eat balanced, don't smoke, walk a lot, very active, a bit high BP (140 ish) managed with irbesartan for 18 years, trig 49 (atovastatin at 65 due to historical BP) , HDL 46, LDL 47, completely asymptomatic - then, CAC score of 1352 (2.5 years ago), consult with cardiologist, stress test with 10.3 METS and 9 Duke scores with no ischemia. Started on icosapent ethyl. Cardiologist, in the absence of symptoms, supports a stress test in another two years, but not concerned, otherwise. Sure, would like to "get to the bottom of this," but on the way there it is confused without an angiogram/angioplasty - a lot of "noise" from folks without medical training or experience. You can sense the frustration 🙂