Any women with high CAC scores?

I think this is my first posting in this group. I'm a 76 year old woman, former jogger, with a CAC score of 1025. In 2015, after asking my PCP about the advisability of taking baby aspirin because my father had died of a massive heart attack at 57, I wavered about getting the scan he suggested despite his own surprise at having his own score be higher than he would have thought. And he's a marathoner! In January of 2016 I decided to have the scan and the results were shocking to my doctor as well as me and my husband! I've always been the EverReady bunny, plenty of energy and loved to jog - up to 6 miles sometimes. But my results - LM-349;LAD-640;LCx-36;RCA-0;PDA- 0;Other-0 put me right into that ticking time bomb category. I quit running because I was sure I was going to die on a run. Because I was asymptomatic, he didn't feel I needed a cardiologist and he put me on 40mg of atorvastatinand a baby aspirin and ordered an exercise stress test which was unremarkable. After 3 months all my lipid numbers were much better (sorry I don't have the earlier numbers) - Total cholesterol 167, Triglycerides 73, Ratio 2.0, HDL 83 and LDL 69. I had a very healthy diet prior to beginning the statin, so I really have to credit it, not my giving up foods I love.

Two years ago in February (2019) I had an episode of shortness of breath (that turned out to be "Political Anxiety" haha) and after seeing a pulmonologist was sent to a cardiologist who had me do another exercise stress test which was again fine, but he changed my meds to 20 mg of rosuvastatin because I'd complained of some neuropathy in my feet since beginning statins and he felt that would be better for me. When I saw him in November of that year my he changed the strength to 40mg of rosuvastatin because he wanted to get my LDL lower and now my numbers are: Total cholesterol: 154, Triglycerides 82, ratio 1.9, HDL 82 and LDL 58. He's very pleased with where I am and so am I. It has taken me these 5 years to finally believe that I'm going to die in my sleep, because I'm doing all I can to stick to a healthy life style. And I realized that when I read your post: I'm past the serious anxiety I had. We have pasta (with a non-meat sauce) at least twice a week and red meat once or twice a month, which I don't miss all that much, I have to say. I have not given up wine. I try to exercise every day and even power walk around my house for 30 minutes if there's too much snow on the ground or the weather's bad. It's been helpful to read others' posts on the the High Calcium Score thread - so many there with long time high scores who are not just existing, but turning their backs on the test results and just proactively living the healthiest life they can.

I agree that the test can be a blessing and a curse, but I've come to see it as a wake-up call and leave it at that. Mostly I say, believe in the science. Soon your score will just be another number. Personally, I'm glad I had it done because it's made me aware of and in charge of my own health in a way that my Dad never was, and I've lived to see 4 grandchildren born, which he sadly was never able to do. Sorry I've gone on about this, but I know at this point you're happy to read good news!

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Thanks so much for this post! Wishing I will get to the point where I can turn my back on this damned CAC score. Your post was so positive and I really need this right now! I blame the political anxiety in the last four years for a lot of this LOL! My dad also died of a massive heart attack after just turning 58 and you're right that we have so many medical advances that were not available to him. I plan to keep educating myself and doing what I'm doing (also not giving up red wine) and hope to be one of the lucky ones who beat this thing.

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Hello Check out the information on YouTube concerning the use of K2 / MK-7 Doctors say they have done studies in years past showing the use of K2 and how it can actually pull calcium out of the arteries. And there are no bad side affects from using it. Dosages could be 300 to 500 mcg or higher mcg's per day along with using D3. The K2 moves the D3 in your body to the areas which need it, like your bones. I have just started using K2 myself and I take 500 mcg a day. I'm 68.

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My story is somewhat similar to yours. I’m 76 and thought I was in reasonably good health until my doctor sent me for CAC after seeing cholesterol of 276. It came back at 411, mostly in the LAD. I was horrified. I’m not overweight, and eat a mostly vegan diet. I haven’t been as great with the exercise, but do go to water aerobics and senior exercise classes most days. After a normal nuclear stress test and echocardiogram, the cardiologist put me on 40mg of Crestor. It seems way too high to me (even Crestor web page says don’t take more than 20 mg unless that doesn’t bring down cholesterol), but I am worried enough that maybe I should do what he says. He tells me that statins do more than just bring down cholesterol, but prevent inflammation and keep the soft, non-calcified plaques from clogging arteries. My research tells me that the best diet for preventing and reversing heart disease is that of Caldwell Esselstyn, who has a book, and also guidelines on his web page. This is the diet Bill Clinton followed after his bypass surgery. I’m also following a Facebook group, 100% Esselstyn Reversal Nutrition Forum, which is a large group of people following his way of eating. It makes total sense to me, but extremely hard to follow: whole food plant based with no meat or animal products (including dairy) and no fat or oil of any kind. I feel like this is the diet that I should be on, but I am failing miserably. Please let me know what your specialist recommends.
I should add that my father died of a heart attack at the age of 54, and my cardiologist says I have “familial hypercholesterolemia”.

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