1. < Heart & Blood Health

Any women with high CAC scores?

Posted by anniehall56 @anniehall56, Feb 1, 2021

I'm new here. Passionate 64-year old Italian-American college journalism professor married to a gastroenterologist who thought I was in great health. Eat pasta, lots of vegetables, fruit, and little meat, never overweight, look young, feel young, but my dad and four of his brothers dropped dead of heart attacks in their 50s. I've always had elevated cholesterol and triglycerides with elevated glucose levels since my 30s, but high HDL. Not one doctor, including my husband, has thought much of it because "I'm a woman" and appear to be the epitome of health. Everything changed 10 weeks ago when I decided I should have some overdue bloodwork. Cholesterol was 280, LDL 170, triglycerides 272, A1C 6.5 and HS-CRP 10. Scared me to death and decided to have the Calcium cat scan, thinking it would be a zero. It came back at 256, with 255 in the LAD. I've had zero symptoms, dance aerobics 45 minutes a day, no shortness of breath. Had the nuclear stress test the week after which came out perfect. WHAT THE HECK? According to the MESA score, I am at the 92 percentile which puts me at high risk for heart attack and stroke, and according the MESA, my arterial age is 79?? Husband got me in to see one of the top researchers of CAC and CAC progression next week at UCLA where he practices but I'm in total disbelief. I don't take statins but may have to (which raises CAC score), taking an aspirin a day, went full strict no refined carbs - goodbye pasta and bread- and lost 15 pounds in 10 weeks which puts me at a weight I was in my 30s. Understand that you can't reverse CAC score but you can stop the progression. That's all I care about right now. Determined and interested in anything you have to say and anything that's worked for you - supplements, diet, vitamins. Have read all your posts (it's my new past time- misery loves company, right?) and have heard of Vitamin C, K, magnesium, fish oil, Co-Q10, niacin, aged garlic). Will post after my appointment next week and share what this doc says (he's written half the studies that come up on CAC, CAD, and CAC progression). As many of you post: I feel like a walking time bomb. Questioning if learning of the CAC score is a blessing or a curse. I went from a very happy person to a total wreck who is relieved to be teaching online for another semester because I don't want to have a heart attack or stroke in front of my students. Sigh.

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maggiemarie | @maggiemarie | Nov 2, 2022
In reply to @liene "My story is somewhat similar to yours. I’m 76 and thought I was in reasonably good..." + (show)
@liene

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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My husband has a CAC score of 400 and we were alarmed, too! However the echocardiogram and stress test came out OK. (The nurse who administrated the tests told him she had seen people come in with scores of 4000 on their CAC! ) Still the doctor put him on 10 mg of statin, which I questioned. I asked him to get a second opinion, which he did. Seems doctors think statins are a really good thing. It did bring his LDL down to 60 from 119.
I asked the doctor why the high CAC score yet the other tests came out OK; he said that plaque could be on the outside of the arteries?
We follow a gluten-free, dairy-free and sugar-free diet with 90% of our foods organic. Our only oils are olive, flaxseed, and coconut.
He is only on one other medication. He is somewhat active - exercising in gym and/or walking a couple of miles a couple of times a week - 75 years old, and his body is in good form. He went to see the doctor because he was feeling fatigued. I increased his protein which seemed to help. He is feeling less fatigued now, but still has some fatigue. Don’t know if this information helps, but there it is.

REPLY
2 replies
mayoconnectuser1 | @mayoconnectuser1 | Nov 2, 2022

Has he had an advanced lipid panel done? Extremities ultrasound tests?

Did they provide a full writeup on the stress test? How about the pre and post stress echocardiogram?

Ask about a CT Angiogram ... this is sort of the final test prior to catheterization.

REPLY
liene | @liene | Nov 2, 2022
In reply to @maggiemarie "My husband has a CAC score of 400 and we were alarmed, too! However the echocardiogram..." + (show)
@maggiemarie

My husband has a CAC score of 400 and we were alarmed, too! However the echocardiogram and stress test came out OK. (The nurse who administrated the tests told him she had seen people come in with scores of 4000 on their CAC! ) Still the doctor put him on 10 mg of statin, which I questioned. I asked him to get a second opinion, which he did. Seems doctors think statins are a really good thing. It did bring his LDL down to 60 from 119.
I asked the doctor why the high CAC score yet the other tests came out OK; he said that plaque could be on the outside of the arteries?
We follow a gluten-free, dairy-free and sugar-free diet with 90% of our foods organic. Our only oils are olive, flaxseed, and coconut.
He is only on one other medication. He is somewhat active - exercising in gym and/or walking a couple of miles a couple of times a week - 75 years old, and his body is in good form. He went to see the doctor because he was feeling fatigued. I increased his protein which seemed to help. He is feeling less fatigued now, but still has some fatigue. Don’t know if this information helps, but there it is.

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Thanks for sharing your story. 10mg of statin seems much more reasonable than my 40. Doctors do love statins. I’m thinking maybe I should get another opinion. When I complained to my endocrinologist about the 40mg, she said I should do as my cardiologist says. And my primary doctor said “the most common side effect of statins is the prevention of death”. So not sure what to do.

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mayoconnectuser1 | @mayoconnectuser1 | Nov 2, 2022

liene,

So, you're going to get different opinions from the two doctors - on a cardiologist - in order to not take statins? Because of your opinion?

I am trying to point out that you don't know what you are talking about, but the doctors do ... so .... what advice would convince you?

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2 replies
gfmama | @gfmama | Nov 2, 2022
In reply to @mayoconnectuser1 "liene, So, you're going to get different opinions from the two doctors - on a cardiologist..." + (show)
@mayoconnectuser1

liene,

So, you're going to get different opinions from the two doctors - on a cardiologist - in order to not take statins? Because of your opinion?

I am trying to point out that you don't know what you are talking about, but the doctors do ... so .... what advice would convince you?

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Every comment you make is critical and snarky. We are trying to figure things out here. Not helpful.

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1 reply
mayoconnectuser1 | @mayoconnectuser1 | Nov 3, 2022
In reply to @gfmama "Every comment you make is critical and snarky. We are trying to figure things out here...." + (show)
@gfmama

Every comment you make is critical and snarky. We are trying to figure things out here. Not helpful.

Jump to this post

gfmama,

My comment was meant to be critical - if it gets through to someone that they are not qualified to determine scientific medical courses of action - that would be helpful.

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liene | @liene | Nov 3, 2022
In reply to @mayoconnectuser1 "liene, So, you're going to get different opinions from the two doctors - on a cardiologist..." + (show)
@mayoconnectuser1

liene,

So, you're going to get different opinions from the two doctors - on a cardiologist - in order to not take statins? Because of your opinion?

I am trying to point out that you don't know what you are talking about, but the doctors do ... so .... what advice would convince you?

Jump to this post

I’m not against taking statins, I’m just questioning the dose. And it’s rather rude of you to say I “don’t know what I’m talking about”. I have long ago learned that you can’t just blindly trust doctors, but need to take charge of your own health. I do a lot of research, and a second opinion never hurts.

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1 reply
mayoconnectuser1 | @mayoconnectuser1 | Nov 3, 2022

And, my comment related to the fact that you already had 2-3 opinions - but, apparently, you didn't like them. Sure ... get another medically competent opinion, or more, but consider what you are doing is trying to find one that agrees with your non-medically competent opinion.

My sense is that folks want desperately to find a deliverer who substantiates their opinions - or, in the case of youtube doctors selling books, someone who offers single a magic approach to solution of one's problems.

If I have offended, sorry. If I have stimulated you to recognize you are not qualified - regardless of your statement about "taking charge of your own health" - this perhaps was a useful exchange.

REPLY
hollywoodal | @hollywoodal | Nov 4, 2022
In reply to @liene "I’m not against taking statins, I’m just questioning the dose. And it’s rather rude of you..." + (show)
@liene

I’m not against taking statins, I’m just questioning the dose. And it’s rather rude of you to say I “don’t know what I’m talking about”. I have long ago learned that you can’t just blindly trust doctors, but need to take charge of your own health. I do a lot of research, and a second opinion never hurts.

Jump to this post

When I was having problems with statins, I researched about 20 studies and couldn't find one article that was positive about statins. The statins severely weakened my legs. I finally got the guts to tell my cardiologist that I didn't want to take the statins. His response, "You don't really have high cholesterol. *&^%$#! I've been off statins for 3 years, some of my leg strength has come back. My current Cholesterol is 186, HDL 60. I found another cardiologist.

REPLY
mayoconnectuser1 | @mayoconnectuser1 | Nov 4, 2022

So, you don't have high cholesterol or heart issues? If you do, please reconsider and talk with qualified medical personnel.

So, you infer statins reduced your leg strength and that after three years you still haven't recovered leg strength?

Are you technically qualified to assess the various types of studies?

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