I have seen four cardiologists in town: my regular "ordinary" cardiologist, two interventional cardiologists (looking into a watchman procedure to avoid blood thinners for reasons to do with my retinas), and this latest lipid specialist. Of course, I have a PCP too.

I didn't ask for the CT calcium test except from this latest doc, my cardiologist, and my PCP. (All refused). For the record, I WANT to avoid statins if at all possible and the doctors seem to think my lipid profile doesn't warrant them. I know they can be life-saving but they are are far from free of side effects (the brother who passed away, had developed rhabdomyalosis to the degree it had damaged his kidneys - nb. father died of kidney failure.)
And there are other reasons to hesitate too.

I'd still like to have a CT calcium test, even if I'm not in dire straits by any means (as measures below reveal.) But no, I can't bypass the nay-saying doctors in town as there are no walk in clinics or cardiac centers. My rural area is most known for our football team. *Sigh*

I'll provide my most recent lipid panel (below) hoping whoever insisted he couldn't comment without seeing it, will provide knowledgable commentary. 🙂 Typing it out wasn't fun!

Please note I did really well on a (to me) new test - lipoprotein (A) on which I scored <10 which looks super great to me, considering anything below 75 at this lab is "normal", 75 - 125 is "moderate" and over 125 is called "high" . (I think this test blew him away which may have reassured him about my lipids.) It reveals the presence or absence of tiny lipid particles in ones blood stream, supposedly very useful prognostically.

The lipid pane itself:
triglycerides 185 "high" ; 150-174 "borderline high"
cholesterol 209 "high" but anything under 200 is counted as normal
HDL cholesterol 67 (=>60 normal, <50 low "bad for females",<40 low, "bad"
for males.
Non HDL cholesterol 142 ("Standard =<157 "Normal")
<100 Target level for high risk ASCVD patient
<130 Optimal for general population
130-159 Near optimal for general population
LDL Cholesterol 105 mg/dL
Standard Range
<=129 mg/dL
<70 Target level for high risk ASCVD patient
<100 Optimal for general population
100-129 Near optimal for general population
I guess he doesn't count me in the ASCVD category.

He said my triglycerides were "a little high" but from my embarrassed description of my months long carb binge, he figured it was entirely a function of that (he's right. I went on a bread and yogurt ""diet" for a few months after the KETO diet drove me mad. "Diet" JK ) I know I can get it back down.

My last echocardiogram at the Cleveland Clinic gave good results, with the caveat that the reader said the accuracy was "limited by patient's 'body habitus' '"WHATEVER THAT MEANS! (No, I'm not overweight) I've been told I have "mild" mitral valve prolapse and "slight"" mitral valve regurgitation, plus either "slight" or "moderate" aortic insufficiency (depending on who reports).

Also, I don't need a stress test as I have been working out regularly for years, aerobically/anaerobically on both treadmill and stairstepper doing HIIT technique and my pulse goes up to 155-160 on intense phase, then down again on low phase, returning to my normal 65 or so, pretty soon after. I DO have AFIB especially before waking, sometimes for hours - and have had unprovoked, protracted tacchycardia (weeks at a time. Hence visit to Cleveland CLinic to arrhythmia specialist . He gave me a new pill but otherwise blew it off).
Sleeping BP averages 50 (I have an Apple sleep app).

I also work on weight machines regularly. [Conditional, actually I have hardly been working out at all for a month following an injury. Otherwise, I consider myself fit from a cardiovascular POV, and ordinary cardio thinks so too (doesn't object to my high pulse on exercise.)

So now you have my cardiac profile!*
*All except for the CT calcium test. 🙁 I do NOT like this attitude that once one is a certain age, there's no point in checking it. For instance, if it yields a high score, it would goose me into a healthier diet and more consistent exercise!

Thanks, advisors!

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