Extremely high calcium score at 42 - is there any positive here??

I enrolled in an LP(a) study and have been very happy with the results.

Not answering question . What exactly are you taking or doing in detail that is making a staggering difference and what were your first results in blood work and scans now to show all here what is staggering.
I could say I’m in the DH study but that means absolutely nothing to explain how it is making a difference.

This is a lot of specific info and your plaque is exactly in the same arteries where my plaque was found. From the percentages of blockage, it looks like you caught this early and now your cardio will be following you closely.

I wasn't able to tolerate statins but to tell the truth, for the time that I was on them, they didn't do all that much good. It wasn't until I went on Praluent that my cholesterol numbers dropped significantly. It is an expensive drug if not covered by insurance. Some patients have been prescribed a statin plus Praluent if the statins just didn't help much. If your doc feels the statins are getting your numbers where they need to be, Praluent likely won't be prescribed as your insurance won't cover it. I don't know when Praluent will come off patent and generics will be on the market but that might be worth looking into with the idea that you might want to pay for it yourself if insurance doesn't cover. Praluent dropped my LDL like a stone.

The CAC score above zero is always horrifying but in my case, it stirred me to action on diet and more exercise and eventually I stopped being horrified but did continue to "follow the rules" to do my best to keep the CAC score as low as possible but as my doc said "it always gets worse".

I wish you good health and peace.

Donna

Yes, the news made me proactive. I lost 11 kilos, cut sugar, bread and pasta. Only eat between 2-7pm and once a week I drink just juices. I added niacin to my supplements. I drink no sugar kiefer milk and sauerkraut. I added AC with olive oil. I exercise 4 times a week for 50 minutes and 20 of weight lifting. This has bee my program since August, 2022.

I don't have a cardiologist that is watching over me so it has to be me to make appointments and ask questions.

I read alot. I was told by a vascular doctor they will not do anything unless there is 50% blockage. I was told by cardiologist he will not do anything unless there is 70% blockage.

I have researched which hospitals have the best heart medical team on duty with the best stents. Apparently there are the Mercedes versions of stents and then there are the 3-year old Mercedes of stents where I am living at the moment.

I read that CAC scores increase 10-25% per year.

My third cardiologist says a exercise stress echo is recommended, if the result is positive, then a Coronary artery angiography (CAG) is recommended. Have you been told that?

The other 2 cardiologist just told me to take 5 mg of statins daily.

Trying to finding some sense and peace with all this.

Stephen

Yes, the news made me proactive. I lost 11 kilos, cut sugar, bread and pasta. Only eat between 2-7pm and once a week I drink just juices. I added niacin to my supplements. I drink no sugar kiefer milk and sauerkraut. I added AC with olive oil. I exercise 4 times a week for 50 minutes and 20 of weight lifting. This has bee my program since August, 2022.

I don't have a cardiologist that is watching over me so it has to be me to make appointments and ask questions.

I read alot. I was told by a vascular doctor they will not do anything unless there is 50% blockage. I was told by cardiologist he will not do anything unless there is 70% blockage.

I have researched which hospitals have the best heart medical team on duty with the best stents. Apparently there are the Mercedes versions of stents and then there are the 3-year old Mercedes of stents where I am living at the moment.

I read that CAC scores increase 10-25% per year.

My third cardiologist says a exercise stress echo is recommended, if the result is positive, then a Coronary artery angiography (CAG) is recommended. Have you been told that?

The other 2 cardiologist just told me to take 5 mg of statins daily.

Trying to finding some sense and peace with all this.

Stephen

Yes, the news made me proactive. I lost 11 kilos, cut sugar, bread and pasta. Only eat between 2-7pm and once a week I drink just juices. I added niacin to my supplements. I drink no sugar kiefer milk and sauerkraut. I added AC with olive oil. I exercise 4 times a week for 50 minutes and 20 of weight lifting. This has bee my program since August, 2022.

I don't have a cardiologist that is watching over me so it has to be me to make appointments and ask questions.

I read alot. I was told by a vascular doctor they will not do anything unless there is 50% blockage. I was told by cardiologist he will not do anything unless there is 70% blockage.

I have researched which hospitals have the best heart medical team on duty with the best stents. Apparently there are the Mercedes versions of stents and then there are the 3-year old Mercedes of stents where I am living at the moment.

I read that CAC scores increase 10-25% per year.

My third cardiologist says a exercise stress echo is recommended, if the result is positive, then a Coronary artery angiography (CAG) is recommended. Have you been told that?

The other 2 cardiologist just told me to take 5 mg of statins daily.

Trying to finding some sense and peace with all this.

Stephen

Steveny9, you have done a lot of research on the stents. In my experience, when my blockages became severe enough, there was limited time to get the stents. Unless you live near the hospital using the most modern of stents, you will likely need to accept the stents provided by the hospital that is close by.

Daily exercising is great. Optimal weight is great. You likely will not NEED a stent until there is at least an 80% blockage. If you keep your cholesterol low via diet and statins, I think you can count on a slow growth of the blockages. From my experience and your lower CAC score, I think you might be looking at 15 to 20 years before you need stents. I do think it would be wise to be seen by a cardiologist once a year to monitor your status.

If you are a meat eater, you might try a more vegan diet which removes all animal products and thus removes all cholesterol and adds lots of fiber. Look for recipes with low salt and with proteins such as beans and lentils. If you start a vegan diet a couple of days a week, you might find you enjoy it. There are lots of on-line sources for recipes and support groups. Fruit such as apples and pears have abundant soluble fiber which removes cholesterol from your body. Most cholesterol is made by the liver so even if you are vegan, eating fruit is helpful.

I wish you well. Give this whole thing some time and you will feel more at peace, especially if you are doing everything you can to keep your cholesterol down and your exercise level up.

Donna

Just to follow-up - I've scheduled an appointment with a second cardiologist for this week, since mine is on vacation through the end of the month and I now have many questions and would like to get some different expert perspectives on options. (I mentioned earlier in this thread that my current cardiologist told me of the high calcium score just before leaving for vacation; after I read up on what this apparently means, I called his office and asked them to convey to him that I was very concerned. He did call from his vacation and leave a voicemail *emphatically * telling me -- three times -- that it was nothing for me to worried about, that it was "nothing for me to worry about" and that he was "just identifying me as someone who needs a little more aggressive attention.")

I did get the full results sent over from his office today. They are:
Agatson score: 397
Left main: 69
LAD: 256
LCX: 72
RCA: 0

I have since Thursday been on 20mg of Crestor. I am trying to determine what dietary changes make the most sense; there is just so much contradictory info out there on that front. And I'm trying to determine if there are additional medications to push for. Today, for example, I found a lot of info on PCSK9 inhibitors. If I'm reading it right, the idea is that combined with high-dose statins, they have been shown to potentially reduce plaque? This seems like a huge deal if so. I saw in one review of studies that the "target" range for achieving plaque reduction is LDL <80 and HDL >45.

On top of all of this, I'm just trying to figure out how alarmed I should be and how dramatically I need to change my life, especially when it comes to diet.

It's important to realize that the predictability of a cardiac event with a high CAC score is...only if you do nothing. No lifestyle changes, no meds.
Make the all changes, take the meds and the chances of a heart attack can go way down.

You can look up my old posts on these boards to see my previous comments but, in short, I also felt my cardiologist was taking everything way too casual. I asked around and found a highly-rated person who didn’t take insurance but I went anyway. He put me through a series of tests like a nuclear stress test, sonograms of my heart etc and said the blood flow was just fine. That put my mind at ease. He also prescribed an injectable drug twice a month that brought my LDL way down. Upping the statin dose hurt my stomach and from what I read online, it is not that successful in bringing down your LDL past a certain point. I also could not tolerate a baby aspirin. For some people, like me, it causes incredible heart burn. One night, I even thought I was having a heart attack but I stopped and that intense pain stopped. Any doctor who takes your heart health casually is not good IMO. I’d move on but know also that it’s not a death sentence. It’s all about blood flow. If it’s flowing, you’re generally okay. If not, it indicates a blockage but hey, I am NOT a doctor. Good luck to you.