I have a very high calcium score. What next?

Posted by dpframing @dpframing, Aug 24, 2018

Just joined the site and I'm looking to share with others who have had a high calcium score. I found out today that mine is 2996 and I am scared by this. I am 61 and I am totally asymptomatic. Now I feel like a walking time bomb. I am thinking of requesting an angiogram to see if there's any narrowing anywhere and if it can be corrected with a stent. After a second heart doctor told me that the plaque buildup might be uniform over the course of years with no big problem areas, I am encouraged. But the score still freaks me out, specifically my LAD at 1333. I don't smoke or drink but I have to lose 40 lbs.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Heart & Blood Health Support Group.

@mayoconnectuser1

So, next step is to decide what your targets are - not what the charts say is normal, since you know you are not a normal patient, but one that wants to lower heart disease risk.

Here's a link to one of many studies/reviews/analyses - European recommendations are different from US - don't get hung up on this. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5871968/

Chol - about 120
Trig - about 50
LCL - about 55 (some studies point to 25-55, below 25 the "goodness" starts to drop off
HDL - as high as reasonable exercise can get it (mine does not respond much to exercise - have been stuck in mid 40s all my life)

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I got the advanced Lipid panel, still awaiting my results. My regular panel is in. After being on a statin 20mg, and baby aspirin for about a month now, and watching what I eat to do my best its relatively clean, with more then customary exercise, I am seeing a nice improvement. I will need to keep up the good fight:

Chol - 117
Trig - 68
HDL - 44
LDL - 59

Like to see my HDL/Trig move another 20-30 down over time.

I go in for my stress/nuclear test this morning.

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@jaxson123

I got the advanced Lipid panel, still awaiting my results. My regular panel is in. After being on a statin 20mg, and baby aspirin for about a month now, and watching what I eat to do my best its relatively clean, with more then customary exercise, I am seeing a nice improvement. I will need to keep up the good fight:

Chol - 117
Trig - 68
HDL - 44
LDL - 59

Like to see my HDL/Trig move another 20-30 down over time.

I go in for my stress/nuclear test this morning.

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Improvement is good! Advanced panel will confirm and show what kinds of cholesterol you have.

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@gfmama

Curious if you had lipoprotein (a) test. My calcium high and also LPa. It’s genetic and was high as well. Which can cause high CAC

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I don't think so. Going back for my annual check up soon so will find out.

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I had the Calcium score CT a couple of years ago- result was 87, not terrible but it was all LAD Strong family history of CAD. I’m 78. I recently had a cardiac cath as part of prep for valve surgery All my coronary arteries were clean. The LAD calcium seen on CT was all on the outside of the artery! They don’t know why.

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I had a nuclear stress test and everything came back fine. Calcium sore test was 1865 what should I do or who who should I see next ?

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@pkoutou

I had a nuclear stress test and everything came back fine. Calcium sore test was 1865 what should I do or who who should I see next ?

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Welcome to Mayo Connect @pkoutou, you have come to the right place to learn more about high calcium scores. While waiting for others to chime in and respond to your question, I'd like to say that this site is a members site and not so much about medical advice, but we certainly can offer our opinions or share our stories.
Have you done a search on "high calcium scores" in the search area? There are several discussions you may find informative, from members with your same situation.
Obviously, only your doctor can guide you in your next steps, but you also may need to be your own advocate and push for additional testing.
Learn as much as you can, both here on Mayo Clinic and elsewhere. Be informed about choices available and ask your doctor to refer you to a cardiologist as necessary. High calcium scores can be very scary, and they certainly need to be addressed by your physician. Do you have a cardiologist already? Is this something that just came out of the blue, or have you had symptoms?

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@pkoutou

I had a nuclear stress test and everything came back fine. Calcium sore test was 1865 what should I do or who who should I see next ?

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Out of the blue. No symptoms whatsoever and just had a nuclear stress test and all results were normal.

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@pkoutou

I had a nuclear stress test and everything came back fine. Calcium sore test was 1865 what should I do or who who should I see next ?

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What is your age? Physical condition including weight?

Diagnosed with heart disease? High blood pressure?

What are your basic lipid numbers?

Have you had Cardio IQ (advanced lipids panel)?

What were the numbers from the stress test? METS, Duke, etc?

What were Ejection Fractions (EF)?

Are you taking a statin - which one and what dosage? When did you start taking the statin?

Sorry - but this is a bit of a game of numbers to begin with 🙂

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@pkoutou

Out of the blue. No symptoms whatsoever and just had a nuclear stress test and all results were normal.

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Hmm... that makes it harder to understand then, doesn't it? Have you done a search on Connect yet? It's at the very top of the screen...type in "high calcium score" and you will find dozens of prior discussions on the subject.

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@pkoutou

I had a nuclear stress test and everything came back fine. Calcium sore test was 1865 what should I do or who who should I see next ?

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Have you discussed the results with your primary care provider? Seems like this person would be the place to start. Then perhaps get a referral to a cardiologist? I got a high score also and am winding my way through it too. Waiting to see a cardiologist.

On this forum, I saw a recommendation for the book "Beat the Heart Attack Gene" by Bale et al. I found it to be the best main stream reference I've run across so far. It will give you some background and a starting place for mapping out a plan along with your care provider.

Good luck. I would be interested to hear back on the plan you come up with along with your care provider or cardiologist.

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