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I have a very high calcium score. What next?

Heart & Blood Health | Last Active: Jun 23 7:02pm | Replies (346)

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@tylindy

Yes, that is the correct link and it uses existing heart disease (positive Ca score) as one of the risk elements. Making the right changes in lifestyle can push risk way down. I spoke to my doctor yesterday at length and he was very supportive, wants me to stop worrying and that my risk of a cardiac event are very low considering my meds, diet, weight loss and working out daily. My mom started statin treatment at 40. I should've done the same, but just didn't know. What is done is done, all I can do is limit new plaque burden and enjoy life. It is hard to get it out of your mind completely, in fact, my doctor said he somewhat regretted having me take the test as the burden maybe outweighs the value of the information. I had plenty of risk factors already that were motivating me to change prior to the test results. There is a good argument to made for not putting this burden on asymptomatic patients. This article resonated with me, "The Case Against Coronary Artery Calcium Scoring for Cardiovascular Disease Risk Assessment" Mandrola et al 2019 Am Fam Physician.

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Replies to "Yes, that is the correct link and it uses existing heart disease (positive Ca score) as..."

An interesting article, but I kept hearing, "You don't need to know what is going on, we'll let you know what to do."

Probably an unfair assessment on my part ...

Crestor and zetia

@tylindy
I read that article early on when I received an abnormal Ca Score. It did make me think a bit.
I also took the Arizona Score...I received a score of 7 which they consider low risk...made me feel better also.
Let me point the group to another article...it really hit home for me, because this journalist had almost the EXACT same profile as me...and he had a follow-up article about his experience 10 years later. Article: "I thought my heart attack risk was low. A coronary calcium scan told me otherwise." in the Washington Post... https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/i-thought-my-heart-attack-risk-was-low-a-coronary-calcium-scan-told-me-otherwise/2019/07/19/893da806-774b-11e9-b3f5-5673edf2d127_story.html