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High CAC in athletic/endurance athlete

Posted by mla504 @mla504, 3 days ago

I am a small 58 year old woman and am also intolerant of statins and many other medications, but I do not have a thyroid issue. I want to share my story as a warning. I am an avid exerciser and often run my heart rate close or up to max levels. No issues and in great health, except for high LDL most of my life (120-180) but also high HDL, ( protective?). This year ratios changed and did a CAC to confirm I shouldn’t be on medication and it came back at 530. I was put on a statin and aspirin therapy. Then Repatha when couldn’t take statin (caused tingling). Stress test came back mildly abnormal (40% false positive). Was considering angiogram when suddenly experienced dehydration and tachycardia and ended up in ER twice- both times high BG but I do not have diabetes and HBA1C is 5.2. (Thought it was HA). Emergency angiogram showed NO PLAQUE in arteries. Calcium is external to arteries and related to exercise. Guessing Repatha caused high BG which led me down this road. Horrible experience. CAC can’t be taken at face value if you’re an athlete. I will never take medication again without full testing for a complete picture.

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gloaming | @gloaming | 3 days ago

I had two MIBI stress tests on the treadmill with radio-opaque dye. Both times my cardiologist ordered them, three years apart, because he thought I have ischemia (almost always due to blockages or stenosed arteries). In both cases, there was no measurable plaque. This was when I was in my late 60's. He referred me to an electrophysiologist to stop my fibrillating left atrium. As a workup for that, my EP wanted his own diagnostics to also rule out ischemia (no use in tying up his operatory with a heart that needed other more urgent care). He ordered an MRI, and then an angiogram. As the gentleman withdrew the catheter during the angiogram, he leaned over to my face and said, 'Minor deposits, you're good.' (He also muttered, halfway through, 'Too much ectopy!' My heart was actively fibrillating due to the experience.)

So, I was unfortunately exposed to about 1000 x-rays worth of radiation over those two MIBI tests, only to have a much less dangerous angiogram show I had no dangerous stenosis anywhere in my heart. A Doppler ultrasound of my carotids showed they are clear. As I said, already well into my 60's, male.....but a lifelong runner, some of it competitive. I think that made a difference.

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mla504 | @mla504 | 3 days ago
In reply to @gloaming "I had two MIBI stress tests on the treadmill with radio-opaque dye. Both times my cardiologist..." + (show)
Profile picture for gloaming @gloaming

I had two MIBI stress tests on the treadmill with radio-opaque dye. Both times my cardiologist ordered them, three years apart, because he thought I have ischemia (almost always due to blockages or stenosed arteries). In both cases, there was no measurable plaque. This was when I was in my late 60's. He referred me to an electrophysiologist to stop my fibrillating left atrium. As a workup for that, my EP wanted his own diagnostics to also rule out ischemia (no use in tying up his operatory with a heart that needed other more urgent care). He ordered an MRI, and then an angiogram. As the gentleman withdrew the catheter during the angiogram, he leaned over to my face and said, 'Minor deposits, you're good.' (He also muttered, halfway through, 'Too much ectopy!' My heart was actively fibrillating due to the experience.)

So, I was unfortunately exposed to about 1000 x-rays worth of radiation over those two MIBI tests, only to have a much less dangerous angiogram show I had no dangerous stenosis anywhere in my heart. A Doppler ultrasound of my carotids showed they are clear. As I said, already well into my 60's, male.....but a lifelong runner, some of it competitive. I think that made a difference.

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@gloaming similar experience. I don’t even want to think about how much radiation exposure I had this past week. Sorry you went through all of that!

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