High calcium score: I'm in shock

I'm not a doctor but I would not do anything invasive, not yet anyway. I'm in a similar position to you. You need to visit a good cardiologist, start taking statins to lower your LDL whatever it is. I now use Praluent which is an injectable twice a month and it lowered my LDL tremendously to the point where I almost do not need statins. Now I take a minimum does of 10 mg. You should also get a nuclear stress test and sonogram to determine if you have good blood flow. If you do and you get that LDL down, you have minimal worries, no more so than anyone else. Of course, you should cut down on red meat, lose weight and exercise but it sounds like you know that. good luck. please do not jump to invasive procedures before trying these measures. best of luck.

That book has helped me so much! I am sure it will help you too. Dr. Ford Brewer recommended it to me. They do have a second book also but I like the first one more but both very good.

Thank you. Best of luck. I just ordered the book on Amazon.

If you have calcified plaque that means you have soft plaque also. The soft plaque is what causes strokes and heart attacks. Statins will calcify the soft plaque making it less likely to rupture. A great book is “beat the heart attack gene” by Bradley Bale and Amy Doneen. ( Bale-Doneen method). I had a 2267 score 3 years ago and follow their advice and see a Bale-Doneen doctor. Best of luck to you.

How do statins save your life when they increase calcification?

Tomorrow you might consider developing a relationship with a PCP and a cardiologist ... getting a full set of tests to allow professionals to assess your health.

I'm thinking something like:
- CardioIQ advanced lipids panel
- start statins (and expect your CAC to increase because statins increase calcification, but might save your life because they do)
- stress test with echo
- peripheral ultrasound
- CT Angiography (CTA)

Perhaps a comprehensive approach?

I am 63 yrs. old and have never visited a doctor or had a PCP for about 30-40 yrs. I decided to start a medical record bc I don’t know where I am at in regards of my health. I found out my LDL is high so I went to a Calcium score test and hit a record 1,536 !!! My PCP send me a statin prescription and a Cardio appt. Cardio doc gave me 2 options: a) stress test who he says is 80% accurate and b) an angioplasty procedure. Like some I am in shock. I play tennis 3/4 times a week, swim, etc… and was not ready to even imagine I would be laying in a hospital bed for this monster procedure. I googled if I could reverse my calcium score and I understand this it not possible which makes me shocked again. Right this second I have a very weird type of anxiety…. The kind that won’t go away, like having an empty box that needs to be filled with something and I won’t know what to fill it with…is like an undetermined situation that needs to be addressed. My buddy at 58 collapsed 3 months ago and ended up in a hospital with 3 bypass surgery. Tomorrow I’ll go play tennis…. Until I can’t.

Very good point. For example, vitamin K is known to counteract what Wafarin does, so you don't want to be taking vitamin K if you're taking Wafarin. Always best to check with your doc about drug or vitamin interactions.

I overstated my point, because in fact, vitamin K levels need to be carefully monitored and followed by physicians for those who take blood thinners (usually for Atrial fibrillation).

Vitamin K in an improper dose (and it has to be regularly checked by specialists) can have the opposite effect of blood thinners - that is, Vitamin K can cause clotting (and in turn strokes and heart attacks).

It's to avoid that, that patients at special risk for that, take blood thinners. They need to be carefully balanced. In that sense Vitamin K can act as a poison for patients who need anticoagulants.

I don;t understand your comment. What does: Vitamin is pretty much poison for such. Mean>?