High Coronary Calcium Score: How do others feel emotionally?

Hello @robertaholmes and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. Your message is a good one to advise other members to be very present and aware of their care and treatment plans. It sounds as though you have done considerable research that has kept you on top of both your level of health as well as what your lab results mean.

I see you mention that you have ordered a complete parathyroid and renal ultrasound and laboratory work up. When is that appointment?

This looks like a old discussion but will reply and add my details and comments. I am a 67 yo f and recently had a ct ld calcium scan after I noticed a cartoid artery blockage on ultrasound. My scan result was 1852. I then ordered a NMR to evaluate the makeup of my LDL and just like I suspected my small dense LDL was over a 1000. I had been taking 40 mg of pravastatin for over 20 years. This was shocking to me as my LDL Total was always in the 70's as was my HDL with my triglycerides almost always under 100. This was a enigma. I consulted with my cardiologist and endocrinologist about this and inquired as what would be a good treatment plan. The cardiologist told me that they don't normally test for particle size and do calcium scans as if they find something there is no FDA approved treatment. Here I had been going along fat dum and happy thinking all my cholesterol testing done over the past 20+ years indicated that I had 1/2 the risk of a Mace and now to find out it exceeded 10x+ the
risk. The medical "standard of care" is a broken model. If I had not taken it on my own to grab my own care by the horns I would not know I was a walking time bomb. Addionally it is a little known secret buried deep in the bowls of the medical literature that statins INCREASE arterial calcium.

I now fear this calcium is also effecting my renal system as my eGFR has been falling and Creatine has been increasing. I have now scheduled a complete parathyroid and renal ultrasound and laboratory work up. To see if my suspicions are again correct.

PLEASE DON'T LET YOUR CARE BE ON AUTOPILOT.

To reinforce the medical "standard of care" model is severely broken I argued in great detail why stopping the PSA test was such a hairbrained idea. They eventually brought it back and told the medical school profs a big I told you so. You have to realize the standard of care model is nothing more than a crude attempt at a cost versus benefit and utilizes a VERY BROAD basket of individuals with no understanding of the fact we're unique!

Sincerely

Roberta Holmes

I have tried all the vitamins with no results. You may need megadoses of V-K to see results but wasn't willing to go that far. Most likely will try next the biophosphates. BTW there are very few true experts on this phenomenon in the world.

Try researching NIH.gov (National Health Institute). They have several studies showing that Vitamin K2 MK-7 helps reduce cardiac calcification.

Thanks. I wish that info were on this forum because I don’t Facebook!

Hey everyone. There is a Facebook private group. Coronary Artery Calcification. Lots of great info, Studies, etc. also physicians with great input. Come check us out.

Perhaps there is a family history of heart problems, @davej. If there is, this might explain why your calcium score is so high in spite of your healthy lifestyle.

Hello @elwood

To find out whether the CT for a calcium score is standard or low dose would be a good question to ask your cardiologist. Are you currently having symptoms that have concerned you, or your doctor, about your calcium score? Is there a family history of heart disease?

I also generally opt for an MRI over a CT as well but for some diagnoses, the CT is still the better choice. The risks from procedures are something that we all have to decide for ourselves. Often the risk of not knowing what might be going on in our body is greater than the risk of radiation i.e., the possibility of having an undiagnosed cardiovascular disease (which could lead to very serious heart problems) which could be treated if you understood what the problem is by doing a scan.

I'd be interested in hearing from you again.

This is davej and my score was 2450 I think I eat right dont drink or smoke ride bike or walk every day eat veggies and fruit try to eat wild caught fish and grass fed beef limited and free range chickens nobody knows why score is so high maybe statins I'm takin

Yes, to comment with any meaning, it'd be good to know the CAC score, lipids, other risk factors including BP issues, smoking, family history, personal history of coronary or other significant illness, meds used, exercise level and tolerance...... ie, what your doc would want to know. Though this forum is not for medical professionals, I just happen to be one and the not-so-proud owner of a sky-high CAC level. jon

Hi @jackandjill88 I'd like to welcome you to Mayo Clinic Connect. You will see that I moved your comment to a previous discussion that has been started about the Heart Calcium Test. This allows you to connect with other members of Connect that are going through the same experiences and a great way to read others stories. Here on Connect we are not medical professionals and cannot offer medical advice, but we can offer stories,health experiences and compassion. I am so sorry you are worried about the risk of a heart attack due to your recent heart calcium score. I'd like to invite @pcspetpro, @bluesdoc, @mark430, @botexas, @bradmm, and @thankful back to the conversation to perhaps offer some insight.

Can you share with us what your score was? Is this the first time you have had a CAC test done?