1. < Heart & Blood Health

High Coronary Calcium Score: How do others feel emotionally?

Posted by mcphee @mcphee, Dec 14, 2016

I have a calcium score of 1,950 which is extremely high which means I am at a very high risk for a cardiac event,heart attack,stroke or sudden death.

I take a statin and baby aspirin. I have never been sick, have excellent cholesterol, low blood pressure and I am not overweight. I have no other health problems and I have never been sick. But I feel like a walking time bomb which has caused me a lot of stress. I am 70 yrs old.

I wonder how others with this condition feel emotionally?

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

bluesdoc | @bluesdoc | Dec 21, 2019
In reply to @tim1028 "Bluest of You mention taking high-dose CoQ10 along with statins. What do you consider high dose?" + (show)
@tim1028

Bluest of You mention taking high-dose CoQ10 along with statins. What do you consider high dose?

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I'm taking 200mg of ubiquinol. Not super high, but high enough for statin balance.

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tim1028 | @tim1028 | Dec 20, 2019
In reply to @bluesdoc "Thanks Martin. Statins would not directly affect coronary calcium, but if or when it is a..." + (show)
@bluesdoc

Thanks Martin. Statins would not directly affect coronary calcium, but if or when it is a marker for high intimal atherosclerotic load, then lower LDL 'might' help slow plaque formation. I know that it's questionable how effective statins are for 'primary' prevention. In our case, IF our scores are markers for intimal plaque, then I'd view it as secondary prevention, for which statins have a track record. My cardiologist tells me that his group's income is down since statins have been in wide use. People with heart attacks used to come back for a second or third coronary event. No more. Apparently. It's an odds game, just like the rest of life. I tell my patients that when they fear the disease they have, or might have, to not forget that somewhere there's a bus with their name on the grill. You just never know....

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Bluest of You mention taking high-dose CoQ10 along with statins. What do you consider high dose?

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1 reply
mark430 | @mark430 | Dec 6, 2019
In reply to @tim1028 "A year ago I had my first CAC CT scan with a resulting score of 1560...." + (show)
@tim1028

A year ago I had my first CAC CT scan with a resulting score of 1560. This year I had a repeat scan done at a different facility. The score is 250. What to do now? The original radiology group is no longer in business so I can't get a repeat there. My PCP is asking the cardiologist who read the most recent scan to review for discrepancies. Even if the 2nd scan is correct, it likely means that I will need to be on a statin. Any suggestions?

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Tim1028 that is an amazing difference; like they were doing the test on two different people. Please let us know if you figure out why there was such a great discrepancy between the two tests.

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wisconsin2267 | @wisconsin2267 | Dec 6, 2019
In reply to @wisconsin2267 "I have a calcium score of 2267 with no symptoms . Had a nuclear stress test..." + (show)
@wisconsin2267

I have a calcium score of 2267 with no symptoms . Had a nuclear stress test yesterday. The treadmill test I believe went fine but have not heard back from the Dr. about the imaging. Still stressed but hoping imaging went well as maybe they would have called me by now? Anxiously waiting.

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Stress test came out fine.

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virginni | @virginni | Nov 5, 2019
In reply to @tim1028 "A year ago I had my first CAC CT scan with a resulting score of 1560...." + (show)
@tim1028

A year ago I had my first CAC CT scan with a resulting score of 1560. This year I had a repeat scan done at a different facility. The score is 250. What to do now? The original radiology group is no longer in business so I can't get a repeat there. My PCP is asking the cardiologist who read the most recent scan to review for discrepancies. Even if the 2nd scan is correct, it likely means that I will need to be on a statin. Any suggestions?

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Take a statin and count your blessings!

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tim1028 | @tim1028 | Nov 5, 2019

A year ago I had my first CAC CT scan with a resulting score of 1560. This year I had a repeat scan done at a different facility. The score is 250. What to do now? The original radiology group is no longer in business so I can't get a repeat there. My PCP is asking the cardiologist who read the most recent scan to review for discrepancies. Even if the 2nd scan is correct, it likely means that I will need to be on a statin. Any suggestions?

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2 replies
wisconsin2267 | @wisconsin2267 | Aug 23, 2019
In reply to @heartbreaker "How do you get a calcium score? Is it part of blood work?" + (show)
@heartbreaker

How do you get a calcium score? Is it part of blood work?

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No, it’s a CT scan of your coronary arteries.

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heartbreaker | @heartbreaker | Aug 23, 2019
In reply to @colleenyoung "Welcome @mcphee. Such a good question to ask the community. Several people have used your exact..." + (show)
@colleenyoung

Welcome @mcphee. Such a good question to ask the community. Several people have used your exact phrase "I feel like a walking time bomb which has caused me a lot of stress" when talking about heart complications. I'm tagging a few members who may be able to share some of their experiences with high calcium levels, heart complications and the stress this causes. Please meet @jrismyname @hopeful33250 @predictable @michellr. I'm sure others will jump in as well.

In the meantime you may be interested in watching this video Q&A with Dr. Brott on stroke prevention.
- Let’s talk stroke prevention with Thomas Brott, M.D. http://mayocl.in/1sS5xvN

MacPhee - what has your doctor suggested to help lower the calcium score?

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How do you get a calcium score? Is it part of blood work?

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1 reply
bradmm | @bradmm | Aug 10, 2019
In reply to @bluesdoc "OK, some results here. I had a stress treadmill and perfusion study, and they were fine...." + (show)
@bluesdoc

OK, some results here. I had a stress treadmill and perfusion study, and they were fine. I did another CAC score and it is unchanged from a year ago at ~2600. I apparently wasted 3K on 20 chelation treatments. Oh well, I had to give it a try. I saw the article on minocycline possibly mitigating vascular calcium deposition. I assume most of you have come across it. I'll think about it. In the meantime, as I approach 73 years of age, I continue to take my statin and work out a lot. I'm otherwise going to do my best to not dwell on things I can't do anything about. None of us are gettin' out of here alive, so, carpe diem.
jon

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"I'm otherwise going to do my best to not dwell on things I can't do anything about. None of us are gettin' out of here alive, so, carpe diem."
This has been my constant call to my wife who, as a result of chemo from CLL, now has MDS. It was all very easy to sit back and play cheerleader until I passed out at a sub shop which led to a series of cardio tests and discovered my CAC at 662. Then i was the one freaking out! The stress test looked ok when under stress but, afterward, something looked odd so did a heart cath on Tues. My world changed again when that came back with 25% blockage except for a small spot on LAD with 40%. I was and still am elated!

I'm 65, have eaten pretty well and exercised religiously for at least 20 years but, just like my wife, somethings you can't control. Mine is most likely genetics but I never knew my father and maternal grandfather died at 66 from a heart attack. The MD who did the procedure said simply "keep doing what you're doing" meaning he thought I looked pretty good. So now my focus is to further improve on my diet and exercise. Admittedly, after I retired a year ago, I'd been slacking off somewhat but now I need to get back on track for the long haul.

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49yugo | @49yugo | Aug 6, 2019
In reply to @keithl56 "I have to be skeptical of any study with only 20 subjects that is funded by..." + (show)
@keithl56

I have to be skeptical of any study with only 20 subjects that is funded by the company making the supplement!

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I believe the study was funded by NIH. (The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health. MitoQ Limited provided supplements and some financial support.) It was very small, you are correct. If dramatic results were achieved, maybe a larger, expanded study will follow?

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