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Living with high calcium score
I am a 53 year old male. Just found out I have a CAC of 731. Most of it (699) is in the right coronary. I exercise 5 times a week , used to eat eggs every day (15-20 per week), cottage cheese and yogurt. Upon hearing this news, stopped eating eggs right away. Just trying to figure out what else to adjust. I don't have BP and am at a healthy weight of around 160 lbs for 5'8".
Doctor still has to reach out to me and I think most likely I will be put on Statins. I have high LDL and Apo(b), but triglycerides are under control.
The question I have is, how else should I adjust the lifestyle. I don't drink or smoke or eat meat. Should I reduce how hard I work out? I used to take my HR to 165 and whenever I did it I used to get a heartburn. I was thinking that the workout has triggered acid reflux but looks like something else is going on.
For those with high CAC , how hard do you work out? Should I stop hiking and running? Looking for some insights.
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leeds,
Your numbers sound like many on this site. You knew you had high cholesterol, but didn't do anything about it until you got a high CAC score - also pretty common.
You don't mention - good idea to get these done?
- stress test
- PAD test
- advanced lipids test
Thanks for your response. I followed my PCP suggestions all these years and now looking back, I should’ve pushed more for further testing etc. especially with my family history. When I look back in my medical records and it said HIGH on everything. I was always told “you’re young, active, not overweight etc” so no need to be concerned at this point and that went on for over a decade.
I did ask my current cardiologist about additional testing, and was told “not necessary at this point because I’m not showing any symptoms”. In my gut, I feel I need additional testing. I’m in the process of getting another opinion . I’ll see what happens & update.
Easy first thing that you can do yourself is get an advanced lipid test - one company’s name is CardioIQ - I think really inexpensive. https://www.questdiagnostics.com/healthcare-professionals/about-our-tests/cardiovascular/cardio-iq-report
Review the results and be prepared to make your case.
It’s surprising you haven’t had a stress test - even a basic one would be helpful in understanding. A stress test with echo would be an even better thing to get - standard stuff but you need to push - perhaps even drop back to your PCP instead of the cardiologist.
I’ve said this before on this thread so here’s the short version. To get my LDL down (it was around 80), my cardiologist put me on an injectable….first Praluent and now Repatha plus a 10 mg dose of Lipitor generic. In six months, my LDL was 5 mg! It was said to be too low so I cut the Lipitor to 5 mg and now it’s 25. If you want to get the LDL down, investigate injectable’s. They work! You take a very easy shot twice a month, self administered. It’s a piece of cake. The medication is costly if your insurance does not pay but Repatha has a $5 co-pay program which is pretty sweet.
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1 ReactionMay I ask if you had any side effects with the Repatha...or any with statin that changed with Repatha? Just concerned about any possible new side effects. Thanks
I've been on a statin since forever and since last October, added Repatha. Zero side effects other than seeing my LDL drop from 109 down to 27
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1 ReactionMy husband had a calcium score of 846 . We were shocked . He is 65 , not overweight , nonsmoker . He has been on a statin for 20 years before learning of his high calcium score .
Saw cardiologist , put on higher statin and zetia , baby aspirin , following Mediterranean diet , cardio 150 min per week .
He passed stress test and had a normal EKG .
Dr said he doesn’t need angiogram now because he passed the stress test and EKG .
I feel like it’s Russian roulette .
Any advice ?
Can you live a normal life with a high calcium score ?
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Yes! I found out I had a CAC of 1100 when I was 61, six years later it is 1300. As long as your husband is asymptomatic there is nothing more to do than what you are doing right now. It is stressful at first, but you learn to live with it. Enjoy life and work on that bucket list.
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1 ReactionThank you .
It has been very concerning.to us .
Are you on a statin ?
For 6 yrs my cardiologist ordered a stress test every year that always showed everything was fine. They would not give me a catherization because the stress test always said everything is normal. Went back and saw another doctor in the group after yet another stress test. He looked at the results and said what are you doing here, everything is fine. Told him over the past 6 years I was dizzy and had passed out in shower in gym several times after a workout. That is the reason why so many stress tests, that always showed everything was fine. He ordered a calcium score test and when I went back for results he told me this test probably saved my life. My score was 960 and because it was high he was able to order a catherization for the next day.. results were that my left aortic was 87 % blocked and the inserted 2 stents. The doctor said it is called the “Widow Maker”. I was a walking time bomb for all the years the stress test said everything was fine !!