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my Cornary Artery calcium score

Posted by ewcm20 @ewcm20, 5 days ago

looking for advice on my next steps going forward after my CAC score results. I feel like a dead man walking. Here are my results:
- left main agatston score 188 vol 141 mm3
- left anterior descending (LAD) agatston score 3082 vol 2341 mm3
- left circumflex (LCX) agatston score 417 vol 361 mm3
- right coronary artery (RCA) agatston score 1255 vol 1012 mm3

Total agatston score 4942 vol 3855 mm3. Puts me in the >90% of my age group.
I asked for the CAC test because the test results before this just used words. Doc just wants me on statins which I wont because of negative side effects and statins wont help lower my CAC score. Made life style changes, (no smoking: quit 35 years ago, no alcohol: been sober for 2 years, trans fats, watch carbs, etc) and exercise; walk 12-15 miles a week, lift weights.
I'm 65, no previous cardiovascular events, totally asymptomatic and have no blockage I know of. No family history of cardiac problems. Not obese. Looking for advice folks. Thx in advance!!

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gloaming | @gloaming | 3 days ago
In reply to @ewcm20 "@gloaming thank you for taking your time to respond to me. i am an alcoholic and..." + (show)
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@gloaming
thank you for taking your time to respond to me. i am an alcoholic and cant undo that, just trying to do the right thing for my body going forward. Now that i have the info from the CAC screening (other than " you have severe atherosclerosis") maybe we can focus on specific areas like you mention. Can some of the things you mention be done prior to a cardiovascular event or do i have to wait until i have a heart attack? No one has mentioned stents, bypasses, or dissections. i will though. thank you again.

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@ewcm20 I have been reading all the helpful responses just now and realize that one potentially important factor hasn't been mentioned, least of all by me. That is that inflammation, the chronic systemic kind, can exacerbate calcium and plaque deposition, especially if the endothelial linings and lumen of the arteries are affected. The typical/good kind of deposition happens between the endothelium and the lumen. It is helped by inflammation. You might wish to ask your PCP or cardiologist for a CRP (c-reactive protein) test. If it turns out that it's somewhat elevated, or substantially so, maybe you and he/she could talk about tackling that precursor first before resorting to a statin...which you'd rather not take, thanks very much.

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