My dr wants me to get a calcium score study, should I?

hey there @grands08 - actually, "no." Statins only do a type of thing. It may do nothing to reduce the arterial build-up in your heart arteries if one has inherited CAD (coronary artery disease). My dad took statins for 25 years. It lowered it cholesterol (blood serum cholesterol numbers) but did zero from stopping the plaque damage in his arteries - even with daily exercise and eating right! (we come from a "produce" family). He had his first widowmaker heart attack at 58. He continued to have a triple (58), quadruple (72) and then triple bypass surgery at 80. He had to go for MANY stints in between! But his cholesterol was GREAT! Like you, we, apparently come from a family with heart disease. I took the LPa test and yes, I've got it. However, there are a VARIETY of mitigating factors in all of this.
I can't take statins. They put me on many years ago. I had side effects. I did ask to receive the LEVQIO injections twice a year. So far nothing has reduced my LPa score. Its (88). But this thread is about the calcium score which is CRITICAL! Mine is quite good. That allows me to take a deep breath and be thankful. There are a variety of good books now explaining how lipids deposit in the arteries. I am lucky to have been made aware that cholesterol deposits were a critical component in university nutritional chemistry classes in 1978. I have watched all these years to be careful. The science is different now as the industry is identifying BETTER the process of the body laying down plaque and what, if anything the science can do about it.
IF one values their life - and living that life with some kind of "quality of life" issues managed than one will want to have whatever tests are being made available to them. I have to PUSH for all of it in todays climate. It is a kaleidoscope of lipid types, and their numbers which must come to bear. The pictures 2 years ago showed I have one artery one third blocked and 3 others clear. (I am 68.) I brought my cholesterol numbers seriously down this year by increasing eating fish. that was the most impactful! But IF one's body is going to fabricate plaque deposits, we can do little by correct eating. We are going to need to increase exercise and look for medicines which help break down the body's building of plaque in a hereditary situation. Make sense?

Hello, I believe you should get a CAC scan. This will show for certain "if" you have plaque & how much. Cholesterol numbers are constantly debated, but there's no arguing with a CAC score. I'd also recommend getting a LP(a) & ApoB test. At least you'll know from imaging where you stand & can make an educated decision based on clear evidence moving forward. BTW, I had a CAC scan done in 2014 that was zero & just had another one done in 2024 that is positive. I've changed my diet & lifestyle even more to mitigate my risk. I recommend you do everything possible to find out where you're at, change what you know will make a difference, take meds if necessary & then "hope nothing bad happens". Then, you can say you've done all you can & see where the chips lay. Good luck & hope that helps.

Numbers re lipids would be very helpful, as well as CAC score.

So, positive means greater than zero ... given the importance of the amount, what was your CAC scoring number?

Hi, All I can say is that the test is your decision. At this point I can also only share what just happened to my husband and I regarding this issue. My general practitioner also wanted me to do the same test since my cholesterol wasn't coming down and actually all of my life I've battled with high cholesterol and triglycerides. My husband who is disabled so we never get to go anywhere much and I thought maybe we could both do it as a date together. It was a fast test and fairly reasonably priced since insurance didn't cover it. Thank God as it showed my scores were in the top 90% of people my age even though I also exercised regularly, ate very strictly on a renal diet and am not overweight. My husband also had score numbers of 4090 with 300 being normal. After this test he is now being taken seriously about his heart not feeling right. He is going into surgery this Thursday and hopefully they can help him in some way, whether by stents or open heart surgery. I will also have my first appointment with a cardiologist who can hopefully help me to lower my numbers. Until then, they have put me on Icosapent, vitamin D and are hoping that the cardiologist can help more. So, the test may not show anything or it may help to save your life. Can you update us with your decision and what you learn? Have a blessed day.

I will pray for a full recovery for your husband, and may you get all the help that is reasonable for you.

Hi, All I can say is that the test is your decision. At this point I can also only share what just happened to my husband and I regarding this issue. My general practitioner also wanted me to do the same test since my cholesterol wasn't coming down and actually all of my life I've battled with high cholesterol and triglycerides. My husband who is disabled so we never get to go anywhere much and I thought maybe we could both do it as a date together. It was a fast test and fairly reasonably priced since insurance didn't cover it. Thank God as it showed my scores were in the top 90% of people my age even though I also exercised regularly, ate very strictly on a renal diet and am not overweight. My husband also had score numbers of 4090 with 300 being normal. After this test he is now being taken seriously about his heart not feeling right. He is going into surgery this Thursday and hopefully they can help him in some way, whether by stents or open heart surgery. I will also have my first appointment with a cardiologist who can hopefully help me to lower my numbers. Until then, they have put me on Icosapent, vitamin D and are hoping that the cardiologist can help more. So, the test may not show anything or it may help to save your life. Can you update us with your decision and what you learn? Have a blessed day.