I have a very high calcium score. What next?

Curious if you had lipoprotein (a) test. My calcium high and also LPa. It’s genetic and was high as well. Which can cause high CAC

I got the advanced Lipid panel, still awaiting my results. My regular panel is in. After being on a statin 20mg, and baby aspirin for about a month now, and watching what I eat to do my best its relatively clean, with more then customary exercise, I am seeing a nice improvement. I will need to keep up the good fight:

Chol - 117
Trig - 68
HDL - 44
LDL - 59

Like to see my HDL/Trig move another 20-30 down over time.

I go in for my stress/nuclear test this morning.

So, next step is to decide what your targets are - not what the charts say is normal, since you know you are not a normal patient, but one that wants to lower heart disease risk.

Here's a link to one of many studies/reviews/analyses - European recommendations are different from US - don't get hung up on this. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5871968/

Chol - about 120
Trig - about 50
LCL - about 55 (some studies point to 25-55, below 25 the "goodness" starts to drop off
HDL - as high as reasonable exercise can get it (mine does not respond much to exercise - have been stuck in mid 40s all my life)

Thanks for responding Jasper1072. Most of my lipid test results last I had one about a little over a year ago were within ranges. Little high on the triglycerides, 160. My blood pressure was high, 145/95, so thus the reason to start me on blood pressure meds. I was somewhat alarmed by the "Frank's sign" notification, but now with the elevated calcium score, I am somewhat uneasy. Especially since really, most of my score is concentrated in one area, LAD. Would you happen to have a view on my resting heart beat question, I just keep thinking all of this means low blood flow, and harder work for my heart, or higher beats per minute in this effort, yet, I am not seeing that thus far. I do intend to start a whole foods diet, lose some much needed weight I've been saying I'm going to lose for years, and increase my cardo. Also, any views on the increase YOY, I am hearing mixed feelings on statins, and its element on the increase it promotes by taking it, as well as just in "general" it can be between 8% to 30%. What is best practice to making it 8%?

Hi @jaxson123---we are not too different. I am 50 1/2, I have no medical issues other than an elevated calcium score of 170, but not all in my LAD---I think it was 86. I also have high cholesterol that is very very low now due to 10mg of Crestor, I to take a baby aspirin as per the recommendations. I mentioned in other posts, generally speaking most physicians if they are following guidelines will not send someone for a stress test unless they are symptomatic. Also like many people---including myself--I had an intense amount of anxiety and was sent for a regular stress test and a nuclear stress test (MPI). I also have no symptoms--thankfully all came back negative. I also have normal blood pressure. You will see a lot of comments about the value of stress tests...but I think it does provide piece of mind to some extent. Some individuals feel the need to push for Cardiac CT or catherization---all have significant amount of radiation and have some inherent risks besides the radiation. I am in the medical field and I am NOT dispensing medical advice, just making my own personal comments---it comes down to value vs. risk. You will see others here with much higher scores than yours...who wish they had your score! In the end, it is a wake up call that we are not impervious to disease and we can make changes to address the danger. Everyone is very different, keep in mind the CAC is only one test. Be optimistic all will be good, take a deep breath and realize in time some of that anxiety will go away. A friend of mine had a score of 300ish 15 years ago...and he lives a very normal life...just healthier. Good luck, let us know how things go.