I have a very high calcium score. What next?

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.

Hello Group. I am joining the group, hoping for some constructive advice. I just turned 50 last month. I was put on blood pressure medication just last year. My employee noticed a diagonal crease in my ear, and let me know about this thing called a "Frank sign". I looked into it, and thought I needed to advise my GP. I was sent in for a calcium scoring, and I hit a 282. 251 in my LAD. I was immediately put on Crestor 20mg, and a baby aspirin. I am as I see a lot of folks, very concerned about my future now. What really seems to confuse me, is my resting heart rate when I first wake up and check it is approximately 40-45 beats per minute. It has been for going on over 20 years due to my fitness regiment I held for most of my adult life. If I understand calcium scoring, I have a substantial amount in my LAD artery. This I would think would force my heart to pump harder, and generate more heart beats per minute in doing so, right? I am going in for a stress test next week. I understand blockage of over 70%, and the need for further evasive treatment options if needed will be determined after this event.

jan59,

I think that is a good thing ... medical professionals are busy; this, combined with too short office calls in many cases means doc and patient are not able to have an effective conversation.

The advent of the internet and the sometimes significant delays in getting an appointment with ones's doc, could mean a patient with a just received CAC score could have plenty of time to research and understand the potentials of the result. Plus, delays in test results are never good for anxiety for some.

Thank you so much! Sadly, it seems community screenings may be well intended but when grossly abnormal results get into patients’ hands before MDs have had an opportunity to review them, the wait and worry can be too much! Been there done that!

My GP has told me numerous times he has patients in his 90s with CAC scores in the 1000s with no cardiac events. Keep on the statin and keep that plaque stabilized.

Wow! Did I need to hear that! I am an older RN, who recently attended a luncheon and received the opportunity to have a complimentary calcium score and was utterly shocked to find I have a score of 1800! I’m asymptomatic and I’ve been on a statin for years. My recent cholesterol total was 170, LDL 98 and HDL 68. Thanks for the explanation!

As an old nurse that just had a calcium score test done, thank you for this explanation!

My math is a bit different - I get about 21% give or take - doing quick multiplier year over year for six years.

Don't have the timeline on when he started statins (or, at least I surmise he did) ... but this would account for quite a bit of it?

Thanks for the update. So his CAC progression is:

2003: 84
2016: 176
2022: 553

Something doesn't make sense with that. He had an 8% annual increase for 13 years then a 35% annual increase for the last six years 2016-2022. So something isn't right with that.

So, Mr Stamford say his three tests were: 84, 182, 553 (latest) ... perhaps because he started meds to reduce LDL (he noted his were now in upper 30s). I assume this means statins.

I invited him to post his story here.