1. < Heart & Blood Health

I have a very high calcium score. What next?

Posted by dpframing @dpframing, Aug 24, 2018

Just joined the site and I'm looking to share with others who have had a high calcium score. I found out today that mine is 2996 and I am scared by this. I am 61 and I am totally asymptomatic. Now I feel like a walking time bomb. I am thinking of requesting an angiogram to see if there's any narrowing anywhere and if it can be corrected with a stent. After a second heart doctor told me that the plaque buildup might be uniform over the course of years with no big problem areas, I am encouraged. But the score still freaks me out, specifically my LAD at 1333. I don't smoke or drink but I have to lose 40 lbs.

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bitsygirl | @bitsygirl | Sep 10, 2023
In reply to @questionofbalance "I'm 64 and thought in decent shape, a bit overweight, and scored 700. I was shocked..." + (show)
@questionofbalance

I'm 64 and thought in decent shape, a bit overweight, and scored 700. I was shocked as many and there isn't guidance except seeing cardiologist, who are booked for two months. Epidemic?
I eat well and make most meals, mostly plant based with seafood and chicken.
Hurt my knee last year and after 45 years of running had to back down to walking 4 miles.
I'd like to do some light jogging/walking for four miles and I'm doing knee exercises. I got heart rate up to 168 jogging but worried should I not push myself more? Most info says diet and exercise but limits according to score aren't mentioned.
My goal was to back down to 10mg of Lipitor after being on 20 for 20 years. Doc said yes, but first do calcium score. After score he advised going up to 40mg and take aspirin. Aspirin bothers my system so i stopped taking it.
Reading more about K2 helping with heart but it clots blood. Also, seems I should have been taking CoQ10, which I'm doing now. I backed off of K2 because I think more research needed and trying to get it from pasture raised eggs, some cheeses (which is saturated fat) high in K2, and other prepped foods high in K2.
Off for a light run/walk - thinking I go light until I see cardiologist. May last run I felt fine.

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@questionofbalance : I was in a similar situation a few months ago. I had to take 4 months off running (after running for more than 20 years) because of Polymyalgia Rheumatica, an inflammatory thingie. At the end of that time, I got a score of 600. I had a stress test before I started running again. I was told that aerobic exercise is fine, but to avoid an RPE of “hard”. I think you are wise to wait to start ramping up until you talk to someone and get a stress test. But I think you will absolutely be able to get back to training at a decent level. I found the book “Beat the Heart Attack Gene” to be helpful. Sometimes books in the popular literature are iffy, but most of the things the book mentions I have also found to be true in my light read of more ‘“trusted” resources. It’s at least a place to get started trying to get your arms around this diagnosis.

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kdion | @kdion | Sep 14, 2023
In reply to @christianzane "Cardiologists… BTDT, been there done that. If you are otherwise a healthy individual with no symptoms..." + (show)
@christianzane

Cardiologists… BTDT, been there done that. If you are otherwise a healthy individual with no symptoms the most a reputable cardiologist will do is put you on a statin and perhaps give a stress echocardiogram or nuclear scan. If the stress echo results are normal the doctor will advocate for aggressive lifestyle changes: regular exercise, balanced mostly plant based diet, abstaining from smoking and excessive alcohol and keep BP in check. Regular check-ups/blood work with your GP are important.

Also keep in mind if you have an elevated calcium score it has been high for a VERY long time. And how are you doing now? Fine and probably asymptomatic.

CAC score isn’t a death sentence; it’s a wake-up call.

If no symptoms don’t get tricked into an invasive coronary angiogram without any functional testing like stress echocardiogram or nuclear testing. And resist the unnecessary angioplasty.

Get on a statin. I resisted like an dummy for 20 years, my father started taking them when they first came out in the 1980s I believe it was, and when he recently turned 85 years old I realized he was just doing fine on them and my fears were irrational. The statin will stabilize the soft plaque and prevent it from breaking off and forming clots.

Calcium is just one piece of the puzzle, while this illustration isn't scientific it gives a good overall picture.

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#christianzane. Thanks for your comment. Two weeks ago I got a score of 535. I have taken an 2d echo and today a nuclear stress test. The 2d echo was great. I have great blood pressure, always have. And healthy weight.

If the stress test doesn’t show anything, I believe my doc is just recommending lifestyle changes: diet, exercise, statin, hydration, etc. I was thinking I needed another doc, to see about more testing. Listening to YouTube Cardiologist, I am hearing CT Angiogram, CIMT, etc.
I thought my doc wasn’t doing enough.

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kdion | @kdion | Sep 14, 2023
In reply to @questionofbalance "I'm 64 and thought in decent shape, a bit overweight, and scored 700. I was shocked..." + (show)
@questionofbalance

I'm 64 and thought in decent shape, a bit overweight, and scored 700. I was shocked as many and there isn't guidance except seeing cardiologist, who are booked for two months. Epidemic?
I eat well and make most meals, mostly plant based with seafood and chicken.
Hurt my knee last year and after 45 years of running had to back down to walking 4 miles.
I'd like to do some light jogging/walking for four miles and I'm doing knee exercises. I got heart rate up to 168 jogging but worried should I not push myself more? Most info says diet and exercise but limits according to score aren't mentioned.
My goal was to back down to 10mg of Lipitor after being on 20 for 20 years. Doc said yes, but first do calcium score. After score he advised going up to 40mg and take aspirin. Aspirin bothers my system so i stopped taking it.
Reading more about K2 helping with heart but it clots blood. Also, seems I should have been taking CoQ10, which I'm doing now. I backed off of K2 because I think more research needed and trying to get it from pasture raised eggs, some cheeses (which is saturated fat) high in K2, and other prepped foods high in K2.
Off for a light run/walk - thinking I go light until I see cardiologist. May last run I felt fine.

Jump to this post

Where did you hear about K2 causing clots? What I am being told is that it removes calcium from the blood stream and increases calcium in the bone (where it belongs). I would hate to be taking the wrong supplement.

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writer418 | @writer418 | Sep 18, 2023
In reply to @hikerguy62 "@pumaguy79 At a CAC score of 8000, did you ever need a stent? Have you ever..." + (show)
@hikerguy62

@pumaguy79 At a CAC score of 8000, did you ever need a stent? Have you ever felt any chest pain? That's quite a score! My score this past March was 2534 (at 61 years of age). Absolutely asymptomatic at this point. I consider myself pretty fit for my age. I walk about a mile 5-6x a week, exercise every other day (sandbag training), mostly vegetarian, no alcohol, no smoking. I was put on 20mg Crestor/Rosuvastatin shortly after receiving my score and started taking D3, K2 and CoQ10 shortly after receiving my score. I chose NOT to go on a baby aspirin though due to the risk of stroke, brain hemorrhage and stomach ulcers.

Just curious how you feel with a score that high.

Thanks,

Andy

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Speaking of baby aspirin, I too decided NOT to take it but only after realizing I am one of those people to whom it causes major heartburn. It got so bad one night, I thought I was having a heart attack but no, it was only baby aspirin. My doc told me that when they did original studies, there found this subgroup of people who cannot tolerate the aspirin but it's not widely publicized....gee, I wonder why not? 🙂

p

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writer418 | @writer418 | Sep 18, 2023

Update on effects of taking Praluent/Repatha for a year.
When I came out with a calcium score of 642, I was worried but my cardiologist was not after giving me a nuclear stress test and echocardiogram. He did put me on a PKS9 inhibitor ....Praluent which became Repatha when my insurance company would no longer pay for Praluent. BTW, Repatha is very consumer friendly. I make a pretty decent salary in the three figures, have private health insurance and still qualified for the $5 co pay each month. I believe it will go on for a year, we'll see. But anyone interested should sign up at the Repatha website. When I told my GP this, he said: "Wow that was a $5,000 a month drug when it started." I've read A LOT about heart health my friends and learned that the best you can do is to take a statin combined with a PKS9 inhibitor like Repatha. Okay so after a year, my new blood test showed an overall cholesteral score of 77 and an LDL score of 5!!! i was pretty astonished by that. It was about 80 a year ago and the docs said they wanted to get it below that. Well, it's below that all right. Now my GP tells me it's too low and it should be about 25. My cardiologist says not really but he cut my statin in half from 10 mg to 5. I have another blood test coming up and I'll keep you posted. Wow!!

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pumaguy79 | @pumaguy79 | Sep 18, 2023
In reply to @drrawat "Obviously you are doing good. You are an inspiration. Best wishes!" + (show)
@drrawat

Obviously you are doing good. You are an inspiration.
Best wishes!

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Everyone with interest or concern about high calcium scores should read the blogs of noted Harvard Cardiologist, Doctor Bernard Lown, founder of the Lown Institute ( deceased in his 90's in 2021) especially Essays #28 and #31.
Dr. Lown was considered a renegade who challenged the "industry" of over treating folks such as us who
are handed high calcium scores, are invited into heart cath labs, given grave prognoses, and ultimately( irresistibly) subjected to Coronary Artery Bypass Graft surgery(CABG).

He rails against the modern practice of some cardiologists to use fear tactics over logic sometimes out of conviction, but always with economic consequences for the patient and the doctor(s).

Please read Doctor Lown's own words.

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1 reply
HomeAgainLA | @llynch17056 | Sep 19, 2023
In reply to @dpframing "Exaclty what I had- check out my post today2 hours ago · Coronary artery Ectasia (CAE)..." + (show)
@dpframing

Exaclty what I had- check out my post today2 hours ago · Coronary artery Ectasia (CAE) in Heart & Blood Health

I got a 2996 score on the Agatston test. I got scared, and I successfully pleaded to my doctor to authorize an Angiogram.
Before the test, I met with the procedure doctor and he said possibly the majority of the calcium was in the walls of my arteries, and
not in the arteries themselves, which would cause a blockage or narrowing. That turned out to be the case, and he said a stent was not needed.
However, the angiogram did show a significant amount of ectasia in the top sections of the 4 main arteries. A serious and rare condition,
affecting 5% of heart patients,it's the enlargement of the arteries to at least 1.5 times their regular size which can create a slowdown of bloodflow, and most seriously, clots. It is best managed by diet, exercise and medication, especially aspirin and Plavix. I'm on BP meds and a statin too. And I have to lose 35 pounds.

I would be grateful to hear from others who have this condition, and how they are dealing with it.

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What exactly does an angiogram tell you? Is it the test where they stick those cords on your chest and read something that looks like the results of lie detector test?

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nbv2020 | @nbv2020 | Sep 30, 2023

This is the first time I join a group like this. I'm a 75 YO male, otherwise in excellent health, except that I recently received a high Coronary Artery Calcium Score (CACS). (See below) I joined this group to post my complete story of the recent journey. I'm scheduled for this this CT Angio Hrt W/Cont W/3D W/FFRCT prn in couple of days. I'm very grateful to this group for giving me comfort in knowing that high CACS score is not the end of my life any day now as defined on the test results. I wanted to join now so that I would be able to post some links in couple of weeks.
My CACS Score on Aug-31-2023
Left Main Coronary = 0
Right Coronary = 301
Left Anterior Descending = 801
Left Circumflex = 114
Posterior Descending = 0

I had a CACS done in 2006 because my brother who is 2 years older than me had 4 way bypass.
My 2006 CACS Scores Defined on the Test Results as: Volume130 & AJ-r30 (in a two column table).
Left Main Artery (LMA) 0 0
Left Anterior Descending (LAD) 92 & 115
Left Circumflex (GCX) 0 0
Right Coronary Artery (GCA) 0 0
Posterior Descending Artery (PDA) 0 0
Total 92 & 115

I will post further details of my recent CACS score and what followed. I'm very grateful to this group. Thanks

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questionofbalance | @questionofbalance | Oct 1, 2023

Are you exercising now and how much and how strenuous? Are you on statins?

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1 reply
cianci | @cianci | Oct 1, 2023
In reply to @pumaguy79 "Everyone with interest or concern about high calcium scores should read the blogs of noted Harvard..." + (show)
@pumaguy79

Everyone with interest or concern about high calcium scores should read the blogs of noted Harvard Cardiologist, Doctor Bernard Lown, founder of the Lown Institute ( deceased in his 90's in 2021) especially Essays #28 and #31.
Dr. Lown was considered a renegade who challenged the "industry" of over treating folks such as us who
are handed high calcium scores, are invited into heart cath labs, given grave prognoses, and ultimately( irresistibly) subjected to Coronary Artery Bypass Graft surgery(CABG).

He rails against the modern practice of some cardiologists to use fear tactics over logic sometimes out of conviction, but always with economic consequences for the patient and the doctor(s).

Please read Doctor Lown's own words.

Jump to this post

Interesting. Have you asked your cardiologist about Dr Lown?
Wonder what Mayo Clinic would say

REPLY
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