Calcium Score - High Cholesterol Message Board

love2fishfork · 01-30-2007, 07:17 AM

About 4 years ago I got a heart scan and had a calcium score of about 450. Since that time I have taken statins, zetia, and Niacin and controlled my cholesterol well. I also do 45 minutes of cardio work every day at the gym. I'm not overweight and in fact fairly thin. I had another heart scan last week and my calcium score came back at 1040. My cardiologist says we need to get more aggressive with my cholesterol! What more can we do? It seems that I'm doing everything right and my arteries are clogging up anyway.

Anybody want to comment on my new score? I'm still not sure what it means.

running_guy · 01-30-2007, 05:48 PM

I have a coronary calcium issue just like you. My original heatscan six years ago was at 113. Three years later it was 178 even though I had been taking Zocor during that time. I have been thinking of going for another scan, but I am not sure I could handle the result. It could be really high by now.

After my jump from 113 to 178, I went to a heartscan cardiologist and he mentioned that existing non-calcified deposits may calcify during statin treatment. This can cause an increase in calcium score even though you have arrested the deposit of materials in the artery. Only calcified deposits show up on the scan.

Like you, I have controlled my cholesterol very well. I have NEVER had a TC over 200. My HDL has always been very high for a male (sometimes as high as 80) and yet I have considerable calcification.

I wish I had an answer for you my friend. All I can say is you are not alone. A good friend of mine (also a skinny runner with normal cholesterol) had a 500
score last year.

I assume you are not a smoker or diabetic? I was a heavy smoker until I was 29. I am 55 now. I am hoping that is the cause of my calcification....and it's not progressing because I quit.

Have your dr check your Lp(a) and homocysteine too...my Lp(a) was high. High dose niacin can bring it down to normal levels. I would guess your cardio has looked into these issues. If not, push it.

I am not convinced cholesterol is the smoking gun for many people with heart disease. Keep up the good lifestyle and you're doing all you can do. Don't let your calcium score cause you excessive worry. At least you know there may be a problem and you are dealing with it to the best of your ability.

Running_guy

Lenin · 01-30-2007, 06:02 PM

fishfork, running guy,

This test is FAR from being the gold standard in plaque measurements, it tends to run a lot of false positives necessitating angiography which frequently shows the calcium measurment as faulty. Of course the false negatives are far more serious becasue soft uncalcified but extremely dangerous plaques go unseen.
That's why most insurance companies won't cover the test.

The next least invasive action should be a nuclear stress test which will show up any blockages but unless you can do it cheaply, I wouldn't run up a huge medical bill without some other evidence of blockages...like pain and shortness of breath on exertion, basic stable angina.

DON'T contort your life around this one test...it just isn't a good enough test to warrrant that.

love2fishfork · 01-30-2007, 08:56 PM

I have actually had two nuclear stress tests in the past 4 years and passed both with flying colors. I am 51 never smoked and don't have diabetes. I can run 10 miles without breaking a sweat. I am also a scuba diver. My GP told me to never dive again which is BS.

Lenin · 01-31-2007, 07:54 AM

Then I wouldn't worry one bit about your calcium score...odds sound good that the results are totally dismissable,