Calcium score anybody?

[rawdeal]

I was on 20mg rouvastatin and wasn't getting any benefit from it. Have been on 80mg atorvastatin and my ldl is below the low marker but my hdl is still high. Statins do nothing for hdl but with my ldl so low there should be no worries. Plus I am having no joint pain from the statin.

That's what I'm hoping ... that mediocre HDL numbers may not be too worrisome if LDL numbers are so low they give "the good cholesterol" very little "bad cholesterol" to counteract.

 

[Dr.Chowder]

I'm posting this in here since I see General Health section isn't near as active as here, and I'd like more responses.

Any of you guys had a calcium score done? They do a CT scan of your heart and it shows any calcium/plaque buildup in your arteries. I recently had this done. The lower the # on the calcium score, the better. Zero is pristine. My result was 220 - which on the scale they use, that translates to moderate calcium/plaque buildup in the arteries. Certainly not what I was hoping for, but my doc said considering my age (59), the fact that I've always been rather big, that I've eaten enough red meat for prolly 5 guys over my life span, and that I used to smoke, that 220 isn't so bad. He doesn't know about my gear history, but that doesn't help either. Anyways, he put me on Crestor and a baby aspirin every day. Not sure if the Crestor will help since my total cholesterol is very low at 110, LDL is in check and HDL is slightly low. Also triglycerides are in check. I've been taking a baby aspirin every day for 20 years now.

I was watching Dennis James most recent podcast, and he had Rich Gaspari on. Rich said he had a calcium score done and his was 900!

That's like a walking heart attack waiting to happen. My doc told me not to worry unless it was over 400.

Anyways, just curious if any of ya'll had one done. I initially got the idea from Palumbo, who has mentioned how important this test is to get done, especially for guys who have been running gear for many years. It's pretty cheap actually - they charged me $190 for mine. My insurance woulnd't cover it, but I felt it important enough to get 'er done so I just paid outta pocket. Any of you bros who have been on the sauce for years might wanna consider getting it done to let you know where you stand & to address it. Also, if any of you know much about this topic - do you have any advice/tips to lower the calcium score, or if that is even possible?

Just got labs done, ordered by my doctor, that included Calcium. Came in at 10mg/DL.

Reference range was 8.6-10.3

How can I find my calcium score like you did with this info?

 

[Dawgpound Hank]

Just got labs done, ordered by my doctor, that included Calcium. Came in at 10mg/DL.

Reference range was 8.6-10.3

How can I find my calcium score like you did with this info?

It's not bloodwork calcium marker - it's a CT cardiac scan in which the doc analyzes it and reports back the calcium score.

 

[Dawgpound Hank]

Yes vitamin K2 is what a lot of bodybuilders take for this buildup. I've been on it since I heard a podcast about a year ago.

Hank - I'm not a fan of Crestor...somewhat. How much is your dosage? Hopefully 10 or less. Its pretty powerful. I was on 20 at one time and felt like absolute crap with ghost pains and lethargy like a mofo. Doc then told me to suppliment with CoQ10 to help with the sides. Iit helped but not all. After about a year I said f-it and stopped. A couple years later he talked me into takign10mg Atorvistatin and I didn't have near the sides from it so I still take it. not all the time but I do take it.

I should get the calcium test though. Been thinking of getting it done for a few months now.

It's 10mg ed brother. I've only been on it for a lil over 2 weeks, but feel no sides thus far.

A lot of good info in this thread - appreciate the feedback fellas!

 

[Dawgpound Hank]

Get it done. If you have some it triggers all the needed follow-up tests. I had some that was scattered all around which totaled 400.
At first it looks bad. Then you get all the tests (Nuc-stress, stress-echo, etc), and it showed just tiny spots where statins were doing their job, calcifying plaque.
All arteries are wide-open, ejection-fraction of 65%, etc...

They explained 400 all in one spot could be very bad, this one totaled 400 and was nothing. People hear buzz words these days, jump in an get the test, think they are 100% fine.
Very far from truth. MY buddy Pete scored a zero on calcium, then had widow-maker heart-attack and stents put in. (Major buildup of soft plaque).

• A normal heart’s ejection fraction may be between 50 and 70 percent.

Like ejection fraction, people hear "65%, oh my god thats horrible, shouldnt it be 100%"??

No, your heart cannot pump 100% of the blood out of the chamber for each beat, or you'd be dead...

Really appreciate your feedback in this thread brother - learning some good stuff here.

 

[massimo1]

I take K2 & D3 together.

 

[rot-iron66]

Really appreciate your feedback in this thread brother - learning some good stuff here.

I went thru it all, so I try to help when I see folks post about it. The key is the follow-up tests.
If you dont show calcium, its good to get the more invasive ones for soft plaque as well. At least a stress-echo.

They do a stress test, then immediately do a unltrasound on the heart and arteries and it clearly shows how open (or not) they all are...