Anyone get a high CAC score and go for significant lifestyle changes

[Donald]

My CAC score was high. Brother recently had a stroke. I am 72. I have been making small lifestyle changes but I think it's time to double down and really push myself.

And my Lp(a) is high risk. And thats generic.

If not now then when?

Anyone else heading down this path?

 

[Astro14]

Please expand on what a CAC score means.

It’s known by different names.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/heart-scan/about/pac-20384686

 

[Donald]

Calcium CT scan of the arteries around the heart.

 

[Kira]

While we await your specifics (score), one thing you can do which absolutely constitutes "doubling down" on lifestyle changes is lose excess weight for real.
Do you have any?
If you greatly reduce carb intake, as I did, you'll see massive improvements all over the place, as I did.

And believe me, it ain't easy.
Love of carbs is one big reason Mrs. Kira and I are together.

Other items mentioned in the linked blurb included meds/changes in meds, diet adjustment and exercise.
I am in no way anti-med or anti-doctor but the "clean up your act" suggestions seem universal and are worth doing FIRST.
Really jump on it, as you said, and see if you can effect positive change before going to the meds.

LEGAL: Kira is not a doctor

 

[Donald]

While we await your specifics (score), one thing you can do which absolutely constitutes "doubling down" on lifestyle changes is lose excess weight for real.
Do you have any?
If you greatly reduce carb intake, as I did, you'll see massive improvements all over the place, as I did.

And believe me, it ain't easy.
Love of carbs is one big reason Mrs. Kira and I are together.

Other items mentioned in the linked blurb included meds/changes in meds, diet adjustment and exercise.
I am in no way anti-med or anti-doctor but the "clean up your act" suggestions seem universal and are worth doing FIRST.
Really jump on it, as you said, and see if you can effect positive change before going to the meds.

LEGAL: Kira is not a doctor

I am not suggesting ONLY lifestyle changes.

I believe you find a doctor who is on the same page as you and then follow his advice. Unfortunately you only have 15 or 20 min with the doctor so reading up on things is also a good idea. Line up your questions ahead of your visit.

But medications alone will not solve all the issues. Lifestyle changes are needed (required).

 

[doitmyself]

I only "singled" down last year as I approach age 70 in a few months. For better or worse, I enrolled in the online Noom program for a bit of help changing my mindset. The program aims at a psychological approach to adjust your lifestyle. It's not crash dieting, it's smart dieting. It's not all or nothing. It's gentle change of lifestyle in the hopes that it sticks and stays. It works for me, but I can see it not a good fit for others.

Adjust diet. Stay active physically. Stay active mentally/socially. Be a self advocate for your health, with input from professionals. My opinion is if you "double down"/all or nothing, you have a better chance of failing and going back to old ways. Stay happy. If you make your life miserable in the search for absolutes, what's the point. The old adage "in moderation" works for me.

It's very tough not to become a curmudgeon entering the last phase of life. Everyone ignores my wisdom.

 

[Donald]

I may also have to give up Diet Birch Beer soda!! Or at least cut back significantly.

 

[User_19876]

I had a CAC done a few months ago. Early 50's. Wasn't bad. Only a tiny spot in the circumflex. The thing to remember is that you can have significant soft plaque that will not show up on the CAC. Soft plaque is considered unstable and potentially more likely to rupture and occlude an artery. I take Repatha, ezetimibe, and rosuvastatin. Apo-b below 60, LDL below 90, no idea what Lp-a is.

 

[alarmguy]

My CAC score was high. Brother recently had a stroke. I am 72. I have been making small lifestyle changes but I think it's time to double down and really push myself.

And my Lp(a) is high risk. And thats generic.

If not now then when?

Anyone else heading down this path?

Ive been making lifestyle changes for decades now. I think it saved me from the dreaded diabetes and heart by-passes of my dad and brother.
I had a Coronary Angiogram ( https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/coronary-angiogram/about/pac-20384904 ) done a couple years back, it is the "gold standard" to reveal plaque and/or blockages, it did reveal I have plaque "all over the place" around my heart veins but at low levels of 20% ... which I attribute to eating healthy. Nothing can be done for it except continue a healthy lifestyle.
However I do have and this is coronary artery disease.

Which brings me to my Lipo A ... my cardiologist tested for it two years ago being my family history and it's not good.

As you know nothing on planet earth can be done about it at the current time. It's in your genes. I think 1 in 5 people. Most never heard of it but it is now becoming more published being drugs are in the pipeline/testing to control it.

So in the meantime my cardiologist would like to get risk factors as low as possible for the typical bad LDL and all blood lipids. This will not affect the high Lipo A but with the other ones as low as possible still benefits your body. SO the goal is to try to get LDL down to 20 ... where the standard is 100 or less.

This is my latest Lipid panel less than 2 months ago. My goal is to get that LDL down from 59 to 20
I am now at an extreme diet wise, I am fasting 20 hours a day and leave 4 hours to eat. I was treated for prostate cancer starting in Jan 2025 and recently finished at the end of summer. Between radiation and the drug therapy I gained so much weight, never weighed so much in my lifetime and now correcting everything.
Still as my numbers show even with weight gain it was healthy foods but the drug Orgovyx and eating to much led to massive weight gain. I will be back to my BMI by the new year is my pledge to myself.

Good luck to you on your drive to take things to the next level! I get it, we get many chances in life and its not to late. LIPO A is uncontrollable but you can control the other bad cholesterol which my doctor feels that still benefits you, only having one bad number and controlling the others to ultra low levels.
I kind of like challenges, I know it can wear people down but I am not sinking with the ship and glad to hear you are serious about it too!

 

[Brian123]

I may also have to give up Diet Birch Beer soda!! Or at least cut back significantly.

Quit the Diet Soda today and get another Scan in 6 months or a year. There is nothing good about Diet Soda, lots of chemicals in it. I quit drinking regular soda 3 years ago.

 

[alarmguy]

...

Other items mentioned in the linked blurb included meds/changes in meds, diet adjustment and exercise.
I am in no way anti-med or anti-doctor but the "clean up your act" suggestions seem universal and are worth doing FIRST.
Really jump on it, as you said, and see if you can effect positive change before going to the meds.

LEGAL: Kira is not a doctor

Agree, lifestyle changes but also in this discussion is Lp A (the other bad cholesterol) and no matter what you do with your eating habits nothing will change a high LIPO A at the present time until a drug is approved. If you never had it tested everyone should. I THINK we are at the point where it's covered by insurance.
With that said yes, as I posted above will help by keeping the "traditional" Cholesterol numbers low that we can control, as low as possible but if you are 1 of 5 adults in the USA with high Lipo A you will ALWAYS have HIGH Lp A until a drug comes out.

"While lifestyle changes don’t affect your Lp(a) numbers, doctors recommend people with high Lp(a) stay active, eat a healthy diet, get enough sleep, avoid smoking, and maintain a healthy body mass index, or BMI."

https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/cholesterol/genetic-conditions/lipoprotein-a-risks

 

[Pablo]

Got a blood test coming up Thursday.

I have some debate with my MD

I think we can agree, genetics rides very high in the overall scheme of longevity, but laying about eating crap foods, smoking, will start chopping long life into that hugely.

As far as controllable things:

EXERCISE

AND

DIET

If you are not doing these things, kiss your ass goodbye.

 

[Donald]

Quit the Diet Soda today and get another Scan in 6 months or a year. There is nothing good about Diet Soda, lots of chemicals in it. I quit drinking regular soda 3 years ago.

I know diet soda is not really good for you. But at this point I am telling myself I will quit the diet soda when I am down below 200.

As for the CAC score. The good and the bad is calcified placque is not going anywhere. It's staying in your arteries no matter what given today's drugs and medical procedures. Very unlikely it will break off and cause a stroke or heart attack. So unlikely CAC score will get better even all I did was eat broccoli and drink water.

 

[Donald]

Agree, lifestyle changes but also in this discussion is Lp A (the other bad cholesterol) and no matter what you do with your eating habits nothing will change a high LIPO A at the present time until a drug is approved. If you never had it tested everyone should. I THINK we are at the point where it's covered by insurance.
With that said yes, as I posted above will help by keeping the "traditional" Cholesterol numbers low that we can control, as low as possible but if you are 1 of 5 adults in the USA with high Lipo A you will ALWAYS have HIGH Lp A until a drug comes out.

"While lifestyle changes don’t affect your Lp(a) numbers, doctors recommend people with high Lp(a) stay active, eat a healthy diet, get enough sleep, avoid smoking, and maintain a healthy body mass index, or BMI."

https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/cholesterol/genetic-conditions/lipoprotein-a-risks

I smoked 2 cigarettes (or tired and coughed) in the woods when I was 12. Does that count?

 

[alarmguy]

I smoked 2 cigarettes (or tired and coughed) in the woods when I was 12. Does that count?

Sadly when I was young, I smoked far more than 2, the stupidity of that makes me sick to this day... but then again, back then, you even got candy and fake cigarettes in the local 5 & 10 cents store made for kids. Geez.

Anyway, that was a while ago but thankfully until we just moved I had a really good Primary Dr. As I got older he insisted (and he got me qualified) that I get a yearly Lung CT scan. Upon me questioning him ... He told me, if I come in to see him feeling sick and coughing and a mass in my lungs shows up on an x ray that chances are slim to surviving.

However, if I go for a yearly CT scan and something shows up in my lungs that is cancer, it can almost be considered a cure catching it so early. So I go, my new primary Dr in our new location follows through every year with that scan and actually my annual scan is in a few weeks, first week of Dec. They compare previous years with the newest and make sure nothing is growing in there (or something like that)

DO you know what else shows up on that scan? A reference is made to it by the technician. Calcification in and around my heart. I have seen those images. You will notice bright white lines. That is the calcium that lines your veins or arteries.
I think it also showed up on a pet scan less than a year ago.

Be well and nice to see you and others take health serious. When we are young, we think we are invincible until we get older ... then stuff happens.

PS, past smoker I also qualified for a one time check of .... They check for signs of aneurism. I got the OK clear on that too. This can end your life as quick as you snap your finger I was told.

US AORTA SCREENING FOR AAA​

Results​

Impression​

IMPRESSION: No abdominal aortic aneurysm. Electronically Signed by: -------------

Narrative​

ABDOMINAL AORTIC ULTRASOUND: DATE: 11/-/2023 -------- HISTORY: Encounter for screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) in patient 50 years of age or older with history of smoking TECHNIQUE: Real-time sonography with image documentation. Gray scale and color doppler were performed. FINDINGS: AORTIC AND COMMON ILIAC ARTERY MEASUREMENTS: Proximal Aorta: 2.2 cm AP x 2.6 cm transverse. Mid Aorta: 2.4 cm AP x 2.1 cm transverse. Distal Aorta: 1.9 cm AP x 2.1 cm transverse. Right common iliac artery: non-aneurysmal cm. Left common iliac artery: non-aneurysmal cm.

I post this stuff so others may ask questions of their doctors. It could say your life and why not take advantage and be proactive?

 

[#18FAN]

I smoked 2 cigarettes (or tired and coughed) in the woods when I was 12. Does that count?

Did you try to better yourself today in any way strength train cardio or such

 

[Brian123]

I know diet soda is not really good for you. But at this point I am telling myself I will quit the diet soda when I am down below 200.

As for the CAC score. The good and the bad is calcified placque is not going anywhere. It's staying in your arteries no matter what given today's drugs and medical procedures. Very unlikely it will break off and cause a stroke or heart attack. So unlikely CAC score will get better even all I did was eat broccoli and drink water.

How many years have you been drinking diet soda and how much do you drink a day of this stuff?
Did you have parents that smoked cigarettes inside the house when you were younger?

 

[ripcord]

My last checkup showed my blood sugar was elevated (not to diabetic levels yet) so I'm on the big changes boat, too. I went and bought an OTC blood glucose monitor and used it in the morning and before and after meals for a week or so to figure out how to eat in order to keep my blood sugar down at modest, healthy levels. It really helped with loosing weight, I think. I'm down 20+ pounds in the past 2.5 months... The meter showed I had to cut out the carbs: bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, bananas (I'm part ape), cereal, etc. Instead I have big salads and a lot more protein everyday and walk in the evening when I'm tempted to snack on junk.

All these changes have improved my health in surprising ways. In a month, most all of the chronic tendonitis issues I had been struggling with for more than a year just went away. I'm sleeping better and just feeling better all around, too.

Everything I've been reading points to poor metabolic health being a significant contributor to all kinds of other conditions like cardiovascular and mental decline, etc. Elevated insulin and glucose is also associated with poor lipoprotein levels. Getting a glucose meter and testing your levels would be a good idea.

 

[SubieRubyRoo]

Quit the Diet Soda today and get another Scan in 6 months or a year. There is nothing good about Diet Soda, lots of chemicals in it. I quit drinking regular soda 3 years ago.

I gave up all pop cold turkey 3 years ago for flavored waters like Waterloo and Spindrift that have no calories or sweeteners but great taste.

They have been an amazing replacement for pop, and I’ve never felt better. I also dropped 35 pounds in 60 days, and 22.2 of that was pure body fat (taken on some resistance-measuring scale). Now, even smelling regular or diet pop literally turns my stomach.

The key is finding something you enjoy the taste of that’s at least sweetener-free (and hopefully zero calorie, then take a few weeks to train yourself- every time you crave a soda, grab the substitute. Your brain will catch on in about 10-14 days.

 

[goblin]

Ditch the diet soda immediately. Ditch all sodas. If you can't live without them - try a week or two on Seltzer. I realized the the actual addictive part of all sodas to me was the carbonized tingling part. If you need it sweet and have an Ikea in your neck of the woods - get syrup concentrate and mix it. Like this one:

It comes in other flavors too.
This thing is concentrate. You need less than 1oz at the bottom of a glass, pour cold seltzer on top. It's still sugar, still not good for you, but skips on many of the really nasty things you get in usual sodas.

If you have a trader Joe's get through one bottle of this, monthly:

That one is not for kids. No sugar whatsoever. Crazy sour.

And, force yourself to go through this book. Probably the best laid out work on the difference between calories and nutrients, the effects of different vegetable vs animal fods.

Eat to live, by Joel Fuhrman:

There are several editions, and frankly you can go with any of them. They are available on Ebay used for five bucks.
The cover is all about fancy-shmantzy weight loss and whatnot, but I suspect that it was chosen to attract attention, because if it was named "How to learn to reconcilliate your body with fruits and vegetables" it wouldn't sell at all.

It is not about making anyone a vegetarian, it is not against meat, it simply explains - quite well - how our taste buds are constantly conditioned by the processed foods we are exposed to, what it does to our bodies, and how to get through it. It's an amazing book.
This is from a cynic who scoffs at anything that says "natural" and could live off Doritos for months.