To my friends,
My boys bought me a $400 MRI (Calcium Score) a test to see if my arteries were candidates for plaque. Well, this 53yr. old who finished well at our Michigan Masters meet didn't do well on his test. The score goes from 1 to 100 and the closer you get to 100 the chances of plaque in the arteries goes up. I ended up with a 99 and won a visit to a cardiologist who ran a MRI / Stress test. The good news is the drug I'm on (Vitorin) lowered my bad cholesterol and triglicyrides by 1/2 213 to 113 and 113 to 58. Don't wait my friends, get the calcium score and get some piece of mind. I may die today, but heck, I know I tried and I tried to spread the word..
I'm still lifting, biking, and swimming. Running the good race?? :angel::angel::angel:
Parents
Former Member
A calcium score greater than 100 indicates an increased risk of future cardiac events (heart attacks). This information can be used to identify those individuals who should be treated more aggressively with respect to risk factor modification (statin therapy, for example). The score does seem to correlate with extent of disease, however there is not a consensus regarding how often the scans should be repeated.
EBT is a type of CT scan which measures the calcium score; it is noninvasive and does not utilize IV contrast. A CT angio, on the other hand, requires an IV and the administration of contrast; it actually shows the coronary arteries and location of plaque (but not as clearly as a cardiac catheterization, despite claims to the contrary).
A calcium score greater than 100 indicates an increased risk of future cardiac events (heart attacks). This information can be used to identify those individuals who should be treated more aggressively with respect to risk factor modification (statin therapy, for example). The score does seem to correlate with extent of disease, however there is not a consensus regarding how often the scans should be repeated.
EBT is a type of CT scan which measures the calcium score; it is noninvasive and does not utilize IV contrast. A CT angio, on the other hand, requires an IV and the administration of contrast; it actually shows the coronary arteries and location of plaque (but not as clearly as a cardiac catheterization, despite claims to the contrary).
