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
From the medical literature - bold is mine
1: Atherosclerosis. 2007 Jun;192(2):235-42. Epub 2007 Apr 30.www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/.../http:--linkinghub.elsevier.com-ihub-images-PubMedLink.gif Links
Screening patients for subclinical atherosclerosis with non-contrast cardiac CT.
Ardehali R, Nasir K, Kolandaivelu A, Budoff MJ, Blumenthal RS.
Stanford Hospital, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305-5233, United States. rardehali@cvmed.stanford.edu
Accurate risk assessment may be helpful in decreasing cardiovascular events through more appropriate targeting of preventive measures. Traditional risk assessment may be refined with the selective use of coronary artery calcium score (CACS) or other methods of subclinical atherosclerosis measurement. This article reviews information pertaining to the clinical use of CACS for assessing coronary atherosclerosis as a useful predictor of coronary artery disease (CAD) in certain population of patients. Coronary calcification is a marker of atherosclerosis that can be quantified with the use of cardiac CT and it is proportional to the extent and severity of atherosclerotic disease. The published studies demonstrate a high sensitivity of CACS for the presence of coronary artery disease but a much lower specificity for obstructive CAD depending on the magnitude of the CACS. Several large clinical trials have found clear, incremental predictive value of CACS over the Framingham risk score when used in asymptomatic patients. However, early detection of CAD by Electron Beam Tomography (EBT) screening has not convincingly demonstrated a reduction in mortality and morbidity. Nevertheless, relevant prognostic information obtained may be useful to initiate or intensify appropriate treatment strategies to slow the progression of existing atherosclerotic vascular disease. Current data suggest intermediate-risk patients may benefit most from further risk stratification with cardiac CT, as CAC testing is effective at identifying increased risk and in one study motivating effective behavioral changes. Randomized clinical trials will help determine if selective use of cardiac CT in the intermediate-risk patient would lead to more appropriate use of pharmacologic therapy and improved clinical outcomes.
PMID: 17467714
From the medical literature - bold is mine
1: Atherosclerosis. 2007 Jun;192(2):235-42. Epub 2007 Apr 30.www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/.../http:--linkinghub.elsevier.com-ihub-images-PubMedLink.gif Links
Screening patients for subclinical atherosclerosis with non-contrast cardiac CT.
Ardehali R, Nasir K, Kolandaivelu A, Budoff MJ, Blumenthal RS.
Stanford Hospital, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305-5233, United States. rardehali@cvmed.stanford.edu
Accurate risk assessment may be helpful in decreasing cardiovascular events through more appropriate targeting of preventive measures. Traditional risk assessment may be refined with the selective use of coronary artery calcium score (CACS) or other methods of subclinical atherosclerosis measurement. This article reviews information pertaining to the clinical use of CACS for assessing coronary atherosclerosis as a useful predictor of coronary artery disease (CAD) in certain population of patients. Coronary calcification is a marker of atherosclerosis that can be quantified with the use of cardiac CT and it is proportional to the extent and severity of atherosclerotic disease. The published studies demonstrate a high sensitivity of CACS for the presence of coronary artery disease but a much lower specificity for obstructive CAD depending on the magnitude of the CACS. Several large clinical trials have found clear, incremental predictive value of CACS over the Framingham risk score when used in asymptomatic patients. However, early detection of CAD by Electron Beam Tomography (EBT) screening has not convincingly demonstrated a reduction in mortality and morbidity. Nevertheless, relevant prognostic information obtained may be useful to initiate or intensify appropriate treatment strategies to slow the progression of existing atherosclerotic vascular disease. Current data suggest intermediate-risk patients may benefit most from further risk stratification with cardiac CT, as CAC testing is effective at identifying increased risk and in one study motivating effective behavioral changes. Randomized clinical trials will help determine if selective use of cardiac CT in the intermediate-risk patient would lead to more appropriate use of pharmacologic therapy and improved clinical outcomes.
PMID: 17467714
