Calcium around the heart

[Mollydog2017]

I recently had a scan for lung disease and , although my lungs are fine, the machine detected a calcium build-up around the arteries that surround the heart.

I am 67, normal weight, and l follow a healthy lifestyle.

Calcium is important for women of my age, should I stop eating it? Will I get osteoporosis ?

Any advice would be gratefully received.

[happyrosie1]

I would say that this is something to be discussed with a medical professional.

[Deerhoundlover]

Vitamin K2 good for 'instructing' body to deposit calcium on bone and not on arteries and valves. Can be bought as combo with vitamin D3

[Zindolo]

Are you referring to your "calcium score"? Where they put you in an MRI-type machine? Because I had that done when I was 57 and was told that I was at 504. Anything over 300 is considered high. I do wish I had looked into it more instead of just thinking "Oh NO, I'm almost twice over the limit!" Because there are some people walking around with scores of 1000 and even 2000! But anyhow, the cardiologist said I need AVR surgery and while I said "No" initially, I changed my mind upon learning that they can do that now without cutting your sternum all the way down. But the thing is, I'm in Texas, and the health care system in the USA is completely based on maximizing profit. I had an out-of-pocket maximum of about $9,000 so that's all I had to pay, but I could see all the bills my insurance was paying on their website (Oscar) and eventually they all added up to half a million dollars!!!

SO, did I have my aortic valve replaced when it didn't really need to be? (Also, I was born with a bicuspid valve and they're supposed to be tricuspid.) I suppose I'll never really know for sure. The cardiologist said I would be lucky to make it to 60 without the surgery, and I'm now 61, but there's no way to know what would have happened if I had not had the surgery. Anyhow, since you have public healthcare in the UK I'm guessing there probably isn't such a push to induce people into expensive treatments that they don't really need. Still, I would advise you to investigate the calcium issue more carefully than I bothered to do. I did go have that scan done again about six months after the surgery, and my calcium score was still 475! If I'd known that it was only going to reduce it by about 30 points, I'm pretty sure I would have never had the surgery! I called the cardiologist about that and was then told by one of his assistants that the surgery usually doesn't reduce it that much. But he told me BEFORE the surgery that that was the reason I needed it! 🤷‍♂️

[AtoZ24]

You can take Vit D and vit K2 alongsde the calcium. The K2 makes sure the calcium is directed toward the bones, not the heart. I don't know why patients are never advised this!!

[Pundit999]

It might be the calcium supplement you take or more likely it is just blockage you have grown in the arteries over your lifetime.

I think this could be serious and indicate significant blockages in your main arteries. You may want to get a CT angio to know for sure. Also you likely should be on optimal medical therapy: statins etc.

Also examine your family history: any relatives that had had a heart episode at an early age?

It is a good thing that they found this issue before anything serious has occurred.