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Extensive Calcified Coronary Atherosclerosis (CAC score
101-400)
Our Cardiology Panel Report for Patients
and Physicians
Electron Beam (Ultrafast) CT examination of
the entire coronary system detected extensive calcified plaque "burden" at
this time.
A score of this magnitude indicated extensive
or severe calcified atherosclerosis. At least one "significant" fixed
coronary narrowing (stenosis) may be present, especially if there are any
other symptoms. Extensive calcification has greater significance in younger
patients (less than age 55) and usually involves multiple coronary vessels.
The overall risk of future cardiovascular events is very much higher than
average, but can usually be lowered substantially by directed therapy.
Very high scores are typical of patients who
have a history of established coronary artery disease or several important
risk factors. It is also quite common to demonstrate extensive calcification
in elderly patients corresponding to a higher prevalence of disease in that
group. Very high scores generally warrant a clinical (physician advice and
treatment) approach to coronary risk reduction and very close attention to
any symptoms of heart problems. In most cases, a physician's goal for
cholesterol lowering and plaque stabilization should be similar in
aggressiveness to that recommended for patients with a clear history of
heart disease (i.e., secondary prevention with a target goal of a LDL below
100). Daily aspirin is recommended if tolerated and antioxidants may also be
of benefit. Of course, decisions about therapy should be left up to your
physician, who will use EBCT scores along with other available information.
We recommend the use of high risk (HR) formulation of
antioxidants/micronutrients from Premier Micronutrients Corp. (please
contact our staff).
Your physician may decide to perform exercise
treadmill testing or stress imaging for further risk stratification and for
the evaluation of possible significant obstruction to coronary blood flow
(ischemia).
If conventional risk factors cannot by
themselves account for the amount of plaque that has developed, your
physician may decide to consider further risk factor evaluation (e.g.,
sophisticated lipoprotein blood analysis) to help explain the findings. If
extensice disease occurs in younger patients, it is often worhtwhile for
other asymptomatic first degree relatives to undergo EBCT testing.
Always remember that any chest or
cardiorespiratory systems (including chest pain or discomfort, shortness of
breath, etc.) may be serious and deserve clinical evaluation by a physician,
regardless of EBCT scores.
Front Range Preventive Imaging is a coronary
artery disease risk assessment testing facility only and cannot substitute
for a careful examination by a physician. All recommendations from our
center are suggestions based solely upon information supplied by the
conventional risk factor questionnaire and by EBCT scan results. The
patient's own physician is best able to make definitive therapeutic
decisions based upon careful history, physical, this report and other
testing, if necessary.
