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Diet Doctor Podcast · March 21, 2022 · 42m
Coronary Calcium Scores — The Test That Could Save Your Life
Dr. Arthur Agatston — inventor of the coronary calcium scoring method — explains how a simple, inexpensive CT scan can detect heart disease decades before a heart attack, why every adult over 40 should consider one, and how to interpret the results.
Highlights
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A coronary calcium score of zero virtually eliminates heart attack risk for the next 10-15 years
Agatston: a calcium score of zero means no detectable calcified plaque in the coronary arteries and a <1% chance of a heart attack in the next 10-15 years. This single test provides more prognostic information than all standard risk factors combined.•
Heart disease begins in the 20s but kills in the 60s — the 40-year window is the opportunity for prevention
Agatston: autopsy studies of young soldiers show atherosclerotic streaks beginning in the 20s. By 40, many adults have measurable plaque. The 40-year window between disease initiation and clinical events is the prevention opportunity that most medicine ignores.