SLO LIFE Magazine Apr/May 2019

How it Works
A coronary CT calcium scan, which is used to calculate a calcium
score, is safe, effective, and affordable—seriously, people, out-of-pocket,
without getting any insurance companies involved, you’re looking at
something like $150. The way it works is pretty cool, but you have
to understand a little bit of physiology first. This would not pass for
hard science, but we’re just two friends talking here. The bottom line
is that when your body develops arterial plaque—forget about how
that happens for now—a significant part of that plaque is made up of
calcium. That calcium, which calcifies, or hardens, becomes clearly visible
on a CT scan unlike the soft tissue around it, particularly the heart
which is, thankfully, always moving. The result is an image where arterial
plaque shows up as little white dots on the monitor. The more white that
appears, the higher the odds of heart disease.
Know the Score
The amount of white that pops up on the technician’s computer screen is
then measured and translated into an Agatston score, or calcium score.
A score of zero means no plaque, and anything over 400 means there
is some significant blockage. By the way, Agatston is the same guy who
invented the “South Beach Diet” and is one of the doctors who make
up a group called the “Calcium Club.” It should be noted here that the
Calcium Club is not universally loved within the cardiovascular medical
community, as those club members have been outspoken in pointing
out that the simple $150 scan is exponentially less expensive than the
alternative: coronary stents, a surgical procedure which may run as high
as $50,000 and even more depending on the length of hospital stay. The
Calcium Club members argue that widespread adoption of the calcium
scan would lead to a dramatic decrease in the need for coronary stents
because other preventative measures could be implemented ahead of the
need for surgical intervention and, considering that 1.8 million stents are
implanted in Americans each year, it would drive down overall health
care costs significantly.
Cholesterol Revisited
Do you remember that old T.V. commercial back in the day that
showed a bunch of eggs being let out of prison? Well, it turns out the
recidivism rate for eggs is quite high. They are being incarcerated in
huge numbers once again. We all know that eggs are high in cholesterol,
and many years ago there was a link made between high cholesterol
and heart disease. Eggs are bad, lock away eggs and throw away the
key. But, increasingly, this ideology is being challenged as doctors and
researchers ask, “Why are people with low cholesterol also dying of heart
disease?” Here’s the deal: Eggs are high in cholesterol, yes. Nutritional
studies, including one just released recently, consistently villainize the
fatty substance known as cholesterol. But, opponents to the philosophy
argue that we need the stuff, as it is a major component of all living cell
membranes and it is critical for organ health and balanced hormonal
function. Besides, the majority of our cholesterol did not come from
the omelet you had for breakfast, but instead was made by your own
liver. Those same opponents to the cholesterol dogma that has led to
the American food pyramid among other things, also point to research
showing that it is actually those carbohydrate-rich grains, which
comprise the largest portion of the pyramid, that are the causing spikes
in triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein (LDL), otherwise known as
the “bad cholesterol.”
74 | SLO LIFE MAGAZINE | APR/MAY 2019