Ask a Texas Heart Institute Doctor
Informed patients make better patients.
Question:
Can you help me understand the health of my heart at my age of 63?
My nuclear stress test indicated possible LAD blockage. Therefore, I did a 64 slices heart CT. It ruled out the blockage. But can you clarify some of the findings: 1. The Calcium score is 24 which is below the 25th percentile for men of similar age. Does that mean my Calcium score is better than 75% of men at my age of 63? 2. My ejection fraction is 71% (norm is 55-70), so I am a little bit high and on the high side. Is that better, as I have a stronger heart ? (the ct confirmed my heart size is normal). Is that the cause of my high blood pressure? My blood pressures average 144/75 after taking Calan SR 240 mg and Diovan 160 mg. Is there anything I need to be concerned about or should I change the kind blood pressure pills taken? In the meantime, my cardiac output is 4.8 L/min, which is below the norm of 5.00, in spite of my high EF. Is that good or not and any problem on that? Besides, the CT also noted some very mild mixed atherosclerotic plaquings in both my LAD and right coronary artery. Please let me know your comments about the health of my heart at my age of 63. Thanks.
submitted by Michael from Pasadena, on 9/23/09
Answer:
by Texas Heart Institute cardiologist, Guilherme V. Silva, MD
Dear Michael, Yes, that means that your calcium score is excellent. You have less calcium deposited in your arteries than the majority of the patients your age. The test results in general show that your heart "pumping" function is excellent and there is nothing to worry about in that regard. Sometimes patients with high blood pressure have good "pumping" function but difficulties in "relaxation" of the heart. The way to assess this is with an echocardiogram. Overall you do have some plaques and deposits in your arteries so technically you do have coronary artery disease. This is a good thing to know because now you can prevent it from worsening by controlling your blood pressure well and aggressively lowering your cholesterol and triglycerides. Hope that helps.
See also on this site:
Has your question or a similar one already been answered?
Search the Heart Doctor or view a
complete list of Questions and Answers.
| Heart Information Center services are made possible in part by a generous gift from the Hamill Foundation. |
Updated September 2009
