Don’t let your doc overlook this vital test in 2025

I’m starting to believe that for every one thing mainstream doctors know… there’s are two they don’t—and I can’t figure out why.

Is it lack of training or continuing education?

Is it having to follow the rules of whatever profit-driven organization they work for?

Or is it just plain apathy?

I’ve often been accused of being ahead of my time. But I’m also incredibly inquisitive and rarely accept the status quo for an answer.

I’m always on the lookout for the best way to prevent illness and disease in myself and all of you. And there’s one health score that I believe helps me stay ahead of the curve…

An unintentional discovery

The Coronary Artery Calcium (CAC) score test has always fascinated me.

(This isn’t the first time I’m writing about your CAC score. But today, I’m taking a different angle on it.)

Let me start with this: Your heart is basically surrounded by your lungs. So, imaging one often captures the other.

Meaning you might unintentionally uncover a heart or lung issue, even if you’re scanning the other organ. And that’s exactly what this new research discovered…

Researchers found that low-dose CT lung cancer screenings often detect coronary artery disease at an alarmingly high rate.

In fact, the lung cancer screening detected a high incidence of asymptomatic coronary artery disease (83 percent), as well as extensive CAC (30 percent).

And get this…

After adjusting for other factors, extensive CAC was linked to a two-fold increase in risk the risk of death or cardiovascular events over a four-year period.

Now, to me, this isn’t too surprising—CAC is an independent predictor of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular events, after all.

But what is surprising is that, often times, these unintentional findings are ignored when reported on a CT scan. This means the findings often aren’t factored into your care plan. (Talk about negligence!)

An extremely effective, insightful tool

Remember, that heart disease is a silent killer. We don’t necessarily feel our arteries clogging until it’s too late.

So, anything that can predict your fate is essential. Even when these predictions come from scanning a different organ!

My advice to you? If you’re scheduled for a low-dose CT scan, be sure to ask your physician to discuss any and all findings that may have been captured, intentionally or unintentionally.

And when it comes to your routine exam this year, be sure to ask your primary care doc or cardiologist about performing a CAC score test. It provides a clear, very personal view of your cardiovascular risk.

In fact, the CAC score test is a true example of personalized medicine. It can identify the earliest signs of heart disease, long before it becomes a major problem—and way before you experience clinical signs like chest pain, fatigue, shortness of breath, and more.

(Hence why I’ve been performing it on my patients for as long as I’ve been in practice!)

Yet, for some reason, many docs—even cardiologists—fail to mention or perform it. Again, I’m not sure why that is. But I encourage you to be an advocate for your own health as much as you can. Why not kickstart that goal by asking about your CAC score?

Source:

“Lung CT Can Detect Coronary Artery Disease, Predict Death.” MDedge, 12/06/2024. (mdedge.com/chestphysician/article/271836/preventive-care/lung-ct-can-detect-coronary-artery-disease-predict-death)