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Southwestern Minnesota | First of all the older, generic statins are cheap. They will not "break the bank", so to speak. Most people do tolerate the generic statins. Some of the newer (brand name) and not generic yet, are much more expensive.
Secondly, yes, I agree that a CAC test is a very valuable test to have done as one more lab to look at and correlate to the rest of the labs and risk factors. I believe that this is becoming another test that is being recommended on a pretty wide basis.
Just a personal experience here, so anecdotal:
10 years ago my mom's doctor encouraged her to do the CAC test. She had slightly elevated blood fat labs and hypertension, but was on no meds for either. The CAC test showed very high levels. She was sent to the cardiologist and within one week she had a stent placed and was on a statin and blood pressure med. She had complained of a vague upper back pain for a couple of months. The cardiac surgeon said she had the "widow maker" type of obstruction, but she fortunately had not had a heart attack. Through the next years she slowly developed dementia- likely related to her vascular status.
My dad has had perfect blood fat labs. Never been on meds for this. Has diabetes, but also is not on meds for this. Exercises. Is thin. Doesn't smoke. A year ago, he complained of leg pain after walking short distances. Had tests on his legs and 100% blockage in both blood vessels in his legs. Vascular surgeon recommended a walking program and started him on a statin to prevent any further plaque build-up and to stabilize the plaque he has. He is now 88 years old. He would certainly be at a high risk if surgery does become necessary to improve his blood flow through ancillary blood vessels.
So, for me- that means heart disease is in the family. I am having a CAC test done in November. There was a 6 month wait to get this done (somewhat longer as I wanted it at our smaller regional hospital, rather than driving to a bigger facility). I eat pretty healthy- have for most of my life. I exercise. I don't have diabetes. My blood fat labs are slightly high but my HDL's are very good. Depending on my CAC test, I may start a statin, just due to the family history. I prefer to keep my blood vessels as clear as possible and not get vascular dementia, if I can help it.
Moral of the story, everyone needs to look at ALL their risk factors and weigh the pros and cons. Heart disease is a very complex and multi-faceted problem. A couple of labs should not dictate whether or not a statin is needed. It is a much more complicated issue than that. | |
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Eggs and cholesterol
