zarfas wrote:I appreciate the answer
so having a low LPA score doesnt mean much in relation to risk of CAD?
what is a good CAC score?
Im not understanding the difference of CAC and LPA? Lpa is increased risk? and CAC tells you how much heart disease has progressed?
what are your thoughts on how to lower
LPA
CAC?
thanks
Lp(a) is a protein measured in blood, which, when high enough, could indicate some damage to the arteries it is about to fix. It tells nothing how far the damage has progressed. You still could have totally unobstructed arteries.
CAC score measures the already deposited calcium in the coronary arteries. Since calcium is mainly found in plaque in a certain percentage, it measures the actual amount of calcified plaque and therefore the progression of the disease - of various degrees blocked arteries.
The best CAC score is zero. However, since calcification of arteries comes naturally with age there are 'normal' ranges for each age group. Personally would shoot rather for 'optimal' ranges. The problem with any positive CAC score is, that it usually increases at a 30% yearly rate. So if you're first CAC is, let say 300, it could be 400 the 2nd year, 520 the 3rd, 676 the 4th, 878 the 5th, and so on exponentially heading for disaster.
Like I wrote in the other thread, my own Lp(a) only decreased when hormone levels normalized. I nevertheless would try all other methods I listed there, including Pauling's therapy. Also take a look at the video I linked in a post there.
CAC can be driven by many things in combination. Mainly, markers of inflammation (CRP, ESR, homocysteine, fibrinogen, Lp(a), etc., even low testosterone or low fT3 could be markers for low-level inflammation). So anything that brings it down helps.
However, most of the time inflammation and an increase in CAC seem really driven by increasing insulin resistance. Which could be calculated here:
http://www.dtu.ox.ac.uk/homacalculator/index.phpThe method I've learned at TrackYourPlaque is simple as it is effective: First test a few times where your highest peak of blood-glucose is after a meal (1 hr after eating in my case). And then try to keep this as low as possible (ideally below 110, 140 is already in the danger zone) by singling out and eliminating those foods which caused such high blood-glucose spikes.
However, be aware that a 15% yearly CAC score increase is already a exceptional deceleration and the fruit of such efforts. Though there are a few who really could decrease their CAC score again, with the methods used a TrackYourPlaque (now it's called
Cureality). Here for example a thread where some member there tried to summarize all lab markers they shoot for, for decreasing CAC score:
https://www.cureality.com/forum/topics.aspx?id=18881With a 80% blockage at my abdominal aorta I considered myself already in the highest risk group 8 years ago. Therefore didn't needed a CAC score to tell I'm about to die. That I meanwhile could reverse intermittent claudication (and with it a 60% disability) assures me what I've done was right, despite the blockage remaining unchanged.
With diet it's pretty simple. Test, don't guess. Rarely any of us reacts to a specific diet with the same response as the statistical mean. Already Pauling talked about bio-chemical individuality. By testing important lab markers one sees correlations which otherwise remain hidden. By testing you know first-hand what a change in diet will cause.
I got sick as a life-long vegan (since age 10) and avoiding fats like plaque. Adding in eggs, fish and loads of healthy fats turned my health around for me. While an other might find out by testing, that contrarily by cutting down on meats and certain fats would help.