Is your calcium score telling the full story of your heart health? Dr. Regina Druz unpacks what a coronary artery calcium score really means, how it relates to vascular age, and why even a seemingly low score can signal long-term risks.
Starting with a quick story of three men on a golf course comparing their calcium scores, Dr. Druz illustrates how numbers like 75, 220, or 3000 can mean very different things depending on age and overall health. Using insights from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, she explains how to assess whether your arteries are aging faster than you, and what that means for your heart.
The episode also tackles the role of cholesterol and the impact of statins in slowing, but not reversing, atherosclerosis. Dr. Druz points out a comprehensive approach to heart health, combining lifestyle changes, medication when necessary, and tools like the MESA calculator to track risk over time.
Dr. Druz encourages listeners to take control of their heart health, advocate for themselves, and use available resources to make informed decisions. Are you wondering, “How high is my calcium score, and what does it mean for me?” This episode has the answers.
Quotes
- “For you to own your heart health, you have to advocate for yourself and use some of the tools that were initially meant to be practitioner focused, but use it for yourself.” (05:18 | Dr. Regina Druz)
- “What is the coronary age? It’s simply an age at which an average healthy individual has the same calcium score that a person of interest has.” (12:56 | Dr. Regina Druz)
- “Accelerated atherosclerosis is essentially the aging of the arteries. Are your arteries aging faster than you? And for many patients, this actually is the case.” (26:22 | Dr. Regina Druz)
- “Once a person has plaques in their arteries, whether it's coronary arteries or carotid arteries, we can certainly help them to slow down the progression and cause a regression, but we can’t completely reverse them.” (30:47 | Dr. Regina Druz)
Links
MESA Coronary Age Calculator: https://internal.mesa-nhlbi.org/about/procedures/tools/mesa-score-risk-calculator
Holistic Heart University Guest Access: https://holisticheartcenters.info/visit
Schedule a Discovery Call: https://go.holisticheartcenters.com/apply
Access Courses and Events: https://holisticheartcenters.info/hearthealth
Get Heartwell Toolkits: https://shop.holisticheartcenters.com/
Schedule a Business Meeting:https://calendly.com/heartcenters
Connect with Dr. Regina Druz:
Website: http://holisticheartcenters.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@reginadruzmd
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.reginadruz
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/holisticheartcenters
Twitter: https://x.com/heartCenters
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
Ridiculous History
History is beautiful, brutal and, often, ridiculous. Join Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown as they dive into some of the weirdest stories from across the span of human civilization in Ridiculous History, a podcast by iHeartRadio.