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The very word makes some people ill: STATINS. This group of medications introduced in the late 1980’s to lower cholesterol have both been credited with saving lives on the one hand and being the biggest medical fraud on the other hand. For years it has been known that some people prescribed statins develop side effects including muscle aching and brain fog that are reversible on stopping the medication. Recently the headlines have focused on the risk of developing diabetes type 2 in those at risk for diabetes. This risk may be double or even triple the incidence of those not on a statin according to recent reports. Like all medication, statins should be used only in those that may benefit and only in those that have atherosclerosis. But how do you know if you have atherosclerosis? The easiest way is a heart calcium CT scan.
What is a heart calcium scan (CAC or coronary artery calcium)? It is a simple CT of the heart performed without injection of any medications. A CAC permits the easy identification of calcification (plaque) in the three heart arteries. By good fortune, the density of arteries is different than the fat they sit in and the muscle and blood that are nearby in the heart. Calcium comprises about 20 percent of plaque in arteries but is such a different density than the rest of the heart that even small amounts show up like a beacon of…
