You’ve Got Coronary Calcium: Now What?

“Calcium is the end stage of the inflammation that happens in the coronary arteries,” explains Dr. Regina Druz, a holistic cardiologist, in this inaugural episode of Own Your Heart Health. Dr. Druz explores heart disease from a different angle, shifting the focus from cholesterol to the deeper role inflammation plays in cardiac risk. What if understanding and addressing inflammation could be the key to better heart health? Dr. Druz unpacks this idea and emphasizes the value of the coronary artery calcium score—a diagnostic tool that measures calcium deposits in the arteries, reflecting past inflammation and helping predict future heart disease risk.

 

While calcium buildup in the arteries is permanent, Dr. Druz reassures us that it’s not the end of the story. She emphasizes that by targeting the root causes of inflammation through lifestyle changes, we can lower our overall risk of heart disease. Dr. Druz encourages us to have open, informed conversations with our healthcare providers about the coronary artery calcium score and other preventive steps for heart health. Combining holistic practices with conventional medicine, she empowers patients to make choices that will not only extend their lives but will also enhance their quality of life.

 

Quotes

• “Why do I put heart health and longevity in the same sentence? You may potentially be thinking of these as two different things and let me tell you that they are absolutely not. The aging process first and foremost is reflected in our cardiovascular system.” (02:44 | Dr. Regina Druz) 
• “Cholesterol has been at the center of cardiovascular risk factor continuum used in all sorts of different risk estimators or equations, and the cholesterol-lowering hypothesis has dominated cardiovascular thinking for decades. Now, we do however understand that the primary driver of coronary artery disease is actually not the cholesterol but the injury to the arterial wall and the inflammatory process, the inflammation that starts in the arteries that actually then gets exacerbated with cholesterol coming in trying to patch or repair the inflamed spot. And so, this is how coronary artery plaques start.” (17:00 | Dr. Regina Druz) 
• “Coronary artery disease is a lifelong process. It starts at birth.” (21:45 | Dr. Regina Druz)
• “Calcium is the end stage of the inflammation that happens in the coronary arteries.” (23:58 | Dr. Regina Druz)

 

Links

MESA Calculator: https://internal.mesa-nhlbi.org/about/procedures/tools/mesa-score-risk-calculator

Holistic Heart University: https://holisticheartcenters.com/holistic-heart-university/

Heartwell Toolkits: https://shop.holisticheartcenters.com/collections/heartwell-toolkits

Practice Power Hour: https://www.dr.mba/

 

Connect with Dr. Regina Druz:

Website: http://holisticheartcenters.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@holisticheartcenters

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm