Understanding Your Coronary Calcium Score of 37 in the LAD
A coronary calcium score of 37 in your LAD (the main artery on the front of your heart) means you have mild coronary atherosclerosis—essentially, you have some calcified plaque buildup in that artery, which confirms early heart disease is present. 1
What This Number Actually Means
Your score of 37 indicates you're at intermediate cardiovascular risk, which is higher than someone with a zero score but much lower than scores above 400. 1, 2
Think of calcium in your arteries like rust in pipes—it shows that atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) has been developing over time. The calcium we're measuring is actually a marker of the total plaque burden, including both the calcified plaque we can see and likely additional soft plaque we cannot see on this scan. 1, 2
The LAD is particularly important because it supplies blood to a large portion of your heart's front wall and pumping chamber. Studies show the LAD is the most common location for calcium accumulation. 3
What Happens Next: Your Action Plan
You need to start aggressive preventive treatment now, even if you feel perfectly fine. 1
Medications You'll Likely Need:
High-intensity statin therapy (like atorvastatin 80mg or rosuvastatin 40mg daily) to lower your LDL cholesterol, regardless of what your current cholesterol numbers are. 1
Aspirin (81mg daily) for blood clot prevention may be recommended by your doctor. 1
Blood pressure medications (ACE inhibitors or ARBs) if you have hypertension or diabetes. 1
Lifestyle Changes That Are Non-Negotiable:
Aggressive risk factor modification including strict blood pressure control (target below 130/80), diabetes management if present, complete smoking cessation, and regular physical activity. 1
Your LDL cholesterol goal should be below 70 mg/dL, and ideally below 55 mg/dL. 4
Your Long-Term Outlook
Patients with calcium scores in the 11-100 range have intermediate cardiovascular risk—your 10-year risk for heart attack or other major cardiac events is elevated compared to someone with zero calcium, but substantially lower than scores of 400 or higher. 1
The good news: With proper treatment, you can significantly reduce your risk of future heart attacks and strokes. 5
Important caveat: The calcium itself won't go away with treatment—repeat calcium scoring isn't useful for monitoring because the score doesn't decrease with therapy. Instead, your doctor will monitor your risk factors and medication adherence. 1
Follow-Up Schedule
Regular cardiovascular risk assessment with your primary care doctor or cardiologist every 6-12 months. 1
Annual monitoring of your cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and medication compliance. 1
You do NOT need repeat calcium scoring—once we know plaque is there, we focus on treating it, not re-measuring it. 1
Critical Points to Remember
This is NOT a blockage measurement—a calcium score tells us about plaque burden, not whether your arteries are blocked. You could have a score of 37 and have no significant blockages, or you could have some narrowing. 2
A score of zero would have been better, but your score of 37 is still in the mild range and very treatable. 2, 5
Don't ignore this finding—even though you may feel fine, this is your body's early warning system telling you that heart disease is developing and needs aggressive treatment now. 5