Are Heart Scans Reliable?

[JasonShurnas]

On 3/15/20 I took my father in for a heart Scan using a VCT 64 slice CT scanner and his calcium score was 2552. We became seriously concerned even though he was asymptomatic and decided to implement a plant-based diet within the week. He has been on this diet for 8 months now and recently we went to another facility to have another heart scan done. It was 2800! which was even higher than the previous one. The only difference was this machine was an electron bean (EBCT) system versus the old one being VCT. I am confused as to why his calcium score did not decrease? His most recent blood work looks remarkable and his HS C- reactive protein level was 2.2mg/dl so I am at a loss as to why the scan didn't look better. I would have expected some reversal of his heart disease after 8 months? Does anyone want to chime in here? Are these tests reliable or the best way to see improvement or is there a better way?

[pundit999]

I understand that calcium in arteries cannot be lost once it it is there.
But a plant based diet will make the arteries more pliant. So the calcium already there is less harmful.
A plant based diet helps in heart disease in myriad ways:
- pliant arteries
- less inflammation
- aspirin like effect (natural blood thinning aspect of eating plants)
- a gut flora that is helpful for arteries (less TMAO etc)
- lower cholesterol: reduction of already existing fats from the arteries and no further accumulation of bad stuff into the arteries
- may be other factors that are not known to science at this time.

I was diagnosed as having heart disease in 2012. I changed my diet to a whole plants only diet at that time. I experienced a big benefit quickly but also that the condition has continued to improve over time.

Get the cardiologist's advice on medication. Follow that advice but ignore his/her advice on diet and keep following a whole plants only diet.

It is great that you got the calcium score done. If you had had done the usual stuff and gotten just the tread mill test, you would have missed the considerable heart disease he already has.

A plant based diet is very effective in controlling heart disease. Numbers such as a success rate > 90% are frequently quoted.