How to Actually Predict a Heart Attack (Beyond Cholesterol)

Have you been told you have high cholesterol and need to start a statin to prevent a heart attack? You're not alone. Every year, millions receive this news from their doctors—often with a sense of fear and urgency. But it turns out that cholesterol isn’t the best way to determine your risk of cardiovascular disease.

We can and should do much better since cholesterol levels alone don’t come close to telling the full story.

Dr. Bret Scher, board-certified cardiologist, lipidologist, and Medical Director of Baszucki Group, explains that there are better testing options that go beyond LDL levels to assess cardiovascular disease risk. Coronary calcium scores and CT angiograms provide a detailed plaque analysis to help you more accurately measure the present and future risk of heart disease, rather than just relying on lab markers that correlate with disease risk.

In this episode, you’ll learn:
Why coronary calcium scores (CAC) are more predictive than LDL levels
How CT angiograms provide a more detailed look at plaque buildup
The differences between coronary calcium scores and CT angiograms
The benefits of advanced analysis, like Cleerly Health evaluations, in assessing heart disease risk
How to use these tests to make more informed decisions with your doctor

Despite decades of medical advancements, cardiovascular disease remains a leading cause of death—proving that our current approach isn’t enough. It’s time to rethink not just how we treat heart disease, but how we assess cardiovascular health in the first place.

Studies Mentioned:
Impact of Statins on Cardiovascular Outcomes Following Coronary Artery Calcium Scoring
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2018.0...

CMEs Mentioned:
Managing Major Mental Illness with Dietary Change: The New Science of Hope
https://www.mycme.com/courses/managin...

Brain Energy: The Metabolic Theory of Mental Illness
https://www.mycme.com/courses/brain-e...

Follow our channel for more information and education from Bret Scher, MD, FACC, including interviews with leading experts in Metabolic Psychiatry.

Learn more about metabolic psychiatry and find helpful resources at https://metabolicmind.org/

About us:
Metabolic Mind is a non-profit initiative of Baszucki Group working to transform the study and treatment of mental disorders by exploring the connection between metabolism and brain health. We leverage the science of metabolic psychiatry and personal stories to offer education, community, and hope to people struggling with mental health challenges and those who care for them.

Our channel is for informational purposes only. We are not providing individual or group medical or healthcare advice nor establishing a provider-patient relationship. Many of the interventions we discuss can have dramatic or potentially dangerous effects if done without proper supervision. Consult your healthcare provider before changing your lifestyle or medications.

Timestamps:
0:00 - Are there better tests to detect heart disease risk than cholesterol panels?
1:52 - What is a coronary artery calcium (CAC) scan, and what does the calcium score tell us?
5:00 - What is a CT angiogram and how does it compare to a CAC?
6:34 - What is a Cleerly Evaluation and how does it add information to a CT angiogram?