I Was Afraid to Look Inside My Own Heart
Heart disease is still the number one killer worldwide. I’ve known that my entire career. And yet, for a long time, I avoided one test that could tell me what was actually happening inside my own heart.
Not because I didn’t understand it.
Because I didn’t want to know.
There’s comfort in uncertainty—a quiet hope that everything is fine as long as no one proves otherwise. I suspect many of you know that feeling.
Recently, I decided to confront it. I got a coronary calcium scan, and I want to share why—because my thought process may help you decide whether this test makes sense for you or someone you love.
Cholesterol Isn’t the Whole Story
Most heart disease discussions focus on cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar. Those matter—but they’re still predictions.
What I really wanted to know was simpler:
Do I already have heart disease right now?
Risk calculators estimate probabilities. A coronary calcium scan looks directly at your coronary arteries and shows whether you already have calcified plaque, which you’re not supposed to have at all.
That difference matters.
Why This Became Personal
My father had a heart attack in his 50s. He lived an active life and did many things right. What he had—something often missed—was very high Lp(a), a genetic risk factor that isn’t routinely tested and isn’t meaningfully changed by lifestyle.
When I had mine checked, my Lp(a) was just as high.
That’s when I realized how often standard risk scores miss people with strong genetics or family history. They tell you odds—but not what’s actually happening inside your arteries.
What This Scan Really Shows
A coronary calcium scan measures calcified plaque, which is essentially scar tissue from years of inflammation.
A score of zero is what we hope for
As scores rise, risk increases exponentially, not gradually
High scores strongly predict heart attacks and strokes
It doesn’t show everything—soft plaque still matters—but it gives us one of the clearest windows we have into real cardiovascular risk.
Why I Finally Did It
For years, I told myself the test wouldn’t change my behavior. But knowing something abstractly is very different from seeing evidence of disease in your own body.
Numbers on a lab report are easy to ignore. Seeing what’s in your arteries isn’t.
That clarity can change how seriously we approach nutrition, exercise, medications, and long-term prevention. In that sense, this isn’t just a test—it’s a decision tool.
Who This Might Be For
This test isn’t for everyone, but it may be worth considering if you’re over 40, have a strong family history, high Lp(a), genetic or ethnic risk, or feel unsure how aggressive to be with prevention or medications.
It’s quick, noninvasive, and involves relatively low radiation.
Final Thought
I realized I couldn’t truly personalize my prevention plan without knowing what was happening in my heart right now.
Below is the full video where I walk through the science and the psychology behind this decision. Hope you appreciate this kind of thoughtful, evidence-based discussion at Medical Wisdom!
👇 You’ll find the video linked below.
