Are You At RiskFor Heart Disease?

Your LDL tells you something important. But a CAC scan can provide another piece of the puzzle: evidence of calcified plaque in your coronary arteries.

Evidence: Strong · 2026-09-26

A coronary artery calcium score can reveal important information about the health of your heart. But it cannot tell you exactly what will happen next.

Evidence: Strong · 2026-10-13

A very high CAC score doesn't mean a heart attack is about to happen — and it isn't a percentage of blockage. What the number actually tells you, and what you can do about it.

Evidence: Strong · 2026-09-30

Yes, coronary plaque can shrink—but usually modestly, and not all plaque behaves the same way. Intensive LDL-cholesterol lowering can reduce plaque burden and help stabilize plaques. At the same time, statins can increase the density of calcium within plaque, causing a coronary artery calcium (CAC) score to rise.

Evidence: Strong · 2026-10-20

You can be exceptionally fit, exercise for hours every week, have excellent cardiovascular fitness and still have a significant amount of plaque in your coronary arteries.

Evidence: Moderate · 2026-11-07

Heart disease can develop quietly, and no single test tells us everything. Understanding the evidence can help older adults ask better questions and make more informed decisions.

Evidence: Strong · 2026-10-15

You get your cholesterol checked. Your LDL looks good, your HDL is healthy, and your triglycerides are under control. But there's an important cardiovascular risk factor your results don't reveal.

Evidence: Strong · 2026-10-30

Lp(a) is an established cardiovascular risk factor. But a major clinical trial has raised an important question: Does lowering the number actually reduce the risk?

Evidence: Moderate · 2026-10-31

NMR testing reveals the number and size of your cholesterol particles. What can that extra information tell you about your heart health—and when is it worth asking your doctor about or paying for one yourself?

Evidence: Mixed · 2026-10-08

A viral health claim says rogue blood cells explain heart attacks despite normal cholesterol—and that statins can't fix the problem. Here's what the research actually shows.

Evidence: Strong: association. Not established: causation in individuals, testing, treatment. · 2026-10-22

A molecule produced by gut bacteria reduced artery plaque progression in mice. The discovery offers a new clue about cholesterol metabolism—but it does not show that eating saturated fat reverses heart disease.

Evidence: Preliminary · 2026-10-15

Statins are among the most widely used medications for preventing heart attacks and strokes. But whether an older adult should take one is not simply a matter of looking at the LDL cholesterol number.

Evidence: Moderate · 2026-09-27

For older adults who have never had a heart attack or stroke, should taking a statin be part of the plan for a longer, healthier life?

Evidence: Strong · 2026-10-12

Two 2026 randomized trials found vitamin K supplementation slowed coronary artery calcification progression — but that doesn't yet tell us whether it prevents heart attacks. What the evidence shows, and what it doesn't.

Evidence: Moderate for CAC progression · Limited for heart outcomes · 2026-10-03

Can raising your vitamin D level protect your heart, slow plaque buildup, or prevent coronary calcium from increasing? We examine the evidence—including a new trial that raises a different question.

Evidence: Mixed · 2026-10-22

Could a supplement best known for helping people sleep also have modest effects on cholesterol? Emerging research suggests it might. But the findings come with important caveats.

Evidence: Moderate · 2026-10-16

AFib isn't just an irregular heartbeat—and managing it isn't just about avoiding certain foods. Here's what the evidence says can actually make a difference.

Evidence: Mixed · 2026-10-07