Causes of Calcium Deposits in the Heart and Its Treatment

Since our childhood, we’ve been told that Calcium is extremely important for the growth of our body, especially our bones.“Drink milk if you want to be strong. Eat leafy greens if you wish to be healthy. Nuts & seeds are a must in your diet. All of these are rich sources of Calcium. To many of the heart patients’ surprise, Calcium deposits in heart arteries are life-threatening.

The question arises, how can something so important for the body, its skin barrier function, the keratin production for hair, promote cellular renewal, and support barrier function, become a reason for such a big problem for the heart? The answer is simple.

Over the years, when calcium starts to collect inside the blood vessels, it becomes hard and less flexible, a process known as calcification. This affects the blood flow over time and considerably increases the risk of heart disease.

Calcium Block in the Heart

Usually, the discovery of calcium blockage in the heart is unexpected. Small chest pain, a scan is prescribed, the report arrives, and there it is, coronary artery calcification. Suddenly, the fear is all-pervasive. The person who was supposedly healthy the previous day is now thinking of all the possible negative scenarios about his/ her life, wondering what will happen next.

Calcium Works Slow & Steady

Calcium block in the heart never happens suddenly. It takes years.

Every aspect of our life that is considered unhealthy for the heart, including high levels of bad cholesterol, hypertension, smoking, diabetes, excess weight, and a sedentary lifestyle, slowly damages the heart arteries.

The body keeps the repair work going. In the process, Calcium gets settled in the affected areas of the arteries. The calcification process is slow and gradual, the reason why the patients rarely show any symptoms of it until they do.

Why Arterial Calcification Occurs

Studies suggest that age plays a major role in the calcification of arteries. With growing age, the likelihood of calcification also grows manyfold. Family history is a big tell, too. The scans can only show us a small part of the story. The patient's lifestyle, their medical history, and overall heart health, their existing underlying conditions, everything adds up.

Symptoms Of Arterial Calcification

Calcium in the heart does not cause pain. At least not directly. What causes chest pain or other symptoms is actually the effect that calcium build-up has on the dysregulated blood flow.

Like in Coronary Artery Disease (CAD), the arteries become significantly narrowed, the heart muscle fails to receive optimum oxygen-rich blood supply, one problem leads to another, and the things escalate quickly, adversely. The challenge is timely diagnosis, as the symptoms are not exclusive to arterial calcification only.

How Is Arterial Calcification Tested

Through a simple test. A CT imaging test efficiently detects calcium deposits in the arteries. The higher the calcium score, the more plaque has built up.

The test provides a wake-up call, as it gives a glimpse into the arteries' health before it’s too late.

Read: Importance of a Healthy Diet to Lose Weight and Keep the Heart

Calcification Of Arteries Treatment: Lifestyle Is The Best Cure

In most cases of heart complications, it requires elaborate medical intervention, yet in the management of calcium deposits in the heart, a heart-healthy lifestyle is as effective as medication in reducing its symptoms. Below are some of the heart-healthy practices that you could follow to live a healthier, more fulfilling life.

1. Follow a strict heart-healthy diet plan. Avoid excessive salts and sugars, unsaturated fats, processed foods, and eat organic, nutrient-rich foods that fuel your body with much-needed minerals and vitamins, without the burden of bad cholesterol and the risk of calcium deposits.
2. Keep away from tobacco products, limit your indulgence with alcohol, and minimise your caffeine intake. They’re all bad for the heart.
3. Live an active life. Regular exercise strengthens your heart muscle and also improves blood flow.
4. Maintain a healthy weight. Consult your healthcare professional to devise a plan to manage your weight. A healthy weight puts less strain on the heart.

Treatment for Calcified Plaque In The Artery: Rotational Atherectomy

When the calcification causes a significant blockage, Rotational Atherectomy is used. It is the technique that is specifically designed to modify calcified hardened plaque, which is not easily removed by the traditional angioplasty procedure.

Therefore, the Rotational Atherectomy is performed before the angioplasty procedure. In the procedure, a special catheter is used to guide a thin wire, with a tiny drill at its tip, to the narrowed or blocked spot.

The drill uses a high-speed rotating burr that effectively scrapes, smoothens, and removes the unyielding calcium deposits from the artery and makes space for the Angioplasty procedure.

A Finding Worth Your While

A calcium block in the heart is neither an emergency nor is it something to be ignored. It is a sign that a lifestyle change is required. What is required is to be more aware of heart health, to leave all unhealthy heart habits, to make heart-healthy choices, and to manage bad cholesterol better.

After all, when it comes to heart calcification, the most important treatment is the one that begins before the symptoms get worse.