'I Didn't Even Know I Had It:' Patient Credits Calcium Score Test With Detecting Disease

Sarah Freundlich doesn’t have time to be sidelined or sick. At 61, she has a husband who loves to stay active, four adult children, and a five-year-old granddaughter who’s always on the go.

“The child has a lot of energy, and she likes running, so she’s like, ‘Come on, Nana, come on!’” said Freundlich.

Freundlich keeps up with her granddaughter, Maxine, with ease. But if she hadn’t gotten the proper medical treatment for her heart, things may have looked differently today.

Around four years ago, Freundlich felt her heart beating irregularly. “It was in the middle of the night and I got up to get a drink of water,” Freundlich said. “I laid back down and you know how you can kind of hear your own heart with your pillow? Well, I’m like, that doesn’t sound the way it’s supposed to sound.”

Freundlich immediately reached out to her primary care physician, who referred her to a cardiologist. Several tests revealed high blood pressure and an abnormal heart rate. Freundlich was immediately put on medication and began making lifestyle changes. After months of eating better, exercising more frequently, and being diligent with her medication, her health began improving. Still, something didn’t look right to her cardiologist.

“Dr. Dickerson said, ‘You know, your cholesterol isn’t as low as it should be. Let’s do this calcium score,’” said Freundlich. “And the results came back that indeed, it wasn’t looking so good.”

Freundlich’s cardiologist, Jennifer Dickerson MD, lead physician of the heart and vascular team at OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital, ordered Freundlich what’s called a calcium score test. According to Dr. Dickerson, it’s a simple test to determine how much calcium is in a patient’s arteries and how at risk patients are for a heart attack.

“It’s a very simple test,” said Dr. Dickerson. “It’s a CAT scan that is a low-radiation dose. It does not need to use IV contrast. If your score is over 400, you’re considered high risk. That sometimes prompts additional testing or treatment, like stress tests, or use of cholesterol medications.”

In Freundlich’s case, she was put on additional medication to manage her cholesterol levels. Within a matter of months, additional tests showed her numbers were already improving. While Freundlich never felt sick from her coronary artery disease, she feels relief now that it’s under control.

“I’m not going to be a sick old lady,” said Freundlich. “So that’s really the story. The story is that I prevented a story for myself. I didn’t have a heart event, really. I mean, you know, I had warning signs, but I didn’t have a heart attack.”

“It’s not necessarily something you can do on your own.”

While Freundlich is proud of the lasting life changes she’s made, she knows her health wouldn’t be in the place it is now without medication.

“I feel pretty good about it,” said Freundlich. “I work pretty hard at it, but you can’t do it by yourself. You really need to have a professional help you, guide you. It’s a medical condition, you know?”

Prevention care is key, and according to Dr. Dickerson, medication plays a big role in it.

“We know the medications we use are so good at really trying to prevent events,” said Dr. Dickerson. “The sooner you find out you have coronary artery calcification, the quicker you can receive treatment and prevent future cardiac events.”

Freundlich credits the calcium score test with discovering her coronary artery disease. During American Heart Month, she’s encouraging others who are eligible to get the test as well. According to Dr. Dickerson, the test costs less than $100 out of pocket. She says the best candidates are those with a strong family history of heart issues who haven’t been diagnosed with coronary artery disease.

“If you’ve had bypass surgery or heart stents, we know you already have the disease,” said Dr. Dickerson. “Really the best patients are typically folks between the ages of 35 and 70.”

Patients interested in getting the test are encouraged to speak with their primary care doctors. It takes one minute to complete in the scanner, and according to Freundlich, it could make all the difference for your health.