Coronary artery calcium score changes on GLP-1 — my results so far

carl_compliance said:

My reason for being on this is cardiovascular rather than cosmetic, which puts me in a small minority in most of these threads.

Dizziness and cardiovascular risk: I was lightheaded for the first 2 weeks. Root cause was a combination of reduced caloric intake and mild dehydration.

Fix: minimum 80-100oz water daily, don't skip meals even if you're not hungry (eat small protein-rich snacks), and stand up slowly from sitting/lying positions. Also check your blood pressure — GLP-1-induced weight loss can make BP meds too strong, requiring dose reduction.

Dr.GastroMayo said:

Dizziness and cardiovascular risk: I was lightheaded for the first 2 weeks.

SUSTAIN-6 was the first CVOT to show cardiovascular benefit with semaglutide, relevant to cardiovascular risk. In 3,297 T2DM patients with high CV risk: MACE HR 0.74 (95% CI 0.58-0.95, p=0.02)[1].

Notable: the retinopathy signal in SUSTAIN-6 (HR 1.76) was subsequently attributed to rapid A1C reduction in patients with pre-existing retinopathy — not a direct drug effect. This has been confirmed in longer-term follow-up studies.

carl_compliance said:

My reason for being on this is cardiovascular rather than cosmetic, which puts me in a small minority in most of these threads.

Second this. I had assumed I was the exception until I read this.

Adding the clinical framing, because it changes how the question reads.

Senior perspective on cardiovascular risk: I'm 68 years old and started this journey skeptically. My cardiologist recommended it after years of failed interventions.

14 months later: down 41 lbs, more mobile, pain reduced, medications simplified. My quality of life has improved dramatically. I wish this existed 20 years ago.

To other older adults hesitating: the SELECT trial proved benefit in our age group. You deserve to feel good in your body regardless of age.