*****FROM ABC NEWS MEDICAL UNIT*****
Dear Kpanchik, thank you for question. Here is an answer from Dr. Marie Savard, ABC Medical News Contributor:

Kpanchik, You are right that chronic inflammation or irritation of the body can lead to small amounts of calcium deposits in the affected part. For example, women get calcifications in their breast tissue from infection or even from cancer and arteries that suffer from chronic inflammation from high blood pressure, cholesterol, smoking etc. also develop calcium in the walls of the artery - this thickened inflammed tissue is called plaque. The x-ray I referred to today simply measures the amount of calcium in the inflammed heart artery plaque and has nothing to do with the amount of calcium overall in our bodies.

Our bodies require calcium to function well and the main source of calcium is from our diet and our bones. If our dietary calcium is low, the body will naturally keep the body in calcium balance by taking calcium from the bones. After years of calcium loss from the bones because of low diet calcium or low vitamin D levels, osteoporosis, or thin bones, can develop. Every adult requires at least 400-1000 IU of Vitamin D a day which helps calcium be absorbed from the intestine, and requires about 1000-1200 mg of Calcium as well. A high calcium score on an ultrafast CT scan of the heart does NOT mean you have high blood calcium - it means you have chronic plaque and calcium buildup in your arteries.

I hope this clears things up for you.

Dr. Marie

To watch the news piece where Dr. Marie Savard discusses the Battle Against Heart Disease, please go to http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=7206382
*****FROM ABC NEWS MEDICAL UNIT*****
The contents of this site are for informational purposes only and are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this site.