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Old 08-20-2019, 06:25 PM
 
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The first symptom of heart disease is often a heart attack.

I would get my diet as clean and tip-top as possible, start exercising, and go on in on just being healthy.
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Old 08-20-2019, 06:29 PM
 
Location: Southern California
29,267 posts, read 16,551,673 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CarnivalGal View Post
The first symptom of heart disease is often a heart attack.

I would get my diet as clean and tip-top as possible, start exercising, and go on in on just being healthy.
I have two friends who came up with afib in the last few years, no heart attacks...but now taking a handful of heart meds and still working with their alternatives they have worked with over many years. I heard it said that many have afib over their lives.
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Old 08-20-2019, 06:42 PM
 
Location: Avignon, France
11,088 posts, read 7,831,082 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lchoro View Post
I wouldn't downplay this. They obviously gave you something to prevent a second heart attack.

Go back and read the discharge instructions again. Given the incident you described, they would prescribe a statin to lower your cholesterol and triglycerides since you say they were high. If the blood pressure were also high, they would prescribe an anti-hypertension drug.

My mom is a cardio vascular/thoracic surgeon. She says that a lot of people think that after stents and bypasses a lot think they’re “fixed” and go back to their old routine, stop taking their meds, continue to smoke and lead unhealthy lifestyles... and then die from another heart attack.
See also says that more often than not the first symptom of a heart attack... is a heart attack.
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Old 08-20-2019, 06:44 PM
 
Location: The Driftless Area, WI
7,112 posts, read 4,950,204 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LesLucid View Post
I’m curious about other’s experiences. To keep it brief, I’m considered a risk for heart disease. My dad, both grand dads and most uncles all died in the mid-fifties of heart disease. My blood cholesterol level and ratio has always been bad and so have my triglycerides. I’ve had multiple stress tests of various types, echocardiograms, carotid neck ultrasounds, etc. Most of those tests started because I was, eventually, diagnosed with a “non-pathological ST depression” detected when I went into the emergency room for a different matter. They threw me cardiac intensive care overnight. None of the tests have revealed any problem worth treating right now by anything other than medication.

Despite all this stuff going on, I have not, to my knowledge, ever had any obvious symptoms of heart disease. I’m curious whether others here have had something hit them out of the blue, even when their doctors have told them there is no concern at the moment. I’m going to be 72 soon and I’m honestly surprised I’m still here given my family history. I feel like this is what’s going to get me some day, just sort of wondering whether it’s likely to be sudden and unexpected.

When we talk about "cardiac risk factors" what is tacitly implied and often forgotten is that we're really talking about EARLY heart disease. Having achieved the ripe old age of 72, you can rest easy-- you missed your chance to die young More seriously, you obviously didn't inherit those genes for early cardiac problems that were present in some of your relatives.


OTOH- cardiac stress tests only find disease in about 85% of those with significant coronary artery disease, so there's a 1 in 8 chance your normal tests were wrong (actually, with ST depressions at rest, a stress test is almost useless).. At age 72, we KNOW you have some hardening of the arteries. We just don't know how much. Is it enough to do something (stents, CABG surgery) about? Only a cardiac cath can tell us that....if you have at least 2 positive risk factors (hi chol, hi BP, DM, smoking, strong family hx -- not to mention a questionable EKG finding) then you deserve serious consideration for further testing. ...With your family hx & ekg, I'd suggest a cath. Better safe than sorry. That first MI is often the last.
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Old 08-20-2019, 06:57 PM
 
Location: Detroit
680 posts, read 524,133 times
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Plant based eating. Cut out meat, and dairy.
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Old 08-21-2019, 03:44 PM
 
3,027 posts, read 7,885,628 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bungalove View Post
I was never, to my knowledge, at risk for heart disease. My cholesterol was a bit high at 232, but not hideous. In fact, I had a great EKG in March 2018. I had no chest pains or palpitations right up until I had my "widow maker" heart attack last year in June. Fortunately my heart didn't stop until I reached the emergency room (it was a long trip and almost 90 minutes from the beginning of the attack). I was on a pumper for over 3 minutes and received 3 stents at the time and 2 more since then, plus a lot of new medications. I also moved a lot closer to the hospital, since I live alone. It was a real wake-up experience!
I had a heart attack in 11/2010,widow maker,was operated on and had triple by pass,the most help came from rehab,a real workout for 18 days.
All o'k till move to CT 8/2016 and new cardioligist,didn't like BP meds I was taking.At appointment BP was 1/132 which is where it had been since operation,I argued about change and gave in,for a short period o'k.
The Primary Care doctor changed to metoprolol succinct er 50mg and 40mg lisinprilol which was ok till this past November when my BP jumped to 188/70-213/80.
Now I am on furosemide 40 morning and 20 evening along with regular BP meds,BP o'K but am lightheaded and do have blurry vision with low BP,sometimes 96/43 and generally 109-120.
I do not know how much more I can take with no fix!!
Cost has been over $7000.
I have been told this is what it has to be???
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Old 08-21-2019, 05:36 PM
 
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Personally I don't think there are true warning signs. I know a lot of people who had heart attacks but didn't really experience anything before hand.

Have you had a cardiac calcium test? https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-pro...t/pac-20384686 a lot of people I know swear by that.

But I personally believe the current theory of heart disease is wrong. I have long been a subscriber of a theory called the myogenic theory. It states that blockages in the arteries are not the cause of heart attacks but a sign that you heart is not getting the cardio nutrients that it needs. Heart cells slowly die over time and slough off - combining with cholesterol and calcium to form blockages. But what causes the heart attack is essentially stress on the heart. The heart is the only organ that is both an organ and a MUSCLE. You don't have liver attacks do you? You don't have blockages in the arteries around the liver do you? So what can keep your heart in good shape? Cardiotonics. You can get natural ones and there are drugs but these agents are well known to assist with heart rhythm and heart strength. If you just look up natural ones on websites you will see many positive reviews (Hawthorn is one) for cardiac health.

The poster above who had the heart attack after going on the doctor's diet plan... well that seems obvious. Low calories is a known stressor for the body releasing the stress hormone cortisol. Basically adrenaline.

Also, what blood type do you have? O blood type is known to be thinner and therefor "O" has a natural edge to stay healthy.
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Old 08-21-2019, 05:53 PM
 
7,982 posts, read 10,319,085 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DanBev View Post
I had a heart attack in 11/2010,widow maker,was operated on and had triple by pass,the most help came from rehab,a real workout for 18 days.
All o'k till move to CT 8/2016 and new cardioligist,didn't like BP meds I was taking.At appointment BP was 1/132 which is where it had been since operation,I argued about change and gave in,for a short period o'k.
The Primary Care doctor changed to metoprolol succinct er 50mg and 40mg lisinprilol which was ok till this past November when my BP jumped to 188/70-213/80.
Now I am on furosemide 40 morning and 20 evening along with regular BP meds,BP o'K but am lightheaded and do have blurry vision with low BP,sometimes 96/43 and generally 109-120.
I do not know how much more I can take with no fix!!
Cost has been over $7000.
I have been told this is what it has to be???
Aside from the medications, what else do you do to stay healthy? Do you exercise regularly? How is your diet? Do you make efforts to reduce stress (whatever that looks like for you)?
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Old 08-24-2019, 08:43 AM
 
Location: Maryland
2,269 posts, read 1,613,014 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by guidoLaMoto View Post
When we talk about "cardiac risk factors" what is tacitly implied and often forgotten is that we're really talking about EARLY heart disease. Having achieved the ripe old age of 72, you can rest easy-- you missed your chance to die young More seriously, you obviously didn't inherit those genes for early cardiac problems that were present in some of your relatives.


OTOH- cardiac stress tests only find disease in about 85% of those with significant coronary artery disease, so there's a 1 in 8 chance your normal tests were wrong (actually, with ST depressions at rest, a stress test is almost useless).. At age 72, we KNOW you have some hardening of the arteries. We just don't know how much. Is it enough to do something (stents, CABG surgery) about? Only a cardiac cath can tell us that....if you have at least 2 positive risk factors (hi chol, hi BP, DM, smoking, strong family hx -- not to mention a questionable EKG finding) then you deserve serious consideration for further testing. ...With your family hx & ekg, I'd suggest a cath. Better safe than sorry. That first MI is often the last.
That was one of my mom’s favorite comments, that the only thing good about being old is that you didn’t have to worry any more about dying young. I’m on various medications for cholesterol, blood pressure and take a baby aspirin. I’ve actually never had a blood pressure problem but they have me on very light dose of Lisinopril to keep it even lower.

It might be that combination of drugs which I’ve been on for years has helped me more than I know. I was just reading this earlier today. It’s mainly about getting people to take their meds but I found the stated results of taking that combination of meds very interesting relative to my health concerns. (https://gulfnews.com/world/europe/he....1566554872779 )I see a cardiologist regularly because of my risk factors, even though I’ve had no significant problems yet, never smoked, no drugs other than those prescribed, we have a beer on Friday night with movie and pizza and that’s the extent of our alcohol consumption. I used to also exercise vigorously when younger, before my back started getting the better of me (17 years martial arts, running, cycling, some weight training). I’m 5’10” and 183 so not a big weight problem though I am trying to get down to about 170. We eat healthy overall since my wife is a cancer survivor and very careful about what we eat. We also have 3 kitty stress relievers though being retired is the best stress relief of all.

I’ll talk to my cardiologist on my next visit and ask for his thoughts on catheterization. I have had a number of echocardiograms and carotid ultrasounds.
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Old 08-24-2019, 10:40 AM
 
Location: The Driftless Area, WI
7,112 posts, read 4,950,204 times
Reputation: 17437
Mechanism of heart attack--> oxidative stress on arterial lining (intima) causes cracks. Cracks are "healed" by activating the fibrinogen system which forms a net of fibrin and that net collects white cells, cholesterol etc to form a scar. That scar is "hardening of the artery." As the coronary artery narrows, it has more trouble delivering oxygen to the cardiac muscle as exercise increases the demand for the oxygen--> that gives you an episode of angina....You don't actually have a heart attack until the sharp edges of the plaque causes the sudden closure of the artery with a blood clot. Then zero oxygen can be delivered down stream and the muscle dies (infarction)….If you get to the ER in time, they can inject drugs that dissolves the clot and restore circulation hopefully before too much damage is done.


Only about half of people who suffer an MI have complaints at the time-- crushing chest pain or nausea are most common, although only jaw or arm pain are present in some. The other half have "silent MI." Unusual fatigue or SOB or no complaint at all. More common in diabetics.


BTW--ACE inhibitors like lisinopril are excellent BP meds but also have effects on the chemistry of the arterial intima, reducing the risk of damage. They are recommended for diabetics even without hi bp to help delay renal problems, but then low bp can be a side effect.
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