What I've learnt from my heart attack

[wombata]

Sorry about the length of this but some of the details are needed.

Two weeks ago on our normal Saturday ride after the descent of Bobbin Head and a brief rest, I felt a slight tightness across my chest. Though it didn’t feel like a fatigue issue, it also didn’t feel significant enough to stop and call an ambulance right then. I rode to the coffee shop very, very gently with another guy and told one of the other riders there who is a doctor about the pain. He suggested I go into the chemist, buy a 100mg aspirin and go to the hospital to get checked out.

I drove home, had a quick shower and went to the hospital with the slight tightness still in my chest. They looked at me instantly, gave me a couple of pills and injections, did an ECG, took a blood test and told me within about 15 minutes that I had (was having) a heart attack. After about an hour the tightness disappeared. After further tests, the doctor said the immediate issue had passed, that my heart/ECG was fine but I needed an angiogram.

After the angiogram I was told I had a 40-50% narrowing of the left artery that supplies my heart muscle with blood and that they didn’t need to do anything surgical. Further tests (incl a MIBI test) and I saw a cardiologist.

I am 58, male, 180cm, 75kg, cholesterol a bit over 5, excellent diet, a little family history of heart problems, no previous health issues in my life at all and I have been very active all my life. I had been able to ride 100km with very little trouble or fatigue prior to this. So, in all, I was quite fit with low risk factors for heart disease.

The doctors aren’t completely sure what caused my heart attack but they believe it was probably one of two things being some plaque in the artery coming loose near the narrowing, causing a blockage and a blood clot or an artery spasm (again near the narrowing) doing much the same. Thankfully, it wasn’t worse, and that may have been due to my good lifestyle and fitness.

I have learnt a number of things including: that heart disease can still affect you even if you have low risk factors, that it can be caused in a number of areas of the heart including the heart muscle developing pumping issues or it being deprived of sufficient blood to operate efficiently, that it typically appears by the time you turn 60, that many people take cholesterol tablets and aspirin, that cholesterol tablets supposedly reduce cholesterol, stabilise the plaque in the arteries and assist in clots not forming on them, and IMPORTANTLY had emphasised to me that heart problems can kill instantly unlike many other diseases which can be just as deadly but give you time from when their symptoms appear.

The outlook from my cardiologist is that my heart muscle is “pristine”, my artery narrowing is fully functional in its current form and can supply the heart with enough blood to work even under extreme exertion, I need to get my cholesterol under 4 and LDL under 2 with medication, I don’t need to see the cardiologist again, I need to have a cardio CT in 12 months time to confirm the position of my narrowing (it may even have improved) but I can do whatever I want in terms of exercise. I have also learnt that there are many different and varied surgical and medical ways to identify and treat heart disease.

It also seems to me that the medical community seems to place more emphasis on identifying each person’s risk factors rather than identifying the actual risk and condition of each person’s body. I’m not saying it can be different due to resourcing and cost factors, but it something I think more people should be aware of…

In all, I have had both a negative and positive experience and I hope this helps someone to not experience the bad parts I went through. It might be worth asking your GP whether they are able to help you identify your actual risk and condition rather than just look at each of your individual risk factors.

ps I’m not a doctor and this is my recollection of what happened to me so if there are parts I’ve not well described, sorry. Happy to be corrected.

But, been out riding the last two days and enjoyed it immensely…

Greg

[Nobody]

Hi Greg,

After the angiogram I was told I had a 40-50% narrowing of the left artery that supplies my heart muscle with blood and that they didn’t need to do anything surgical. Further tests (incl a MIBI test) and I saw a cardiologist.

I have a friend with 50% narrowing. He reversed much of his by changing his diet for a couple of years. Then he went off the diet and it came back again.

I am 58, male, 180cm, 75kg, cholesterol a bit over 5, excellent diet, a little family history of heart problems, no previous health issues in my life at all and I have been very active all my life.

I suggest you read this book and look at the results of this study which proves that Esselstyn can stop the advancement, or reverse heart disease in his patients that comply with his dietary recommendations.

I've read his book and my diet should comply to his requirements. With no medication, total cholesterol went from 6.5 to 3.8 (probably lower now). Blood pressure is 115/65. I've been doing it for about 1 year, 8 months.

According to Esselstyn, below 3.88mmol/L (150mg/dL) is considered safe for total cholesterol, but the lower the better. You are still in danger, which is obvious from the results.

I have learnt a number of things including:...IMPORTANTLY had emphasised to me that heart problems can kill instantly unlike many other diseases which can be just as deadly but give you time from when their symptoms appear.

My current understanding is that half of people die from their first heart attack. So the first symptom is death. Probably one reason why it is blamed for 30% of all deaths.

I have also learnt that there are many different and varied surgical and medical ways to identify and treat heart disease.

Surgery is generally just "kicking the can down the road". You are usually just patching a problem which usually returns.

It also seems to me that the medical community seems to place more emphasis on identifying each person’s risk factors rather than identifying the actual risk and condition of each person’s body.

Cheaper than giving everyone a CT calcification scan I suppose. I'd argue that anyone (unless cleared with a scan) that has a cholesterol above 3.9 and/or blood pressure above 115/75 is likely at risk.

ps I’m not a doctor and this is my recollection of what happened to me so if there are parts I’ve not well described, sorry. Happy to be corrected.

Probably a good thing you're not a doctor as you're more likely to listen, rather than just relying on medication and procedures. Medical doctors aren't usually well educated when it comes to diet. Unfortunately most people aren't aware of this.

As useful as doctors are, remember they are involved in the medical and pharmaceutical industries. These things are great for acute problems, but for many chronic illnesses/conditions you are better off trying to keep yourself out of the medical industry with dietary changes if possible.

Other useful sites:
http://www.pcrm.org/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://nutritionfacts.org/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.drmcdougall.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[DanRef]

Hi Greg,
I wish you all the best. Thanks for sharing.
Dan

[wombata]

Many thanks to DanRef and Nobody for your info and thoughts. Been riding regularly and feeling excellent, thank you.

As an update, I went to my gp and had my cholesterol tested with total cholesterol coming in at 3.1 and LDL at 1.6, both under the levels my cardiologist wanted - this is after only three weeks on statins. While this is excellent news, and I am obviously responding to the medication, Nobody is correct and sensible in saying that options exist to deal with parts of my condition by diet and lifestyle.

However, immediate risk reduction is necessary given my circumstances meaning that medication is, at present, required. How and whether I am able to reduce dosages and reliance on it and/or blend it with changes to diet and lifestyle longer term is a task that still awaits. Nevertheless, it seems to be working for me presently.

[foo on patrol]

A good out look then, Wombata.

Foo

[Nobody]

Good that you're getting results Greg. The information below is probably worth seeing. The sources are cited in a link to the right of the video linked below.
http://nutritionfacts.org/video/the-act ... -vs-drugs/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Esselstyn in his book says that statins don't work in a quarter of cases, although the blood cholesterol numbers indicate they should be. There is another particular protein indicator that needs checking to make sure. Hopefully that has been done.