topic Re: Silent heart attack in Wellness

Silent heart attack

squeaks — Wed, 30 Mar 2022 15:40:54 GMT

Monday I saw my cardiologist for a checkup. He asked if I was tired and how was my sleep pattern. At the end of the visit, according to the EKG I had had a heart attack. Mind blowing! Went home and looked this up. About 40 to 80% of women have this. Needless to say, I am having all kinds of test run in the next few weeks.

Re: Silent heart attack

Trinity11 — Wed, 30 Mar 2022 16:03:20 GMT

@squeaks wrote:
Monday I saw my cardiologist for a checkup. He asked if I was tired and how was my sleep pattern. At the end of the visit, according to the EKG I had had a heart attack. Mind blowing! Went home and looked this up. About 40 to 80% of women have this. Needless to say, I am having all kinds of test run in the next few weeks.

After I had my first heart attack, I was told I had a silent heart attack previously. Consider yourself lucky @squeaks because you can now take steps to improve your health. Preventative medicine can help. A beta blocker, statin, anti coagulent and less meat and fat seems to have helped me. I was very thin, so weight loss was not an issue but if you are struggling with your weight, this can be a new incentive for you to reach your goal.

Best of luck to you!

Re: Silent heart attack

05gage25 — Wed, 30 Mar 2022 16:04:43 GMT

Oh my! That's scary. Prayers for a great outcome on all your tests.🙏🏻

Re: Silent heart attack

4kitties — Wed, 30 Mar 2022 16:30:18 GMT

@squeaks

My mother had a silent heart attack. Scary to think this can happen.

Wishing you the best possible test results and the best of health for the future.

Re: Silent heart attack

hckynutjohn — Wed, 30 Mar 2022 17:46:13 GMT

The same can be true with a stroke, and neither of these are gender specific. I do however believe the heart attack you mention, is more common to women than men. I have 3 friends that had strokes of which they were unaware of until much further down the road.

That is why health maintenance is so important, and I don't consider a checkup that consists of, blood pressure/heart rate and clear lungs, as a full physical.

Silent heart attacks also kill portions of the heart muscle. Unlike other muscle tissues of the body, heart muscle cannot be rebuilt, it is dead tissue. Having this silent heart attack discovered is a blessing, just as finding out one has severely blocked major arteries, before suffering a heart attack.

@squeaks Do whatever your Cardiologist deems necessary to continue to live a good and long life. My best to you,

hckynut(john)🥅🏒 🇺🇸

Re: Silent heart attack

meallen616 — Wed, 30 Mar 2022 18:28:18 GMT

Keep us posted,

Re: Silent heart attack

Effie54 — Wed, 30 Mar 2022 19:35:49 GMT

@hckynutjohn wrote:
The same can be true with a stroke, and neither of these are gender specific. I do however believe the heart attack you mention, is more common to women than men. I have 3 friends that had strokes of which they were unaware of until much further down the road.

That is why health maintenance is so important, and I don't consider a checkup that consists of, blood pressure/heart rate and clear lungs, as a full physical.

Silent heart attacks also kill portions of the heart muscle. Unlike other muscle tissues of the body, heart muscle cannot be rebuilt, it is dead tissue. Having this silent heart attack discovered is a blessing, just as finding out one has severely blocked major arteries, before suffering a heart attack.

@squeaks Do whatever your Cardiologist deems necessary to continue to live a good and long life. My best to you,

hckynut(john)🥅🏒 🇺🇸

Exactly John. It seems that the insurance companies have streamlined physical into a wellness visit. This makes me hopping mad! If I want an EKG, which I do, we have to pay out-of-pocket for it. I'm not sure if it's a regional thing, but in the Northeast that's what they've been doing. It's so sad. We want to know about the condition of our heart before we have a heart attack, not deal with it after.

Re: Silent heart attack

chrystaltree — Wed, 30 Mar 2022 20:18:36 GMT

My mom had at least 2 silent heart attacks. They could tell by the heart damage they saw on cardiac imaging scans after she developed breathing problems.

Re: Silent heart attack

On It — Wed, 30 Mar 2022 20:23:35 GMT

@Effie54 Your reply that the insurance has changed annual physicals into wellness visits jarred me. Both my husband and I had our annual visit last week. The nurse did the Medicare cognitive test and questions. The doctor came into the room and asked if we had questions or concerns.

He altered medications and made necessary changes. He listened to our chest and examined ears. I do not allow some tests on myself, but my husband is game on for anything they want to do. My husband requested a chest x-ray, but when we got downstairs it was not in the lab work orders. No EKG offered.

The building had gotten a new computer system that had lines backed up to check in, so we thought the snafu came from the change. Now you have me wondering if it was an insurance issue. The state of Texas changed the retired teachers to United Healthcare PPO Medicare plan. A little over two years ago while under Humana, I got an EKG in Dec. 2019 before COVID. Last year we did a Zoom call so no office visit or EKG under the new United Healthcare Plan. We thought it was to our advantage to stay out of public buildings since the vaccine was not yet available.

Fastforward to this January when Omicron was raging, and I requested another Zoom visit but was told insurance would not pay for it. Our problem may be United Healthcare since we have no track record of their policy under normal circumstances. We postponed our visit to March and had the in-person visit.

The insurance companies are doing the same thing as the food companies. They are merging and gaining monopolies.

Re: Silent heart attack

FLgardener — Wed, 30 Mar 2022 20:52:06 GMT

When my dad was in his late 70s it was discovered that he had had a silent heart attack, date unknown.

I won't speak to the specific diagnosis, but it may reassure some that my dad lived to 87, which is a ripe old age considering his lifestyle/diet choices. His true decline was fairly short.

Re: Silent heart attack

RedTop — Wed, 30 Mar 2022 21:16:05 GMT

My grandmother was told after the fact in her 50's, that she'd had a silent heart attack. She lived to be 97+ and died from CHF 10 months after a broken hip.

Re: Silent heart attack

AngelPuppy1 — Thu, 31 Mar 2022 09:54:45 GMT

@squeaks

First of all, I just want to say, best wishes on your health and I'm sure everything will be o.k.! This happened to me over 30 years ago. I had an episode in a store -- did not even know what it was. Got sick, dizzy, was sweating, BP was very high, and almost passed out. My regular doctor at the time did nothing for me or ordered any tests. He listened to my heart and said -- you're fine -- and that was it. I started feeling better and didn't think much more of it. I was young then! I did get rid of the doctor though because his attitude angered me. A short time later when I got another doctor and he was examining me for other things and needed a couple other tests, he said to me --- you did not tell me you had a heart attack in the past -- when did this happen? I was like --- WHAT? I had no clue. Obviously, this was when I had gotten so sick and my other doctor said -- oh, it's nothing. As others have written, I guess this is not an uncommon thing. But you are under a cardiologist's care now and you will be fine!

Re: Silent heart attack

Effie54 — Thu, 31 Mar 2022 22:47:16 GMT

@On It wrote:
@Effie54 Your reply that the insurance has changed annual physicals into wellness visits jarred me. Both my husband and I had our annual visit last week. The nurse did the Medicare cognitive test and questions. The doctor came into the room and asked if we had questions or concerns.

He altered medications and made necessary changes. He listened to our chest and examined ears. I do not allow some tests on myself, but my husband is game on for anything they want to do. My husband requested a chest x-ray, but when we got downstairs it was not in the lab work orders. No EKG offered.

The building had gotten a new computer system that had lines backed up to check in, so we thought the snafu came from the change. Now you have me wondering if it was an insurance issue. The state of Texas changed the retired teachers to United Healthcare PPO Medicare plan. A little over two years ago while under Humana, I got an EKG in Dec. 2019 before COVID. Last year we did a Zoom call so no office visit or EKG under the new United Healthcare Plan. We thought it was to our advantage to stay out of public buildings since the vaccine was not yet available.

Fastforward to this January when Omicron was raging, and I requested another Zoom visit but was told insurance would not pay for it. Our problem may be United Healthcare since we have no track record of their policy under normal circumstances. We postponed our visit to March and had the in-person visit.

The insurance companies are doing the same thing as the food companies. They are merging and gaining monopolies.

I'm not sure if it's all insurance companies, or United HealthCare (which is what we have), but up till two years ago we always had EKGs, and a whole litany of tests at our physicals. I asked United Healthcare and they said it's called a "Wellness" visit. They pay 100% on that, but if we had questions, problems, etc. that there was a $25 copayment. I find this absurd! Our deductible is ridiculously high, and they're trying to squeeze $25 out of us for a visit that we actually have to go to. I know where you're coming from.

Re: Silent heart attack

granddi — Fri, 01 Apr 2022 02:23:28 GMT

A little off topic but I know many Texas Retired teachers that have opted out of the state insurance and gone to Traditonal Medicare ( that would be A,B and D)

Re: Silent heart attack

CelticCrafter — Fri, 01 Apr 2022 14:40:04 GMT

@Effie54 wrote:
@On It wrote:
@Effie54 Your reply that the insurance has changed annual physicals into wellness visits jarred me. Both my husband and I had our annual visit last week. The nurse did the Medicare cognitive test and questions. The doctor came into the room and asked if we had questions or concerns.

He altered medications and made necessary changes. He listened to our chest and examined ears. I do not allow some tests on myself, but my husband is game on for anything they want to do. My husband requested a chest x-ray, but when we got downstairs it was not in the lab work orders. No EKG offered.

The building had gotten a new computer system that had lines backed up to check in, so we thought the snafu came from the change. Now you have me wondering if it was an insurance issue. The state of Texas changed the retired teachers to United Healthcare PPO Medicare plan. A little over two years ago while under Humana, I got an EKG in Dec. 2019 before COVID. Last year we did a Zoom call so no office visit or EKG under the new United Healthcare Plan. We thought it was to our advantage to stay out of public buildings since the vaccine was not yet available.

Fastforward to this January when Omicron was raging, and I requested another Zoom visit but was told insurance would not pay for it. Our problem may be United Healthcare since we have no track record of their policy under normal circumstances. We postponed our visit to March and had the in-person visit.

The insurance companies are doing the same thing as the food companies. They are merging and gaining monopolies.
I'm not sure if it's all insurance companies, or United HealthCare (which is what we have), but up till two years ago we always had EKGs, and a whole litany of tests at our physicals. I asked United Healthcare and they said it's called a "Wellness" visit. They pay 100% on that, but if we had questions, problems, etc. that there was a $25 copayment. I find this absurd! Our deductible is ridiculously high, and they're trying to squeeze $25 out of us for a visit that we actually have to go to. I know where you're coming from.

We have traditional Medicare with a supplement but my husband got suckered into this Wellness exam by the PCP. He goes next week for it. I have to keep telling him all they can do or ask is.....and I know he thinks I'm being a PITA.

He's afraid he will be "fired" by her is he doesn't go. I personally think it's a complete waste of time. She was treating his diabetes and we decided she wasn't qualified enough so she treats nothing but common ailments.

Re: Silent heart attack

sgraham30 — Fri, 01 Apr 2022 19:27:08 GMT

How is it determined if someone has had a silent heart attack? I've had 3 cardiac MRI's over a period of years that stated that I have scarring on my heart from a POSSIBLE prior myocardial infarction. Nothing has ever shown up on the many EKG's I've had done.

Re: Silent heart attack

RedTop — Fri, 01 Apr 2022 21:38:29 GMT

@sgraham30

It is my understanding an EKG has to be done within a specific time frame to detect the change in heart rhythm from a MI.

My husband suffered a major heart attack on a Thursday, and when the EKG was done in the doctors office on Monday, it was clearly abnormal, with great differences from the 2 EKGs done the week before.

If you can have a silent heart attack without knowing it, you are likely not going to be seen or tested within the time frame. Weakness or shortness of breath often sends a patient in for a follow up, which leads to the diagnosis of a previous MI. The scarring on the heart is proof positive of the attack.

Re: Silent heart attack

Jersey Born — Fri, 01 Apr 2022 22:23:43 GMT

@squeaks - I will pray for you. It is shocking to learn this kind of thing at a doctor's visit. Take very good care of yourself, even if dietary changes are needed to optimize your health. We all need to add more vegetables to our diets (unless, of course, we are vegans or vegetarians). All the best to you as you undergo further testing, which is stressful enough in and of itself.

Re: Silent heart attack

sgraham30 — Fri, 01 Apr 2022 22:43:03 GMT

@RedTop, how's your husband doing now? Thank you for your response. I have an appointment with one of my cardiologists this coming Monday, 04/03, I want to take him a copy of the cardiac MRI report that states the possible myocardial infarction.I've had many instances where I was short of breath, felt weak, or had excessive fatigue, never even thought about a possible silent heart attack.

Re: Silent heart attack

RedTop — Fri, 01 Apr 2022 23:19:44 GMT

@sgraham30

My husbands big MI was in 1998; many more health issues have developed since then.