topic Re: Susan Lucci has heart disease in Community Chat

Susan Lucci has heart disease

hyacinth003 — Sat, 23 Feb 2019 19:16:17 GMT

Was in the hair salon and reading "People" magazine while my color did its thing.

I read an article about Susan Lucci having a "heart scare." I'll say she did! A few months ago, she experienced chest pain while exercising and was advised to go to the hospital. Very fortunate that she did. She had 90% blockage in one coronary artery and 70% in another, and was treated with stents. She has atherosclerosis.

The reason I am posting this is because she does NOT seem like a person you would expect to have severe heart disease. Since my first love in nursing is coronary ICU, it always interests me.

She is very fit and exercises a lot. She is very slim, and follows the "Mediterranean" diet. Her blood pressure was on the low end of normal. So, ANYONE can have this happen. I sometimes feel certain people think that we can control EVERYTHING about our health if we just eat the right things and exercise. But, some things STILL remain out of our control. I wish some would just enjoy life more!

Turns out Susan Lucci's father had a heart attack in his 40's. So, things we CANNOT control EVER are our age, our gender, and family history. The older we are, the higher the risk. Men are at higher risk until women reach menopause age, then they start to catch up. Family history is beyond any control, other than being aware of it. Perhaps more testing if we know a certain disease runs in the family.

Things we can control are obesity, smoking, blood pressure, cholesterol, exercise, some stress levels.

Susan is about 72 years old. So she did fare much better than her father! But it's a great lesson for all of us.

Hyacinth

Re: Susan Lucci has heart disease

SunValley — Sat, 23 Feb 2019 19:22:21 GMT

I had a heart attack and nothing in my medical history or lifestyle would have predicted it. If you experience symptoms, go the ER.

Re: Susan Lucci has heart disease

Nightowlz — Sat, 23 Feb 2019 19:25:01 GMT

So true just because you are doing the right thing eating right & exercising does not mean you have any guarantees.

It does have a lot to do with family history. My dad's side of the family the men have heart disease. So far 2 brothers have had surgery. Cancer runs on my moms side. Been there done that.

Re: Susan Lucci has heart disease

esmerelda — Sat, 23 Feb 2019 19:25:56 GMT

I thought I read recently it’s a family history thing. In her case.

Re: Susan Lucci has heart disease

Katcat1 — Sat, 23 Feb 2019 20:48:35 GMT

Family health issues play a big part in our health issues. When I developed an auto immune disease the first question was did anyone in your family have this? You would not expect Susan to have health problems because of the way she looks. It goes to show that you have to pay attention to symptoms.

Re: Susan Lucci has heart disease

SouthernBee — Sat, 23 Feb 2019 20:55:30 GMT

@Nightowlz : Yep. My dad and his brother had massive heart attack. My only brother had heart surgery but died a few years later of lung cancer. My mother and her mother had stomach cancer. I survived breast cancer and no one else in the family had breast cancer. Southern Bee

Re: Susan Lucci has heart disease

LindaSal — Sat, 23 Feb 2019 22:01:56 GMT

@SouthernBee Me too!!! and no history of breast cancer at all in my family.......and I come from a big family. Though I did learn from my surgeon that it's actually only 10% hereditary, unless you carry the BRCA gene. Sometimes you just cannot tell what your genetic makeup is going to put you through!!! Enjoy each day my friends.

Re: Susan Lucci has heart disease

SouthernBee — Sat, 23 Feb 2019 22:20:19 GMT

@LindaSal : Thank you. Yep- I have many health issues and very slow. I am Blessed and determined to keep moving.

Determined to enjoy each day and being positive. Southern Bee

Re: Susan Lucci has heart disease

LindaSal — Sat, 23 Feb 2019 22:22:49 GMT

@Souther Bee That is half the battle, a positive attitude!!! You've got a good thing going,

Godspeed!

Re: Susan Lucci has heart disease

RedTop — Sat, 23 Feb 2019 23:11:42 GMT

I know more than a few people who are fooling themselves with their obsession with healthy habits, when there are genetic issues out of their control.

Re: Susan Lucci has heart disease

deeva — Sat, 23 Feb 2019 23:13:35 GMT

She said her father dropped dead of a heart attack at 41.

Re: Susan Lucci has heart disease

Oznell — Sat, 23 Feb 2019 23:39:10 GMT

Rampant heart disease in my Dad's family-- both he and my grandmother had heart attacks and other issues.

My Dad was a slim fitness buff who ate sparingly and healthily, and exercised and walked prodigiously. I'm glad that he at least took care of himself as much as he could.

In our generation, my siblings and I have had some of the issues, to varying degrees-- HPB and "arrhythmia" (sp?) type things...

Re: Susan Lucci has heart disease

suzyQ3 — Sat, 23 Feb 2019 23:54:34 GMT

@RedTop wrote:
I know more than a few people who are fooling themselves with their obsession with healthy habits, when there are genetic issues out of their control.

@RedTop, "obsession" in this context is surely subjective. I know people who think it's obsessive to even be interested in adopting a healthy lifestyle because, you know. we're going to die regardless or it's all in the genes.

But I do agree that being consumed with worry can't be good for us either.

Re: Susan Lucci has heart disease

Renata22 — Sun, 24 Feb 2019 00:09:12 GMT

Wow! Hard to believe she's 72. I had no idea.

Re: Susan Lucci has heart disease

jubilant — Sun, 24 Feb 2019 00:29:43 GMT

I agree with @hyacinth003 . Some things remain out of our control. My parents both had high cholesterol. Dad lived till 89 and Mom is still alive at 89. Dad did have open heart surgery in his 60's. Actually, he didn't even die of a heart condition. His dad died at 61 of a massive heart attack. Most all my other grandparents lived to be 80 and some in their 90's (that includes great grandparents).

My doctors all tell me that if I don't take the fairly new medication, Repatha, I may do ok for 5 yrs. and at about 9 yrs...... I'll be in trouble again. I have opted not to take it and am concentrating more on quality of life over quantity (or length) of life. When I sit and ponder things, I feel that at 69, I have already lived a lot longer than a lot of people do. My doctors are all against my decision but it is my choice at least for now. I am tired of the side effects of some of these medications. While I fear the pain of dying, I do not fear the moment of death.

Re: Susan Lucci has heart disease

RedTop — Sun, 24 Feb 2019 00:39:52 GMT

@suzyQ3,

Using the word obsession fits the specific people I was thinking about with this subject.

My SIL has been obsessed with her weight her entire life. In the last 2 years, she has had a heart cath and 5 stents, learned she carries an inherited clotting disorder, and was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder.

I’ve got 2 male cousins (brothers) who are obsessed with eating healthy and staying slim and trim. Not a thing wrong with that, but their cholesterol is almost uncontrollable, even on medication. This was inherited directly thru their dad. Their mom carried extra weight all of her life, had normal cholesterol levels, and died with cancer at 87. The youngest brother is very rigid with his diet, but has lost part of his intestines due to an unknown virus, and an eye, due to cancer. He still can’t believe what has happened to him because “he eats so healthy and takes care of himself”.

I am 63 years old, and refuse to obsess about my health. I grew up on a farm where Grandpa sprayed everything with malathion. We lived on the opposite side of the farm and could walk outside and know right away when Grandpa was spraying the orchard. Dad and 3 siblings died of cancer, both of my brothers and numerous cousins have had cancer issues.

I get up every morning determined to live the day as best I can, and be happy. I’m going to eat cake and drink original Coke until the day I die, with no regrets.

Re: Susan Lucci has heart disease

suzyQ3 — Sun, 24 Feb 2019 01:10:01 GMT

@RedTop wrote:
@suzyQ3,
Using the word obsession fits the specific people I was thinking about with this subject.

My SIL has been obsessed with her weight her entire life. In the last 2 years, she has had a heart cath and 5 stents, learned she carries an inherited clotting disorder, and was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder.

I’ve got 2 male cousins (brothers) who are obsessed with eating healthy and staying slim and trim. Not a thing wrong with that, but their cholesterol is almost uncontrollable, even on medication. This was inherited directly thru their dad. Their mom carried extra weight all of her life, had normal cholesterol levels, and died with cancer at 87. The youngest brother is very rigid with his diet, but has lost part of his intestines due to an unknown virus, and an eye, due to cancer. He still can’t believe what has happened to him because “he eats so healthy and takes care of himself”.

I am 63 years old, and refuse to obsess about my health. I grew up on a farm where Grandpa sprayed everything with malathion. We lived on the opposite side of the farm and could walk outside and know right away when Grandpa was spraying the orchard. Dad and 3 siblings died of cancer, both of my brothers and numerous cousins have had cancer issues.

I get up every morning determined to live the day as best I can, and be happy. I’m going to eat cake and drink original Coke until the day I die, with no regrets.

@RedTop, I'm glad that you elaborated. Of course we each have to do what we're comfortable with.

My choice is to eat what I have determined to be a heathful diet and to exercise regularly. I try to do both in a reasonable fashion. For me, this way of living makes me happy and comfortable.

Re: Susan Lucci has heart disease

gardenman — Sun, 24 Feb 2019 12:02:35 GMT

From what I've heard, pretty much everyone over the age of twenty has some degree of heart disease. In most cases it's extremely mild, but once we're fully grown and adult, it's all downhill. Calcification starts to build up, plaque starts to accumulate, and performance starts to slip. That's why athletes tend to peak athletically early. They may perform better a bit later in life thanks to experience they've accrued, but physically, most are at their peak in their early twenties.

I think a lot of people want to believe they have more control than they do. In reality, we're pretty much all just passengers in life and not drivers. You can be really stupid and get yourself killed sooner, but you can also live a life of deprivation and die early in spite of it. There is no "Get Out of Death Free" card. Everyone dies.

I tend to view moderation as the best choice. Don't deprive yourself of things you love because they're "unhealthy", but don't over-indulge either. Find a middle ground where you're comfortable, enjoy the things you love, but aren't throwing your life away. A few years back a cardiology convention came to Philly and a local reporter was covering it. After a morning of listening to endless lectures on the role bad food choices made in heart disease, he was embarrassed to slip into a nearby McDonald's for a quick lunch. His embarrassment went away pretty quickly when he noticed those who had given the earlier lectures sitting nearby with Big Macs and fries.

Re: Susan Lucci has heart disease

pigletsmom — Sun, 24 Feb 2019 15:30:59 GMT

gardenman beat me to it. No matter how healthy you try to live something is going to get you eventually. The upside for her is she did take care of herself so her family history didn't cause her trouble earlier.

At some point some things have to start to go south and I think if it begins in your 70s that's pretty good. Otherwise we'd all be here forever which sounds exhausting to be honest.

Re: Susan Lucci has heart disease

Spurt — Sun, 24 Feb 2019 15:45:46 GMT

Yep, genetics have a lot to do with health......you can exercise, eat right, have great blood pressure readings, be at the ideal weight...but that is only part of your health picture