Wellness

[hckynut]

@Sugipine 

Yes indeed! Too many, even some PCP doctors overlook genetics. I knew when I was young that my maternal side of the family all died of some form of heart disease. My Grandmother/Grandfather/Mother and her 5 brothers.

I started eliminating all the risks factors I could when I was 30 years old. Got by until I was 64 before my 1st heart attack. In my Heart Rehab Classes quite a few men questioned the why I had a heart attack. Because I was thin/physically fit/vegetarian and so on. I to them "I did not get to pick my mother". A few of them looked at me strangely.

Glad to see you brought this up in this thread, thank you.

hckynut

[depglass]

Our local hospital offers calcium scans for $100.00.  I've gotten them twice over the past 15 years because I have a pacemaker and just think about my heart more than average.  Now I have to get DH to get one.  He is very active but his father died at 62 of a heart attack.  I know people that will do nothing unless their insurance covers it.  DD is one of them.  Drives me crazy.

[Zhills]

Some stress tests do not find blockages!  My friend passed a nuclear stress but his ARNP ordered one more test. 

He failed it!  Went for a cath the next day, they kept him overnight and did open heart surgery the next day!  He has 3 90+% blockages.

Extreme lethargy is usually the best indicator of blockages!

[patbz]

DH is a textbook case for cardiology; had his first heart attack at 36 ( eventually had quadruple bypass, aortic abdominal aneurysm surgery, Tia etc).  The reasons he is alive is that he wasn't overweight, was active, started eating well and religiously visits his cardiologist and has all recommended tests.  He is almost 71 and is easily the longest living male in his family (most died of cardiac issues by age 54).

[hckynut]

@patbz 

Sounds like your husband took/takes good care of his body. Am glad to hear he made it through medical issues that kill thousands of people every year. Like myself, he had/has a genetic predisposition for CAD for sure, from what you have said here.

Being physically fit and not extremely overweight is certainly a factor when it comes to almost any type of serious medical issue. It also makes recovery from surgical procedures much easier for the patient.

With my 1st heart attack in 2003, had I not been very physically fit, I would not have made it. Not from the heart attack, but from the accompanying Aspiration Pneumonia.

My Cardiologist and my Pulmonologist both said that if I had not possessed the large lung capacity, via running etc. I would have bit the dust. Heart Attack + Aspiration Pneumonia are a very serious complication.

My maternal genetics were my "given".  Like your husband, all the males on my maternal side, all died in their 50's. I made it to 64 before the above mentioned events, Cardio and Pulmonary.

Happy to hear he did so well, and hopefully he continues to be well. Best to both of you,

hckynut 

[jubilant]

@depglass   No, blood tests do not show it.  I had a quadruple bypass 4 yrs. ago. I was 80% to 90% blocked in 4 arteries.  The day of my heart attack I had an EKG at my family doctors office. They gave it to me because I was having a little more indigestion than usual.  My EKG was normal. I walked on my treadmill 3 days before my heart attack and never had one chest pain.  I also never had shortness of breath.  What I did have (for many years) was high cholesterol. I could not take any of the statin drugs.