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Advice from those who hv heart attack before
- Thread starter LeeTaiSor
- Start date
my case is just shoulder ache (both), breathlessness and chest pain (heart burn feeling like after too much curry) later... pretty bad case,,,,, AMi. acute mayocardial infarcation (another word for heart attack) or something
went to the doctor, had an immediate stent, angiogram later, and bypass
aspirins are common in singapore, i am taking 100mg aspirin (cardipirin, can buy from Guardian)
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/photos/hundreds-turn-up-to-see-virgin-mary-image-in-sdmc-slideshow/
went to the doctor, had an immediate stent, angiogram later, and bypass
aspirins are common in singapore, i am taking 100mg aspirin (cardipirin, can buy from Guardian)
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/photos/hundreds-turn-up-to-see-virgin-mary-image-in-sdmc-slideshow/
He may already have suffered several mild heart attacks
That's what I found out when I visited the emergency of a local A&E hospital. They can tell immediately by looking at an EEG. It only takes 5 minute to run an EEG. They just attach several electrodes to the body & record the readings on a piece of paper.
In my case I threw up & I thought that I had food poisoning.:o
let me guess... he is a meat eater..
In my case the cardiologist went in to put a stent, but he found out that I had too many blockages. I think it was fortunate because it gave me time to look around & found out that stenting had some long term problems.
I have used life-style changes, IV chealtion, EECP & supplemention. That was 5 years ago & today I don't have any pains whatsoever
An angiogram is an X-ray test that uses a special dye and camera (fluoroscopy) to take pictures of the blood flow in an artery (such as the aorta) or a vein (such as the vena cava). An angiogram can be used to look at the arteries or veins in the head, arms, legs, chest, back, or belly.
Common angiograms can look at the arteries near the heart (coronary angiogram),lungs (pulmonary angiogram), brain (cerebral angiogram), head and neck (carotid angiogram), legs or arms (peripheral), and the aorta (aortogram).
During an angiogram, a thin tube called a catheter is placed into a blood vessel in the groin (femoral artery or vein) or just above the elbow (brachial artery or vein). See a picture of catheter placement in the femoral vein. The catheter is guided to the area to be studied. Then an iodine dye (contrast material) is injected into the vessel to make the area show clearly on the X-ray pictures. This method is known as conventional or catheter angiogram. The angiogram pictures can be made into regular X-ray films or stored as digital pictures in a computer.
An angiogram can find a bulge in a blood vessel (aneurysm). It can also show narrowing or a blockage in a blood vessel that affects blood flow. An angiogram can show if coronary artery disease is present and how bad it is.
A magnetic resonance angiogram (MRA) or computed tomography angiogram (CTA) may be an option instead of an angiogram. Each of these tests is less invasive than a standard angiogram. Some MRA tests and all CTA tests require an injection of dye. A CTA also involves radiation exposure.
http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/angiogram
Looks like a scary procedure, sigh...
In my case I never had an angiogram. The EEG which is a simple non-invasive procedure was sufficient to diagnose my problem. Just need to take off your shirt & roll up my pant to attach the electrodes
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symptoms for me were cold sweating, numbness n legs gave way ....
went a&e had ecg done...no pain any where at all...
was diagnosed to hv suffered a mild myocarditis infection....
guess everyone has different symptoms.....best is to check immediately...
hope yr uncle gets better....
went a&e had ecg done...no pain any where at all...
was diagnosed to hv suffered a mild myocarditis infection....
guess everyone has different symptoms.....best is to check immediately...
hope yr uncle gets better....
Actually if you take in too much sugar(a high carb diet) you can get type II diabetes. If this is not detected early, you get a problem known as atherosclerosis, also known as hardening of the veins. This can lead to a heart attack
Perhaps TS is heir to uncle's 699 golden chicken recipe
Not Panadol. Take ASPIRIN.
Bayer ASPIRIN.
For those above forty, its a good idea to carry 2 tablets with you always.
To be taken when chest pain or discomfort.
Then go see doctor first chance you get.
Can also crush both tabs and offer to those suffering sudden chest pains.
If you don't have gastric problem its good practice to take small doses daily like CARDIPRIN or GLYPRIN.
Not just for heart.
Also for cancer.
Heart attack is the best way to die. It is God Blessed to have an heart attack.
Better to die from heart attacks than cancer.
Slow and painful and costs hundred of thousands.
Better to die from heart attacks than cancer.
Slow and painful and costs hundred of thousands.
Symptoms of myocardial infarction (heart attack) :
Constricting squeezing left sided chest pain (like someone sitting on your chest)
Radiation of the pain to the left shoulder, neck or back
sweating (diaphoresis)
Shortness of breath
In some patients they have atypical symptoms eg general feeling of unwell, giddiness, etc - this is more common in elderly patients particularly female, patient with diabetes.
There are no physical signs on examination to point to a heart attack. Usually go by symptoms.
As for investigations, generally there are 2 first line: cardiac enzymes (blood test) & ECG (EEG is to diagnose epilepsy).
Classical teaching is that to diagnose an AMI (heart attack) you need 2 out of the following three : chest pain, positive cardiac enzymes, ECG changes consistent with AMI. Hence that is why we can still diagnose AMI in patients without chest pain.
Treatment - usually first line is aspirin, oxygen, Sublingual Glyceryl Trinitrate (put under the tongue to relieve chest pain), morphine (+anti-vomiting to counteract morphine nausea side effect).
Then the patient is assessed for suitability for thrombolysis therapy (eg with streptokinase, or rTPA) or if the hospital has on call cardiac interventionists, then angiogram and stent/balloon etc.
The patient should be admitted and given treatment within 1 hour of admission.
If you are worried about heart attack then go to the A&E. If you wait and it is, then you'll likely die. If you went to A&E and it is not, then you lost a couple of hours of your life and some money (in Singapore. In Canada it will be free but spend many hours at A&E)
Constricting squeezing left sided chest pain (like someone sitting on your chest)
Radiation of the pain to the left shoulder, neck or back
sweating (diaphoresis)
Shortness of breath
In some patients they have atypical symptoms eg general feeling of unwell, giddiness, etc - this is more common in elderly patients particularly female, patient with diabetes.
There are no physical signs on examination to point to a heart attack. Usually go by symptoms.
As for investigations, generally there are 2 first line: cardiac enzymes (blood test) & ECG (EEG is to diagnose epilepsy).
Classical teaching is that to diagnose an AMI (heart attack) you need 2 out of the following three : chest pain, positive cardiac enzymes, ECG changes consistent with AMI. Hence that is why we can still diagnose AMI in patients without chest pain.
Treatment - usually first line is aspirin, oxygen, Sublingual Glyceryl Trinitrate (put under the tongue to relieve chest pain), morphine (+anti-vomiting to counteract morphine nausea side effect).
Then the patient is assessed for suitability for thrombolysis therapy (eg with streptokinase, or rTPA) or if the hospital has on call cardiac interventionists, then angiogram and stent/balloon etc.
The patient should be admitted and given treatment within 1 hour of admission.
If you are worried about heart attack then go to the A&E. If you wait and it is, then you'll likely die. If you went to A&E and it is not, then you lost a couple of hours of your life and some money (in Singapore. In Canada it will be free but spend many hours at A&E)
heart disease
Heart disease claims the life of nearly one out of every two Americans. Adopting a vegetarian diet is a powerful way to prevent heart attacks. Animal foods are high in saturated fat, but plant foods are low in saturated fat. Since cholesterol is found only in animal products, such as meat, dairy, and eggs, plant foods are cholesterol-free.
The most powerful cholesterol-lowing agents are soluble fiber, unsaturated fats, and phytochemicals, all of which are found almost exclusively in plant foods.[1] In the seventeen studies conducted between 1978 and 2002, the average vegan's cholesterol level was a mere 160 mg/dl, while the average non-vegetarian's cholesterol was 202 mg/dl.[2] It's not surprising that vegetarians have been shown to have a 24% reduced risk of dying of heart disease.[3] It is likely that vegetarians could cut their risk of heart disease even further by increasing their intake of omega-3 fatty acids and Vitamin B12.
Heart disease claims the life of nearly one out of every two Americans. Adopting a vegetarian diet is a powerful way to prevent heart attacks. Animal foods are high in saturated fat, but plant foods are low in saturated fat. Since cholesterol is found only in animal products, such as meat, dairy, and eggs, plant foods are cholesterol-free.
The most powerful cholesterol-lowing agents are soluble fiber, unsaturated fats, and phytochemicals, all of which are found almost exclusively in plant foods.[1] In the seventeen studies conducted between 1978 and 2002, the average vegan's cholesterol level was a mere 160 mg/dl, while the average non-vegetarian's cholesterol was 202 mg/dl.[2] It's not surprising that vegetarians have been shown to have a 24% reduced risk of dying of heart disease.[3] It is likely that vegetarians could cut their risk of heart disease even further by increasing their intake of omega-3 fatty acids and Vitamin B12.
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Are there aspects of your health you would like to change? Perhaps you might like to lose a few pounds, bring your cholesterol down, or get away from medicines.
I am here today to talk about some surprising ways to keep a healthy heart—not through prescript-xions or bypass surgery, but through simple changes to the menu.
If all the parts of your circulatory system—the veins, arteries and capillaries—were placed end to end, they would stretch for more than 60,000 miles. That's more than two times around the earth! But one tiny blockage could bring all 60,000 miles to a halt. Doctors use many medicines and surgical procedures to keep the system running.
But back in 1990, a major shift began in medical practice. That was the year that a young doctor in California published a study that set out to test whether heart disease could not simply be prevented, but might actually be reversed. And he wanted to see if it could be done, not with surgery or drugs, but with diet and lifestyle changes alone.1 This notion was inconceivable to some. After all, heart disease was a one-way street unless it was treated with cholesterol-lowering drugs, heart pills, and when needed, open-heart surgery.
Dr. Dean Ornish, a Harvard-trained physician, studied 47 patients in the San Francisco Bay Area, all of whom had significant heart disease. That is, the coronary arteries that brought blood and oxygen to their hearts were starting to narrow, pinching off blood flow and threatening the viability of the heart. Some had already had heart attacks. He assigned half of the patients to a control group that received the standard care that doctors usually prescribe, meaning a diet centered on “lean” meat, poultry, and fish, along with various medications and the usual advice not to smoke.
The remaining patients were assigned to a very different program. They were asked to follow four steps:
A low-fat, vegetarian diet
Brisk walking for a half-hour per day or an hour three times per week
No smoking
Stress management exercises
He used a vegetarian diet, because cholesterol and saturated fat are found mainly in animal products. So the prescribed diet excluded red meat, poultry, and fish, virtually eliminating cholesterol and animal fat. It reduced all sources of fat, including vegetable oils. But Dr. Ornish used no drugs at all—not even cholesterol-lowering drugs. The program consisted only of simple diet and lifestyle changes.
One year later, all patients had an angiogram—a special x-ray that reveals the blockages in the coronary arteries, and the results were compared to the same sort of test done at the beginning of the study. The results made medical history. The control-group patients, who had been following the more traditional medical routine, had not generally improved. In fact, the blockages in their coronary arteries were worse, on average, than at the beginning of the study. They still had chest pain and still needed medications. That was not news. Despite typical heart treatments, heart disease usually worsens as time goes on.
For the patients in the experimental group, however, the story was very different. Chest pain began to disappear within weeks. Their cholesterol levels dropped dramatically. And their coronary arteries, which had been gradually closing off, year after year, were actually starting to reopen. In fact, the effect was so great that angiograms showed clear evidence of reopening in 80% of patients in the first year.
These results were published in The Lancet in 1990 and gave doctors a new tool for reversing heart disease. The program cost much less than surgery, was surprisingly easy to follow, and could help keep patients healthy over the long run. The only “side effects” were good ones: the average patient lost 22 pounds in the first year!
A Cleveland Clinic surgeon, named Caldwell Esselstyn, used the same type of diet for severely ill heart patients.Some of the patients had been told they had less than a year to live. But of the 17 patients who stuck to the program, there was not a single cardiac event over the next 12 years! They were alive and well—and had reversed their disease.
Think of what this means.
Three-thousand Americans have heart attacks every day,2 40 percent of which are fatal. Those who survive often go on to have another heart attack later on.
Every day, nearly 2,600 Americans die of some type of cardiovascular disease, including heart attacks, strokes, and kidney disease caused by blockages in the arteries to the kidney. This means one death every 34 seconds.3
But this need not happen. In fact, a quick survey of cultures around the world shows that heart disease is not inevitable. It can be prevented and, as we have learned, even reversed.
But first, what is heart disease?
Common heart disease is the growth of small raised areas – little bumps, if you will--on the inside of arteries. These bumps are called plaques and are composed of cholesterol, fat, and cells overgrowing from the artery’s muscle layer. These plaques start forming in young adulthood—sometimes even in childhood. It takes major changes to make them retreat. But it can indeed be done.
By now you might be asking, “Is this happening to me?” Well, let me walk you through how to size up your risk of a heart attack.
Here are the major risk factors:
High cholesterol levels. Do you have a total cholesterol level above 200? If so, you are at risk. But, as we’ll see in a minute, we will set an even stricter cholesterol goal—around 150. We’ll talk more about these numbers in a bit.
High blood pressure. Ideally, your blood pressure should be less than 120 over 80.
Excess weight. Sixty-five percent of the American adult population is overweight or obese. Extra weight increases the risk of heart disease, as well as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and type 2 diabetes.
Diabetes. Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes heighten your risk.
Smoking. Do you smoke? Smoking wreaks havoc on your blood vessels and heart, making heart disease that much more probable.
Sedentary lifestyle. The American Heart Association classifies sedentary lifestyle as a major risk factor.
Family history of heart disease. If heart disease runs in your family, it could mean that you share genes that increase the risk for heart problems. Or, it could also mean that you share recipes that increase your risks, too, if you catch my meaning.
There are other factors that are not necessarily as decisive as the ones I’ve just mentioned, but can be contributors as well:
Chronic stress, and a so-called “type A” personality—that is, a person who is chronically impatient and bossy.
Age: Men 45 years and older and women 55 years and older are at higher risk. However, the risk may have nothing to do with age, but with a longer time following a bad diet, smoking, or other unhealthy habits.
Gender: Men are more likely to have heart disease than women early in life. However, women catch up after menopause. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United
States.
If you have more than one of these risk factors, this is the perfect time to consider making some changes. And that’s why I’m here today – to show you how.
Okay, I know my risks. What do I do? How do I select foods that bring my cholesterol down and get my heart into shape?
Let’s focus on cholesterol for a moment.
In Framingham, Massachusetts, the Framingham Heart Study has spent many decades tracking who gets heart attacks and who doesn’t. Among its key findings is that the lower your cholesterol, the lower your risk of heart problems. While some authorities consider 200 mg/dl to be the boundary between desirable levels and high levels, the Framingham Study showed that a level of 190 is actually better than 200. And 180 is better than 190. And your risk drops as your cholesterol drops, until you reach a cholesterol of about 150. In decades of research, not a single person in the Framingham Heart Study with a cholesterol level below 150 had a heart attack. So, ideally, our cholesterol levels would remain under 150, based on this research, as opposed to the arbitrary goal of 200.
The 200 goal for cholesterol was set because it is a nice round number that is very close to the American average. The problem is, about one-third of the heart attacks in the U.S. occur in people with cholesterol levels under 200. We need to set our sights on lower levels.
To bring your cholesterol down, the first step is to know where cholesterol is and to avoid it.
Now, cholesterol is not the same as the fat you see around the edge and running all through a raw piece of meat. If you had cholesterol on the tip of your finger it would look and feel like wax. It is a raw material made in the cells of all animals, including the human animal. It is used to make cell membranes and hormones, among other functions.
But particles of cholesterol are microscopic. It lurks in the cell membranes of the muscle cells that make up a chicken breast or salmon filet, and is not the same as the fat you see in raw meat. Surprisingly, it mainly resides in the lean portion of meats.
Cholesterol in the foods you eat raises your cholesterol level, and animal products are the only significant source of cholesterol in the diet.
But here is the thing to remember:
When you eat animal products, you are ingesting that animal’s cholesterol—in the cell membranes of animal cells you are eating—which is then added to the cholesterol that you naturally produce. It’s easy to know where cholesterol is found: All animal products contain cholesterol.
It’s in chicken, fish, and, of course, burgers. Dr. William Castelli, the former director of the Framingham Heart Study, used to say, “When you see the Golden Arches, you’re on the road to the Pearly Gates.”
Cholesterol is different from fat. But fat is an even bigger problem. Saturated fat stimulates your body to make more cholesterol.
Saturated fats are sometimes called “bad fats.” Their name comes from the fact that the fat molecule is completely covered with hydrogen atoms—that is, saturated with them. If it is not covered with hydrogens, it is called unsaturated. Saturated fats stimulate your liver to make more cholesterol, while unsaturated fats do not.
Luckily, you don’t have to be a chemist to identify saturated fats. They are easy to spot because they are solid at room temperature. Unsaturated fats are liquids. To picture the difference, imagine a frying pan full of hot bacon grease. Pour it into a jar, and what happens? As it gradually cools down, it turns into a waxy solid. Vegetables oils, on the other hand, are liquid at room temperature, which is a sign that they contain less saturated fat. Animal products contain substantial amounts of fat, especially saturated fat. In contrast, nearly all fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans are very low in fat overall, with little saturated fat.
Okay, let’s compare some foods. It may surprise you to know that chicken has essentially the same cholesterol content as beef. Remember, cholesterol is mainly in the lean portion, and is not the same as fat.
But chicken’s fat content is nothing to brag about either. Here are the numbers:
[Table of fat content]
The leanest beef is about 29 percent of calories from fat. Skinless chicken breast is not much lower, at 23 percent. Fish vary. Some are lower and some, such as salmon, are higher. Some salmon varieties come in at around 50 percent fat. All fish products contain significant amounts of cholesterol, too. Shellfish are among the highest, beating out both beef and chicken.
A single egg packs in about 213 mg of cholesterol–the most concentrated cholesterol in any common food.
So the best way to lower your cholesterol is to avoid animal products. And now it becomes clear why Dr. Ornish’s study used a vegetarian diet to reverse heart disease. Plants contain essentially no cholesterol and no animal fat.
Some doctors still recommend “chicken and fish” diets. But these diets are not very effective. They lower the amount of “bad cholesterol” in your blood by about 5 percent. A vegetarian diet typically has about four times more power, lowering your “bad cholesterol” by a good 20 percent.
We now have the most powerful tools yet for gaining control over the health of our hearts. So let me show you how to translate this into meals you’ll love—and that will love you back.
You can start by making some simple changes in your current favorite meals.
Let’s start with breakfast. Maybe you enjoy a bowl of cereal with milk in the morning. Well, try a high fiber cereal such as old-fashioned oatmeal with soy milk or rice milk; add some cinnamon and raisins for extra flavor. Not only are you getting the cholesterol and animal fat out, but you are boosting your fiber intake as well. If bacon or sausage is your thing, check out the vegetarian versions next time you’re at the grocery store. They pack in plenty of protein while bringing no animal fat to the table. And of course, there’s always an abundance of fruit available which offers up lots of fiber, vitamins and antioxidants.
How about lunch or dinner? Lentil soup, a vegetable stew, a sandwich made with a good bread, sliced tomatoes, lettuce, and vegetarian deli slices, which nowadays you’ll find at any grocery store. You may think that eating out for lunch would be a challenge. But finding vegetarian dishes can be effortless. Every Italian restaurant would gladly make you spaghetti with tomato sauce. If you’re going fast-food, skip the burger and have the veggie burger instead. At a Mexican restaurant, skip the meat taco, and try the bean burrito.
Let me give you five quick tips for making the change easy:
First, explore. Take a minute or two and see if you can come up with a day’s worth of meals that are totally vegetarian, and that you would actually like to eat. Experiment a little. Check out the vegetarian cookbooks at the library or bookstore, and try some new recipes.
Second, stock your shelves with healthy foods, and eliminate temptation. The best way to not be tempted by bacon for breakfast or a chocolate cheesecake at dinner is not to have it at home.
Third, try transitional foods. Veggie hot dogs, veggie burgers, and vegetarian deli slices may not be the pinnacle of fine cuisine, but they are very handy. And they will help you as you make the transition into vegetarian foods.
Fourth, do a three-week test. After you’ve chosen some meals you know you’ll like, pick out a three-week period in which every meal is one of the meals you know you like and that are entirely vegetarian. You’ll experience what it is like to be on a totally healthy diet. Your taste buds will surprise you, too—you’ll soon come to prefer the lighter taste.
Fifth, don’t be the lone ranger. If you engage your friends and family in a diet experiment, the process of change is that much more fun. And they will benefit as much as you will.
The most powerful way to stay healthy is to put the right fuel in your body. That means a menu filled with high-fiber, low-fat, vegetarian foods. With some simple mealtime ideas and a few tips on how to jump into a healthier way of eating, you will be equipped, not only to save your own life, but to spread a lifesaving message that will help your loved ones as well.
I am here today to talk about some surprising ways to keep a healthy heart—not through prescript-xions or bypass surgery, but through simple changes to the menu.
If all the parts of your circulatory system—the veins, arteries and capillaries—were placed end to end, they would stretch for more than 60,000 miles. That's more than two times around the earth! But one tiny blockage could bring all 60,000 miles to a halt. Doctors use many medicines and surgical procedures to keep the system running.
But back in 1990, a major shift began in medical practice. That was the year that a young doctor in California published a study that set out to test whether heart disease could not simply be prevented, but might actually be reversed. And he wanted to see if it could be done, not with surgery or drugs, but with diet and lifestyle changes alone.1 This notion was inconceivable to some. After all, heart disease was a one-way street unless it was treated with cholesterol-lowering drugs, heart pills, and when needed, open-heart surgery.
Dr. Dean Ornish, a Harvard-trained physician, studied 47 patients in the San Francisco Bay Area, all of whom had significant heart disease. That is, the coronary arteries that brought blood and oxygen to their hearts were starting to narrow, pinching off blood flow and threatening the viability of the heart. Some had already had heart attacks. He assigned half of the patients to a control group that received the standard care that doctors usually prescribe, meaning a diet centered on “lean” meat, poultry, and fish, along with various medications and the usual advice not to smoke.
The remaining patients were assigned to a very different program. They were asked to follow four steps:
A low-fat, vegetarian diet
Brisk walking for a half-hour per day or an hour three times per week
No smoking
Stress management exercises
He used a vegetarian diet, because cholesterol and saturated fat are found mainly in animal products. So the prescribed diet excluded red meat, poultry, and fish, virtually eliminating cholesterol and animal fat. It reduced all sources of fat, including vegetable oils. But Dr. Ornish used no drugs at all—not even cholesterol-lowering drugs. The program consisted only of simple diet and lifestyle changes.
One year later, all patients had an angiogram—a special x-ray that reveals the blockages in the coronary arteries, and the results were compared to the same sort of test done at the beginning of the study. The results made medical history. The control-group patients, who had been following the more traditional medical routine, had not generally improved. In fact, the blockages in their coronary arteries were worse, on average, than at the beginning of the study. They still had chest pain and still needed medications. That was not news. Despite typical heart treatments, heart disease usually worsens as time goes on.
For the patients in the experimental group, however, the story was very different. Chest pain began to disappear within weeks. Their cholesterol levels dropped dramatically. And their coronary arteries, which had been gradually closing off, year after year, were actually starting to reopen. In fact, the effect was so great that angiograms showed clear evidence of reopening in 80% of patients in the first year.
These results were published in The Lancet in 1990 and gave doctors a new tool for reversing heart disease. The program cost much less than surgery, was surprisingly easy to follow, and could help keep patients healthy over the long run. The only “side effects” were good ones: the average patient lost 22 pounds in the first year!
A Cleveland Clinic surgeon, named Caldwell Esselstyn, used the same type of diet for severely ill heart patients.Some of the patients had been told they had less than a year to live. But of the 17 patients who stuck to the program, there was not a single cardiac event over the next 12 years! They were alive and well—and had reversed their disease.
Think of what this means.
Three-thousand Americans have heart attacks every day,2 40 percent of which are fatal. Those who survive often go on to have another heart attack later on.
Every day, nearly 2,600 Americans die of some type of cardiovascular disease, including heart attacks, strokes, and kidney disease caused by blockages in the arteries to the kidney. This means one death every 34 seconds.3
But this need not happen. In fact, a quick survey of cultures around the world shows that heart disease is not inevitable. It can be prevented and, as we have learned, even reversed.
But first, what is heart disease?
Common heart disease is the growth of small raised areas – little bumps, if you will--on the inside of arteries. These bumps are called plaques and are composed of cholesterol, fat, and cells overgrowing from the artery’s muscle layer. These plaques start forming in young adulthood—sometimes even in childhood. It takes major changes to make them retreat. But it can indeed be done.
By now you might be asking, “Is this happening to me?” Well, let me walk you through how to size up your risk of a heart attack.
Here are the major risk factors:
High cholesterol levels. Do you have a total cholesterol level above 200? If so, you are at risk. But, as we’ll see in a minute, we will set an even stricter cholesterol goal—around 150. We’ll talk more about these numbers in a bit.
High blood pressure. Ideally, your blood pressure should be less than 120 over 80.
Excess weight. Sixty-five percent of the American adult population is overweight or obese. Extra weight increases the risk of heart disease, as well as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and type 2 diabetes.
Diabetes. Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes heighten your risk.
Smoking. Do you smoke? Smoking wreaks havoc on your blood vessels and heart, making heart disease that much more probable.
Sedentary lifestyle. The American Heart Association classifies sedentary lifestyle as a major risk factor.
Family history of heart disease. If heart disease runs in your family, it could mean that you share genes that increase the risk for heart problems. Or, it could also mean that you share recipes that increase your risks, too, if you catch my meaning.
There are other factors that are not necessarily as decisive as the ones I’ve just mentioned, but can be contributors as well:
Chronic stress, and a so-called “type A” personality—that is, a person who is chronically impatient and bossy.
Age: Men 45 years and older and women 55 years and older are at higher risk. However, the risk may have nothing to do with age, but with a longer time following a bad diet, smoking, or other unhealthy habits.
Gender: Men are more likely to have heart disease than women early in life. However, women catch up after menopause. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United
States.
If you have more than one of these risk factors, this is the perfect time to consider making some changes. And that’s why I’m here today – to show you how.
Okay, I know my risks. What do I do? How do I select foods that bring my cholesterol down and get my heart into shape?
Let’s focus on cholesterol for a moment.
In Framingham, Massachusetts, the Framingham Heart Study has spent many decades tracking who gets heart attacks and who doesn’t. Among its key findings is that the lower your cholesterol, the lower your risk of heart problems. While some authorities consider 200 mg/dl to be the boundary between desirable levels and high levels, the Framingham Study showed that a level of 190 is actually better than 200. And 180 is better than 190. And your risk drops as your cholesterol drops, until you reach a cholesterol of about 150. In decades of research, not a single person in the Framingham Heart Study with a cholesterol level below 150 had a heart attack. So, ideally, our cholesterol levels would remain under 150, based on this research, as opposed to the arbitrary goal of 200.
The 200 goal for cholesterol was set because it is a nice round number that is very close to the American average. The problem is, about one-third of the heart attacks in the U.S. occur in people with cholesterol levels under 200. We need to set our sights on lower levels.
To bring your cholesterol down, the first step is to know where cholesterol is and to avoid it.
Now, cholesterol is not the same as the fat you see around the edge and running all through a raw piece of meat. If you had cholesterol on the tip of your finger it would look and feel like wax. It is a raw material made in the cells of all animals, including the human animal. It is used to make cell membranes and hormones, among other functions.
But particles of cholesterol are microscopic. It lurks in the cell membranes of the muscle cells that make up a chicken breast or salmon filet, and is not the same as the fat you see in raw meat. Surprisingly, it mainly resides in the lean portion of meats.
Cholesterol in the foods you eat raises your cholesterol level, and animal products are the only significant source of cholesterol in the diet.
But here is the thing to remember:
When you eat animal products, you are ingesting that animal’s cholesterol—in the cell membranes of animal cells you are eating—which is then added to the cholesterol that you naturally produce. It’s easy to know where cholesterol is found: All animal products contain cholesterol.
It’s in chicken, fish, and, of course, burgers. Dr. William Castelli, the former director of the Framingham Heart Study, used to say, “When you see the Golden Arches, you’re on the road to the Pearly Gates.”
Cholesterol is different from fat. But fat is an even bigger problem. Saturated fat stimulates your body to make more cholesterol.
Saturated fats are sometimes called “bad fats.” Their name comes from the fact that the fat molecule is completely covered with hydrogen atoms—that is, saturated with them. If it is not covered with hydrogens, it is called unsaturated. Saturated fats stimulate your liver to make more cholesterol, while unsaturated fats do not.
Luckily, you don’t have to be a chemist to identify saturated fats. They are easy to spot because they are solid at room temperature. Unsaturated fats are liquids. To picture the difference, imagine a frying pan full of hot bacon grease. Pour it into a jar, and what happens? As it gradually cools down, it turns into a waxy solid. Vegetables oils, on the other hand, are liquid at room temperature, which is a sign that they contain less saturated fat. Animal products contain substantial amounts of fat, especially saturated fat. In contrast, nearly all fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans are very low in fat overall, with little saturated fat.
Okay, let’s compare some foods. It may surprise you to know that chicken has essentially the same cholesterol content as beef. Remember, cholesterol is mainly in the lean portion, and is not the same as fat.
But chicken’s fat content is nothing to brag about either. Here are the numbers:
[Table of fat content]
The leanest beef is about 29 percent of calories from fat. Skinless chicken breast is not much lower, at 23 percent. Fish vary. Some are lower and some, such as salmon, are higher. Some salmon varieties come in at around 50 percent fat. All fish products contain significant amounts of cholesterol, too. Shellfish are among the highest, beating out both beef and chicken.
A single egg packs in about 213 mg of cholesterol–the most concentrated cholesterol in any common food.
So the best way to lower your cholesterol is to avoid animal products. And now it becomes clear why Dr. Ornish’s study used a vegetarian diet to reverse heart disease. Plants contain essentially no cholesterol and no animal fat.
Some doctors still recommend “chicken and fish” diets. But these diets are not very effective. They lower the amount of “bad cholesterol” in your blood by about 5 percent. A vegetarian diet typically has about four times more power, lowering your “bad cholesterol” by a good 20 percent.
We now have the most powerful tools yet for gaining control over the health of our hearts. So let me show you how to translate this into meals you’ll love—and that will love you back.
You can start by making some simple changes in your current favorite meals.
Let’s start with breakfast. Maybe you enjoy a bowl of cereal with milk in the morning. Well, try a high fiber cereal such as old-fashioned oatmeal with soy milk or rice milk; add some cinnamon and raisins for extra flavor. Not only are you getting the cholesterol and animal fat out, but you are boosting your fiber intake as well. If bacon or sausage is your thing, check out the vegetarian versions next time you’re at the grocery store. They pack in plenty of protein while bringing no animal fat to the table. And of course, there’s always an abundance of fruit available which offers up lots of fiber, vitamins and antioxidants.
How about lunch or dinner? Lentil soup, a vegetable stew, a sandwich made with a good bread, sliced tomatoes, lettuce, and vegetarian deli slices, which nowadays you’ll find at any grocery store. You may think that eating out for lunch would be a challenge. But finding vegetarian dishes can be effortless. Every Italian restaurant would gladly make you spaghetti with tomato sauce. If you’re going fast-food, skip the burger and have the veggie burger instead. At a Mexican restaurant, skip the meat taco, and try the bean burrito.
Let me give you five quick tips for making the change easy:
First, explore. Take a minute or two and see if you can come up with a day’s worth of meals that are totally vegetarian, and that you would actually like to eat. Experiment a little. Check out the vegetarian cookbooks at the library or bookstore, and try some new recipes.
Second, stock your shelves with healthy foods, and eliminate temptation. The best way to not be tempted by bacon for breakfast or a chocolate cheesecake at dinner is not to have it at home.
Third, try transitional foods. Veggie hot dogs, veggie burgers, and vegetarian deli slices may not be the pinnacle of fine cuisine, but they are very handy. And they will help you as you make the transition into vegetarian foods.
Fourth, do a three-week test. After you’ve chosen some meals you know you’ll like, pick out a three-week period in which every meal is one of the meals you know you like and that are entirely vegetarian. You’ll experience what it is like to be on a totally healthy diet. Your taste buds will surprise you, too—you’ll soon come to prefer the lighter taste.
Fifth, don’t be the lone ranger. If you engage your friends and family in a diet experiment, the process of change is that much more fun. And they will benefit as much as you will.
The most powerful way to stay healthy is to put the right fuel in your body. That means a menu filled with high-fiber, low-fat, vegetarian foods. With some simple mealtime ideas and a few tips on how to jump into a healthier way of eating, you will be equipped, not only to save your own life, but to spread a lifesaving message that will help your loved ones as well.
Thanks to all bros who gave advice! My uncle has gone for a series of tests while warded. Like ECG, enzymes tests (troponin, kretine, etc), ultrasonic, x-ray and treadmill. All tests negative, but doctor still wants to do cardiac CT scan and probably agiogram, but he ruled out heart attack or heart disease already.
So, my uncle thinks it is unnecessary to proceed as there will be strong radiation involved in such scans and he is well now. He did seek second opinion and was told it's most probably rheumatism or some muscle ache acting up during this raining season.
So, my uncle thinks it is unnecessary to proceed as there will be strong radiation involved in such scans and he is well now. He did seek second opinion and was told it's most probably rheumatism or some muscle ache acting up during this raining season.
This is not a suggestion or advice. Just to share the experience of 2 individuals who are still alive and kicking.
The first guy was diagnosed with blocked arteries some 20 years ago. Doctor immediately recommended by-pass. He sought 2nd/3rd opinion but still refused to go for op. Instead, he changed his life style and diet. He continued with his monthly follow up /check up with the same doctor. A few years back, his doctor retired and his case was passed to a new doc. His heart condition remains the same but no heart attack. The new doctor recommended open-heart surgery stat. The patient laughed and related his 20 years experience with the previous doctor.
The 2nd guy is a doctor himself. He was in his late 40s when he was diagnosed with block arteries during a check up. Open-heart surgery was recommended. Being a doctor, he studied his own reports, scan results and opted for surgery. Now, he has a heart pacer and has to watch his diet, cannot carryout out strenuous exercise...
What are common in both cases are that they changed their life style and watched their diet... What is different is one suffered surgical pain, cost... but the other too a risk. However, the open-heart surgery itself was hell of a big risk. I am not sure who is the wiser.
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