Heart attack -- advice?

plog wrote:

Jim Fixx:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Fixx

Fixx was a smoker and very overweight when he started running in New York City. His book was written mostly based on research and stories from others. His wife was a PR person who was able to help push his book to the top of the charts at that time. He also had a history of heart problems. So, not a good example.

Agree with your cardiologist you will be an outlier in the cardiac rehab group because you don't fit the traditional mold. I get that but that doesn't mean it's not a good idea. I was an outlier as well as was my runner friend who was in cardiac rehab with me. However you said you were concerned about getting back to running. Cardiac rehab will be the safest way for you to regain your confidence to exercise because you will be monitored. That's why I suggested it. Regaining confidence is a huge part of your recovery. While there is a ton of knowledge about this disease there is a ton we do not know especially about the immune/inflammatory aspects of this disease. It sounds like you don't have classic risk factors which can be frustrating but you are now a survivor which makes you lucky.

An aspirin a day will keep a doctor away?

You're freaking me out, here. Age 66 with occasional bad acid reflux, which mimics the symptoms mentioned. Workout, jog every day though, and take stomach meds. Hard to differentiate.

random thought wrote:

An aspirin a day will keep a doctor away?

Actually, one regular aspirin every other day is recommended...go to your doctor and verify. And take a statin if your cholesterol is high.

OP, you might be able to get a prescription for rehab to run on a treadmill at a hospital rehab facility. I think some rehab facilities let you workout for a fee while rehabbing injuries. Or you could run on a treadmill at the YMCA after telling the staff your story. My point is that you might want to avoid running alone for a while until you've got a few hard 4-mile tempos under your belt.

GhostofTedKennedy wrote:

You're freaking me out, here. Age 66 with occasional bad acid reflux, which mimics the symptoms mentioned. Workout, jog every day though, and take stomach meds. Hard to differentiate.

A good medical work up can differentiate. In my late 50s, and several years ago had bad chest pains before and during running. Medical evaluation ruled out CHD and the finding was gastritis & severe acid reflux (late night eating, too many carbonated beverages, eating too fast, etc...shame on me). Anyway, I was offered a treadmill test just be to certain. After some moderate running got up to max HR for several minutes on full incline with a subsequent METs of 22, which was compatible with a highly fit 22 yr old. Cardiologist was all excited (I didn't think it was that big of a deal) and said most of the people they see are unfit, overweight & sedentary who can barely walk briskly at a moderate HR. He said runners are a very low risk group for CHD👍.

It's the unfit, overweight/obese, sedentary people in this country that are at the greatest risk of CHD. Because most are too darn lazy to excercise and change their eating habits, they're keeping the cardiologists overworked and using up the medical resources. This is preventable with these people! I'm sure if you had a treatmill test you'd be impressed with your cardiovascular health...no surprises there. Keep up the good work👍

Not always true. Many serious heart attacks in young men come from a blockage under 50% that ruptures. Regular stress test has only decent predictive value. It is true that lifestyle is important but good genetics can protect from bad lifestyle and bad genetics can also trump healthy lifestyle.

I have written on this in other threads, but once again, to "1955", please do go to Cardiac Rehab, but feel free to observe more than one place if you can. I worked in CR for over 22 years between 3 different hospitals, as an Exercise Specialist (I have a Master's in Ex Phys, certified in Exercise by the ACSM, etc.) and have run for 40 years, myself. Yes you can run, but the CR folks can help you understand what damage you have, what risk factors to deal with, observe your heart rhythms with exercise, and support your emotions. Your wife is right, you should get that support system till you can "get back on your feet" and gain some confidence. Find folks that you can respect, and get going, ok? keep me posted!

I met a runner who had cardiac stents done. He said he was cleared for short races, but not marathons. I was surprised because the short stuff is higher intensity, and he raced those 5k-10ks very hard. Does it all depend on the damage that was done?

I worry about my cardiac health too. I've had stress tests done, but was cleared. This was long ago though.

I now get really bad acid reflux(self diagnosed). Sharp pains. Usually it's accompanied by constant burping. Can heart episodes produce burping? This thread motivates me to check it out. I always figure since I'm burping that it is probably reflux. Antacids usually calm it done and I'm not getting increased pain from running.

Triple bypass in 1993 (our first child was 3 months old); mild heart attack in 1998; right side of my heart has not functioned in over eight years. Still run (really jog) everyday. If you want to talk to someone sensible, send me an email:swarner@roosevelt.eduGood luck in any case.

"Does anyone have any similar stories and/or advice?"

I don't know eugenics? When I was a kid I used to

think eugenics were exercises old men did in the gym?

Seriously. Did your cardiologist tell you have high blood pressure?

Usually, after a cardiac event they put people on a drug called

"Carvedilol" which is on the list of prohibited performance enhancers.

Just to let you know.

[quote]Montesquieu wrote:

Triple bypass in 1993 (our first child was 3 months old); mild heart attack in 1998; right side of my heart has not functioned in over eight years. Still run (really jog) everyday. If you want to talk to someone sensible, send me an email:

swarner@roosevelt.edu

Good luck in any case.[quote]

Professor Warner!? You post on here too?

Hi!

OP, I've survived an SCA at a race a few years ago (in my 40s), had a bypass and ICD (defibrillator) fitted and was back racing within a few months but very slowly at first. Went through a formal cardiac rehab programme which I'd recommend. It took a year before I was ready to race flat out from the gun again. Now I am actually faster than before, but so many factors go into that its hard to say why. Good luck with the recovery.

i had a heart attack at age 25 and 28. was overworked and stressed out for too long and it caught up with me. healthy otherwise, i trained regularly, ate lots of homw grown organic food (i worked on an organic farm). it didnt matter the stress was too much. i think i was able to push through it more, in a bad way, because i was a runner. talk about scary. i had to learn some hard truths about the linitations of my body, and to stop glorifying pushing myself hard haha. ive sinced stopped racing although that was for diff reasons and just stay active in more relaxed ways, took an easier job and oay cut, moved to the caribbean.

basically think about other factors affecting your heart and work on them too.

I am an ACSM Clinical Exercise Physiologists that works in cardiac and pulmonary rehab. While you may be an outlier in cardiac rehab, it can be extremely beneficial for you to renew your confidence in your ability to run. The majority of arrhythmia problems that can occur will likely happen within the first twelve sessions of cardiac rehab. A normal course of action for our patients is 12 monitored exercise sessions, followed by 24 "non-monitored" sessions. We serve a very rural area but are definitely more progressive than the majority of cardiac rehabs. I would definitely recommend calling your local cardiac rehab facility to determine if they would allow you to run and exercise in a manner that you are used to. If they are going to limit the MET level that you are going to exercise at, I would recommend finding a different facility. I think it is also crucial to make sure that they are staffed by clinical exercise staff (ACSM certified). While it may seem like common sense, there are many facilities that don't have an exercise specialist or physiologist on staff for an exercise program.

One thing that should be stressed is that you should feel safe to resume running again. While heart disease is a chronic condition, it can be safely managed through a healthy diet, medication, and exercise.

I

How Not To Die. great book... only true plaque regression is strict vegetarian diet. Its not fun or fancy but i had a fully blocked LAD not stentable and survived to run ultras. I can tell you whats worked for me... bench815@gmail.com

almostdied wrote:

How Not To Die. great book... only true plaque regression is strict vegetarian diet. Its not fun or fancy but i had a fully blocked LAD not stentable and survived to run ultras. I can tell you whats worked for me...

bench815@gmail.com

Is this recommended?

Breakfast on a burger

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The burger alone has 27 grams (1½ days’ worth) of saturated fat, 345 milligrams (a day’s supply) of cholesterol, and 2,350 milligrams (1½ days’ worth) of sodium. With fries, you’re talking 1,600 calories. That’s like eating two McDonald’s Big Macs, each topped with hash browns, plus an Egg McMuffin for dessert.