Heart attack - it can happen

[greyhoundtom]

Really good post

+1 very well explained Dave. Most importantly glad you're ok.

+1 Great that you're OK and have got through this one in one piece and a lot wiser........... and a great explanation for those not familiar with just how easy it is to do damage to your heart.

Because of my own experiences with heart damage by being stupid enough to think that I could just tough it out and keep up with guys half my age, I now get a bit annoyed when in some topic or other someone gets told to HTFU and to just do it.

[TailWind]

I don't want to scare anyone with this but just be aware that live is a fragile thing. Enjoy it while you can and I hope you never have to go through this.

Thanks for sharing - hope you're as good as new soonest!
I turned 46 a few days ago....time for some introspection and reassessment of lifestyle on my side, methinks.

[DaveOZ]

http://app.strava.com/activities/7716624

Suffer score of 3. Surely a heart attack 2 weeks ago counts for something!!!!

Heart rate monitor kept dropping out so either my heart is not working or the strap doesn't work when you're not sweaty.

I was able to get my HR down to 52 on the flat stuff and kept it under 130 up the hill (10% but short). I'll ask the doc tomorrow what HR and distance I should be aiming for. This is all new to me.

[DaveOZ]

15km ride today. Felt great to be out.

http://app.strava.com/activities/7881963


The iBike App is great for keeping my Hr in the target zone. Today I kept it around 70% and under 80%.



I feel fine and I'm pleased how easy I can ride at 70% HR.

[gabrielle260]

Well done Dave!
I've been following Maffetone's recommendations for the last 3 months... It is worth a look...

[Downhill]

Great post Dave! Good to hear that you're OK!

i had a family member and a business associate suddenly pass away from heart attacks after cycling. This was something I'd always wondered about but hadn't seen explained previously. Your post has given me a much better understanding of the risk factors facing the older athlete. The information you provided is really important and should be circulated more widely.

For me, it's reinforced some of the rules of good living:
- Stay active
- Participate
- Enjoy good food, good wine and good company
- Enjoy all of these in moderation
- Listen to your body and do what it tells you.

[PawPaw]

INteresting stuff Paw paw. Its not often i feel i learn anything new or credible from posts about health. Not that i know everything but...

Hi Med, sorry for not seeing your post before now. Excluding invasive procedures, the simplest (and indirect) way to determine arterial plaques is resting blood pressure, HR response to exercise, and a VO2 max stress ecg.

Nonetheless, it is possibly the wisest course of action for you to take, to take to heart what happened to Dave, and clean up your diet for 90% of the time. i.e. 9/10 days, eat healthy. Monitor your BP at home. Meditate and manage stressors. Cycling hard is a form of stress. Be sensible about it. If you want to do high intensity, build up to it over many months, and avoid it if fatigued and stressed.

If you want to learn more about cleaning your arteries for longevity, I recommend "Dean Ornish".

You might also engage your GP in a conversation about the prophylactic use of aspirin and statins.

[MichaelB]

Just goes to show that if in ANY doubt, get it checked out properly AND QUICK !!

Glad to hear that you are OK dave

[petie]

I feel the most important message here is to keep cycling!! Do whatever it is that makes you happy, be it smashing up hills or eating chocolate. The reality is it can happen to ANYONE. Better to just make a few wise choices and be happy, i'm sure being anxious and depressed are risk factors too!

I'm glad you were so lucky, it's GREAT to hear when modern healthcare works like it should. Getting people back out there doing what they love Thanks for sharing a positive story

[dino1969]

Dave, thanks for sharing this experience in such detail! Glad to hear you are ok.I am 43 and have been meaning to get a thorough check up...this has given me the necessary "push!" All the best for the future! Dino....


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[foo on patrol]

So, how's it all going now for you Dave?

Foo

[DaveOZ]

Feeling better each day. Been trying to ride each day when I can 20km with heart rate 100-120.

[PawPaw]

Dave, in all seriousness, I mention the cardiologist/researcher Dean Ornish. His dietary approach is the only one that has proven emphatically that diet can reverse artherosclerosis. Bill Clinton got on the diet after his attack, and went from strength to strength. All the best with it.

[balap]

Dave,

thanks for sharing.
Good to hear that you are feeling better each day.

I am 48. I am going to get a heart rate monitor to make sure I don't push too hard.
Today after 45 km ride I had to stop 1 km from home to throw up.
I didn't even feel I pushed that hard today.
Will make sure I drink plenty of fluid next time and watch my diet.

[KonaCommuter]

Dave, in all seriousness, I mention the cardiologist/researcher Dean Ornish. His dietary approach is the only one that has proven emphatically that diet can reverse artherosclerosis. Bill Clinton got on the diet after his attack, and went from strength to strength. All the best with it.

I’ll add Dr Mc Dougall http://www.drmcdougall.com (search on YouTube as well. In particular “the Starch Solution”) and the Engine 2 diet as decent search (from my research) . I do like Dr McDougalls arguments though

[PawPaw]

yep, I'd vouch for John McDougall. Have had his first book since the 80s.
Dean Ornish, Caldwell Esselstyn, and several others are in the same camp, which is that a vego diet more heavily based on unprocessed plants is healthier for longevity, especially cardiovascular health.
These guys are usually at loggerheads with Lauren Cordain of Paleo Diet fame. However Cordain has argued his case very well.
I'm biased towards the vegetarian slant because there's more data to show a health advantage.
The Paleo diet trend will need another 30 years to show a benefit greater then a vego or vegan diet.

[Calais]

Hi all, just to give you some insight on my situation. It's not cycling related, but mainly shows that age doesn't discriminate when it comes to heart attacks.

I'm 41 now, but 2 years back (I was 39) i ended up having a heart attack, which resulted in a quadriple bypass. It's only now that I feel as if I'm recovered close to 100% from the operation. I now take blood thinners, cholesterol pills, beta blockers, and other pills which I'll probably have to take for the rest of my life

Mine was mainly caused by heavy smoking, poor diet, and not much physical activity. I've never had high BP, no family history of heart issues, and I wasn't what you would regard as grossly overweight. As with anyone who has a heart attack, I did suffer moderate heart muscle damage, hence getting back on a bike (hadn't ridden for nearly 20 years) to give the ticker a workout and keep that blood flowing

[PawPaw]

Here's a video of ex US President Clinton, who followed the dietary advice of Esseltyn and Ornish after his heart attack.
Reversal of artherosclerosis...

[DaveOZ]

UPDATE.

Cardiac rehabs now completed and I've just completed my stress test with flying colours. I went 3min past the requirement for National CAMS License and Commercial Pilot. All good. Cardiologist is very happy with my progress and want me to ramp gradually up to full fitness over the next 3 months.

I feel great and I've learnt a lot in the past 6 weeks at rehab with useful lectures in nutrition, exercise and stress management.

My weight is down and my bloods are all good.

I've been riding my bike for ~ 1 hour a day for the past 6 weeks which has really helped in may ways.

[PawPaw]

Good to hear Dave. I'd be interested to hear from you which lifestyle changes have been recommended to you. i.e. has your understanding of what constitutes a healthy diet changed, and how are you going about sticking to it?

[KonaCommuter]

Good to hear Dave. I'd be interested to hear from you which lifestyle changes have been recommended to you. i.e. has your understanding of what constitutes a healthy diet changed, and how are you going about sticking to it?

+1

[Mulger bill]

Great news Dave! Keep on rollin'

Shaun

[foo on patrol]

That's very good Dave!

Foo

[DaveOZ]

Good to hear Dave. I'd be interested to hear from you which lifestyle changes have been recommended to you. i.e. has your understanding of what constitutes a healthy diet changed, and how are you going about sticking to it?

I had a pretty good understanding of a healthy diet before and mostly stuck to it. As I said before my heart attack was not caused by diet or excess plaque. I have learnt how to relax and deal with stress which is probably the biggest factor for me. I've also only had about 3 beers in the past 9 weeks. Don't even feel like one anymore.

PawPaw, the hospital nutritionist mostly offered the obvious standard dietary solutions but you need to bear in mind that most of the people in the group had been living on an unhealthy diet for many years.

The Esseltyn diet is very interesting but I just don't think I can go without meat. I have cut out all fat and gone to even smaller portions. I try to avoid processed food anyway.

[foo on patrol]

Beer is good Dave. It has protein in it and and and well, beer is just good.

Foo