Cipollini has heart surgery

[joosttx]

Originally Posted by Elefantino

Heart disease is a stunner when you're told you have it. In a flash you think of all the negatives including not being able to ride anymore. Thankfully the negatives (mostly) are false!


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This is nice to know. I am getting a major physical for Life Insurance purposes in a couple of weeks which they extensively look at my heart. I am a little nervous.

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by joosttx

This is nice to know. I am getting a major physical for Life Insurance purposes in a couple of weeks which they extensively look at my heart. I am a little nervous.

After a couple of afib episodes, I had a $bazillion$ heart eval...Nuke stress tests, monitors worn, echos, etc. thankfully the result was a clean bill of 'heart' health. Afib 'hangover heart', mostly dehydration and too much beer....BUT, now on a statin, total about 145 from 200....I know there's some controversy surrounding statins but if you can tolerate them, and are 'not young' and heart doc concurs, taking them is not a bad thing.

[rzthomas]

Originally Posted by Elefantino

Heart disease is a stunner when you're told you have it. In a flash you think of all the negatives including not being able to ride anymore. Thankfully the negatives (mostly) are false!


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True that: a little over one year after a bypass operation to correct a congenital abnormality with my left main/widowmaker, I am about as strong on the bike as I was before the operation.

I had the kind of thing that causes teen athletes to drop dead –– how I made it to 38 before showing symptoms is beyond me.

Anyway, not sure I am going to race again, but I can ride as much as I want, so I am happy with that.

There's still a lot of PTSD and bleak thoughts I'm working through, though.

[wc1934]

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

After a couple of afib episodes, I had a $bazillion$ heart eval...Nuke stress tests, monitors worn, echos, etc. thankfully the result was a clean bill of 'heart' health. Afib 'hangover heart', mostly dehydration and too much beer....BUT, now on a statin, total about 145 from 200....I know there's some controversy surrounding statins but if you can tolerate them, and are 'not young' and heart doc concurs, taking them is not a bad thing.

For those of you on statins, if you dont mind me asking, what type of statins are you on, the dose, etc. My cholesterol is a bit high and my LDL even more so (love cheese and cannoli). My doc wants to start me on a low dose, but I have heard various opinions.
Thanks.

[johnniecakes]

Originally Posted by wc1934

For those of you on statins, if you dont mind me asking, what type of statins are you on, the dose, etc. My cholesterol is a bit high and my LDL even more so (love cheese and cannoli). My doc wants to start me on a low dose, but I have heard various opinions.
Thanks.

I take 20mg of simvistatin (generic Zocor) every evening and have been for 7 years. When I was first diagnosed with hi triglycerides I was put on tricor. Within 2 days my back was tight and could hardly bend over. When I switched to simvistatin I did not notice any side effects, and the numbers all came to where they should be. I also reduced my carbohydrates by about half. No sugar and cut out rice, most pasta, any fruit juice, and breakfast ceral.

[BobO]

Originally Posted by Elefantino

Heart disease is a stunner when you're told you have it. In a flash you think of all the negatives including not being able to ride anymore. Thankfully the negatives (mostly) are false!

You aren't kidding, that moment when a very serious looking doctor tells you that you've had a heart attack changes you. You go through those rationalizations, "but I race bikes," "I'm in great shape," "I'm only 48." Then it's the "holy **** my kids are still in high school what are they going to do without me?" "I have a race this weekend," "I wonder if my wife will re-marry?" "is there any heart damage." The brain just goes nuts.

[benb]

He looks like he has put on 50lbs of muscle.. surely that is all natural and not from any supplements with side effects.

[LouDeeter]

I have a prescription for 10mg Lipitor. My doc wants my cholesterol below certain levels and when I go well below, he tells me to break the 10mg into pieces and take a 5mg for the next 6 months to see what the blood levels do. I did that and he wanted to take me completely off, but I didn't want to do that. I've convinced myself that the statins are doing more for me than just lowering my cholesterol. My doc is not only a physician, but also a pharmacist.

About five years ago, I had a calcium score taken. It reports whether you have any blockage in the coronary arteries. I had a high score, meaning bad. A nuclear stress test was done and the cardiologist told me I had full blood flow and that the blockage shown on the calcium score was probably just something from inflammation at some time in my life. He said, "ride your bike, ride it hard". I'll go back in next year for my followup and I expect they'll do another nuclear stress test. Hope he says the same thing.

[Dekonick]

I had my 50 year old check up including nuclear stress etc... The Fire Department cardiologist gives everyone a nuke if you throw a PVC during your regular stress test - hint - don't drink caffeine before the stress...

It was a relief to get a clean bill, but I do take Atorvastatin and have for the last 15 years. Liver enzymes have been slightly elevated forever, alt a tad higher than ast... I guess that's living the good life. Not enough to stop the statin per my doc.

Compare and contrast - A good friend of mine has always eaten a Medeteranian diet, runs every day, extremely healthy - Asian... He had a left anterior descending lesion AKA 'The Widow Maker' that caused a cardiac arrest. He is alive due to realizing he was having a massive heart attack and had his wife drive to a fire station and called ahead so they were waiting. He arrested in the back of the ambulance, and I believe on the cath lab table too... Now he has a stent. He had absolutely NO risk factors. NONE. Clean bill of health, had just had a BRUCE stress test a few months prior...

Another co-worker: Anesthesiologist. Eats like a rabbit. Triathlete, has an endless pool in his house... I doubt his body fat is higher than 10%. He has had 4 heart attacks, stents...etc... First heart attack at age 30.

Moral? Do what you can, but don't worry too much. Life is too short, go out and do things. Ride, but be smart about it.

I still drink coffee - way too much.

[Mikej]

Originally Posted by LouDeeter

I have a prescription for 10mg Lipitor. My doc wants my cholesterol below certain levels and when I go well below, he tells me to break the 10mg into pieces and take a 5mg for the next 6 months to see what the blood levels do. I did that and he wanted to take me completely off, but I didn't want to do that. I've convinced myself that the statins are doing more for me than just lowering my cholesterol. My doc is not only a physician, but also a pharmacist.

About five years ago, I had a calcium score taken. It reports whether you have any blockage in the coronary arteries. I had a high score, meaning bad. A nuclear stress test was done and the cardiologist told me I had full blood flow and that the blockage shown on the calcium score was probably just something from inflammation at some time in my life. He said, "ride your bike, ride it hard". I'll go back in next year for my followup and I expect they'll do another nuclear stress test. Hope he says the same thing.

Out of curiosity, what else was the statin drug doing?

[LouDeeter]

Originally Posted by Mikej

Out of curiosity, what else was the statin drug doing?

Good question. I'm not sure whether the science backs it up, but I read early on that statins improve the health of blood vessels themselves and might help with blood flow to the brain to combat dementia and similar diseases. It made sense to me at the time with my limited bio knowledge. Plus, 5 mg is a very small dose and as long as I'm not experiencing side effects, I like the risk vs reward chances.

[buddybikes]

Statins have been found to be an anti-inflammatory. I am on 10mg crestor, to keep my levels real low (type 1 diabetes 52 years). Never really thought much about this med.

[LouDeeter]

I just googled and found that studies done since my early reading have disproved the idea that statins combat progression of dementia, but they have found with other studies that statins might have anti-viral or antibacterial benefit. There is so much we don't know, good and bad, about our bodies and the effect of chemicals.

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by wc1934

For those of you on statins, if you dont mind me asking, what type of statins are you on, the dose, etc. My cholesterol is a bit high and my LDL even more so (love cheese and cannoli). My doc wants to start me on a low dose, but I have heard various opinions.
Thanks.

Lipitor, 20mg once a day. No side effects. If you do have the standard side effects, muscle/joint pain, might look at Praluent...wife could not handle normal statins, does this. Her's from 330 total to 160.

[bigbill]

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

Lipitor, 20mg once a day. No side effects. If you do have the standard side effects, muscle/joint pain, might look at Praluent...wife could not handle normal statins, does this. Her's from 330 total to 160.

I take 40mg and it keeps me in the 140's with good ratios. VA gives me the generic Atorvastatin. I expect to hear from the Pharm D shortly to switch to a smaller dose. No side effects except lower cholesterol. Now, my BP is the next thing, for two decades its been in the upper normal/low hypertensive range. I'm getting new meds this week.