Four years ago I had a stent put in my Heart.
I was slim, active and a runner; but ate like a teenager, had a tremendous amount of stress, combined with poor sleep and higher risk through my DNA.

After that, I vowed to reverse heart disease; I had to change everything.
(And I did reverse heart disease! Yay!)
First, I read all I could about reversing heart disease to find the common thread. This took quite a bit of study; but it gave me a mind set. I wanted to develop new Habits.

Second, This is a Big one:
I had to reverse the way I think; As Our health starts in our brains; so our health is based on our thoughts. In a nutshell: so I decided to control what I think about. Realizing There is no physical thing as stress, anger, frustration, happiness or unhappiness; it is all perception & thoughts.
I decided to think happy & contented,... period. I found that An attitude of gratitude at all times, for all things big & small; is a key to contentment and happiness. I try to let go of my ego, so I am not offended.... So basically; most everything is cool. If something offends me; I examine it and let it go.

Third; I can eat anything in the plant word as much as I want; but no animal flesh or fats; except ocean fish and no hard fats. A sort of vegetarian hunter gatherer diet & red wine (this is to 'reverse' heart disease)
I break this rule all the time; I have a bite of steak, a bite of pastry, a bite cheese cake, etc. Life is to be lived and enjoyed; one bite at a time.

Fourth; Daily vigorous activity and then plenty of sleep.

Fifth; live the life I want to live; rather than the life anyone else expects.
Avoid toxic people; let life flow like a river and enjoy the ride.

My last visit to the Cardiologist in January; he told me I reversed heart disease naturally; and I don't need to see him anymore... unless I have a problem.
Life Is Great!

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"Our Lady of Blessed Acceleration...
don't Fail Us Now"

Good for you!

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Yes. Medicine has saved many from a short swift passage to the hereafter by heart attack to live to what possible lingering, painful unknown cause of death.

21 years after a five bypass operation I wonder about this from time to time. But whatever comes, it will be worth the trade for the years, unless I become a long term burden on the kids.
Btw, this woman was my surgeon.
http://www.christianacare.org/womenandheartdisease
It's all good.

Well at my age this may be about the only way I could get a woman to fiddle with any of my parts.

Last physical my doc told me not to come back for a year instead of every 6 months. I asked him why. Your blood work is always good, your asthma and allergies are managed as well as can be expected considering you're not going to stop working with livestock and other irritants. You're fine, he said. I asked him if I ought to be taking daily aspirin like the Tee Vee always claims. He said no, you have no heart disease risk factors. You're not overweight, not sedentary, your cholesterol is perfect, you don't smoke, you have no chronic inflammation. I said I'd read that fully half of all fatal heart attacks happen to people with no risk factors. He looked at me and said yes, they do.
Oh, good.

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You're a daisy if you do.
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84 Euro 240D 4spd. 220.5k sold
04 Honda Element AWD
1985 F150 XLT 4x4, 351W with 270k miles, hay hauler
1997 Suzuki Sidekick 4x4
1993 Toyota 4wd Pickup 226K and counting

I'm not touching this one.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

DON'T TOUCH IT! DON'T TOUCH IT!

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Strelnik
Invest in America: Buy a Congressman!

1950 170SD
1951 Citroen 11BN
1953 Citroen 11BNF limo
1953 220a project
1959 180D
1960 190D
1960 Borgward Isabella TS 2dr
1983 240D daily driver
1983 380SL
1990 350SDL daily driver alt
3 x Citroen DS21M, down from 5
3 x Citroen 2CV, down from 6

On a similar note, sometimes good drivers get hit by idiots who come flying out of nowhere ya know?

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$60 OM617 Blank Exhaust Flanges
$110 OM606 Blank Exhaust Flanges
No merc at the moment

There might be a built in fallacy here. Like maybe If you have enough of the risk factors you are too sick to live long enough to have a heart attack.

Maybe, or maybe the measuring of risk factors is not actually good enough to catch them all.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

There is no certainty you will or will not have a heart attack. Most men get early warning symptoms perhaps. Recognizing them for what they are may be the difficulty.

I want to clear something up about my previous post...I'm not being negative, I'm being realistic.

Most male members of my family died at roughly the same age of heart disease issues. Same with the male members on my mother's side of the family...except they die at a slightly younger age.

I'm 40, have had a heart attack, had stents put in, have been diagnosed with CHF, am medicated to the core with HBP pill, water pills, blood thinners, as well as medications for neuropathy. On top of all of that, I have issues with balance...I've been told that I'll probably never work professionally again.

Reality is this...I'm screwed. If I live long enough to see my son go to college, I'll consider myself lucky. I'll become one of those that the medical industry will continue to throw meds at to control side effects of the meds they already threw at me. I know this...I've seen this in action...and I know the outcome of it all.

I've gotten a couple of PMs about my post, telling me to stay positive, that the docs will figure it all out. I call BS on that. Like I've said...I have witnessed this my entire life, and know the outcome. For my life, I already know what the final pages read...in the end, with all that was done, the meds allowed him to live a few years longer than was expected.

My job now is no longer as the bread winner...it's been moved up to full time teacher of my children. As long as this screwed up DNA I have allows me, I'll teach the kids as much as I can about survival, about being productive members of society, and how to live off of the grid if need be. I have to prepare them for the inevitable moment when I'm no longer here to tell them what they need to do, I have to prepare them to think on their own and on their own feet.

That's what I've resigned myself to, and I'm happy with it. There's no use fighting death...so make life as enjoyable as possible. Seize that moment everyday to tell your family how much they mean to you, and how much you love them. Show them in your actions and in your words.

I don't want to live into my 90's...I have no intention on that. I have my goal, and every day past that moment would be a blessing.

I'm not sour, I'm not depressed...I'm living everyday as if it's my last moment to teach my kids. What more could you ask for??

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1987 560SL
85,000 miles

That right there is a big deal. I remember the first time I setup drum brakes on my own (something my Dad taught me to do)

Every time I do drum brakes it makes me think of my Dad (he's still kicking, but you get what I mean)

__________________
$60 OM617 Blank Exhaust Flanges
$110 OM606 Blank Exhaust Flanges
No merc at the moment

FWIW, the stress echo is the easiest non-invasive test of the heart. They connect several leads that monitor the heart and get a baseline. Then on to the treadmill you go. You walk at a slowly quickening pace until you’ve had enough. Immediately after that they do a sonogram of your heart from the front and side to check for anomalies.
This test will show many noteworthy defects in the hearts performance, if they exist. It will not show any partial blockages. For that you’d need a stress thallium or >

It’s a good idea to have one of these for most people in their mid-40s. And if some issue is found, the doc will probably talk about the so-called "path of courage."

As we age just getting off our asses and taking a walk everyday seems to help to some extent. Just sitting around and if moving more than a hundred feet involves the use of a vehicle is really no way to live.

I fully realise that for some they are past that point but if not they should give some consideration to it.

Also I doubt many experience heart attacks when dropping off weight. A lot of us carry perhaps more weight than we should in our culture. The excess bulk and lack of activity contributing to the onset of diabetes is another upside of putting some effort out. Generally I suspect you feel better when you drop off weight as well. In the majority of cases the energy level also improves.

It also might be good for our minds to realise at least we are attempting doing something of a pre emptive nature.

I make sure to work at least several hours a day as part of my own keep going program. At times I would just like to take it easy but feel keeping active .is more important from a health perspective. I still carry perhaps thirty pounds more than I should. Twenty pounds for sure.

How much more weight might accumulate with less activity is an unknown. People that eat less perhaps survive better as well.

I have reached perhaps an awkward age at seventy. No desire to live when either the mind deteriorates or am too dependant on other people to take care of myself. Living to ninety unless your health is good and mind still pretty well intact is not that desirable. Or not for me at least.

I have seen some remarkable cases of people turning themselvs around as well. Not that many in reality but enough to know it is possible. As you get older perhaps in suttle ways you do get more common sense.

For example stress is a real killer. You learn to estimate how much might be involved when entering situations. The smarts are when you feel there might be quite a lot of stress involved and pass it by. There will always be enough background stress to meet our real needs for a little of it to stay healthy. As long as you engage mental challenging activities for your level of abilities..

Just a guess of mine but being totally free of stress may be a signal to the mind to relax. I wondered if there was a reason some people seemed more suceptable to mental deterioration than others. I am well aware of genetic factors as well.

About five years ago an aquaintance of the family retired. I mentioned to him that just sitting around and drinking coffee as he was doing may be dangerous. He should be doing something everyday. He just continued to sit around watching TV etc. and now his mind has gone.

My serious guess is that had he stayed engaged with many things even just for example maintaining cars he would still be with us today from a mental perspective. Physically he was in good health and still is. His wife is having a very hard time with him and may have to put him somewhere.

When young is the time for heavy stress as it improves your threshhold of tollerance. To get anywhere when younger it has to be involved or you are not trying hard enough.

What results is that what bothers one person in later life may not afflict another individual at all as previous exposure has dealt with that level of uncomfort or stress before.

As I sit here today typing this out I am shortly leaving to paint a room. The paint is waiting in the front hall. That is todays physical activity and the mental activity is putting together a new somewhat complex banister system as I have to engage my mind to get everything right the first time as well today. It is not a kit.

The background issue that truly occupies and exercises the mind currently is design considerations and costs etc on a new replacement building. There were so many reasons pro and con but mostly con on putting up that replacement structure. The closer the start becomes the more time for considerations is engaged.

My final decision was that it was better for health reasons than not doing it is what tipped the balance. I may be crazy but I want a functional crazy to remain as long as possible. I think I have learnt to actually enjoy modest stress that gets involved and challenges me to some extent. . Simply because I seek it as part of projects.

Without that component it is too easy and becomes just work. An example is cutting grass for it is almost a sedinary type thing as there is so little mental involvement and no challenge. It still has to be done but some perspective on what it actually is doing or contributing to your general well being should be considered as well. I guess I tend to catagorize activities . Those that are more important from a health perspective seem to get get priority.

I guess my overall point is that if you are in good health try to do things to maintain or are benificial to that state as long as possible. I try to pay somewhat more than just lip service to it. The unknown is has it really made any differance. Looking at many of my contemporaries it may have or just might have been genetics. One can never be sure.