My old man had a heart atack. Help please.

[kmitch200]

Glad Dad came through in good shape.  Not much to add to what's been said, except to say that be prepared for the wonderful world of Cardiac Rehab.......that's where he'll be put through his exercise paces, under supervision and while wearing a wireless heart monitor, by a sweet-tempered little cardiac nurse with the disposition of R. Lee Ermey on a bad day.

This may well make him take stock of his own mortality.......something that can be a rude slap upside the head when it happens.  Be there to help him, but don't feel like you have to baby him or do things for him.  That will ROYALLY piss him off.

Again, I'm glad things went well.  Now you need to take a deep breath and remember that the scary part is behind you.
Good luck, bud.

^^This^^
The whole diet thing is pretty weak if your genetics predispose you to produce plaque in your arteries.
Like Path said, they will get him walking and working out. Just support him as best you can and he'll probably do fine.
Glad to hear he pulled through OK.

[tombogan03884]

^^This^^
The whole diet thing is pretty weak if your genetics predispose you to produce plaque in your arteries.
Like Path said, they will get him walking and working out. Just support him as best you can and he'll probably do fine.
Glad to hear he pulled through OK.

While it may seem logical that isn't exactly so.
If you eliminate the materials that produce plaque predisposition or not you will have a far lower risk.

[Pathfinder]

While it may seem logical that isn't exactly so.
If you eliminate the materials that produce plaque predisposition or not you will have a far lower risk.

Not so. My doctor is probably still wondering why I had such massive cardiac problems. My renin (the stuff that causes hypertension) was so low as to be almost unmeasurable; hypertension comes when it is high. My cholesterol was never over 170 except for the spike right before I went for the angiogram. The HDL/LDL mix was normal.

However, my Dad had a heart attack at 50, his Dad died relatively young, and his Dad died at 47. It's all genetics in my case, although, yeah, I ate crappy and was sedentary, which didn't help. But, I had none of the significant risk factors - no smoking, no drinking, and the test all showed low-level scores. Just family history, i.e., a genetic predisposition to cardiac issues.

[kmitch200]

While it may seem logical that isn't exactly so.
If you eliminate the materials that produce plaque predisposition or not you will have a far lower risk.

You can't eliminate what you body uses to produce plaque unless you found a way to change your DNA.
Some folks live to their 90's eating a 1/2 pound of sausage and 4 eggs for breakfast every day and never have a cholesterol level over 130. Someone else can eat tofu and veggies exclusively and dies at 55 with a cholesterol level that never gets below 250.

Genetics is the ONLY risk factor you can't change and it's the most important.

[Timothy]

No one in my family that I know of has had heart issues.  My father's heart stopped because of complications from emphysema after 55 years of smoking three packs a day!  My mother died a few years after a stroke but she had a very, very high cholesterol level as I recall.  My older brother has a severe cholesterol issue that the rest of us don't share.

He tried eating tree bark and lawn clippings for a few years and it had absolutely no effect on his cholesterol.  He now eats like he wants, weighs about 150 pounds soaking wet and is very active, retired and living large at 59!

I have no idea what my current levels are at the moment nor do I care very much.  I eat well, get some exercise regularly and don't smoke anymore.  When my ticket gets punched, it's punched!  I'll probably live longer than my father did but nothing is certain in life.

[Sponsor]

[tt11758]

No one in my family that I know of has had heart issues.  My father's heart stopped because of complications from emphysema after 55 years of smoking three packs a day!  My mother died a few years after a stroke but she had a very, very high cholesterol level as I recall.  My older brother has a severe cholesterol issue that the rest of us don't share.

He tried eating tree bark and lawn clippings for a few years and it had absolutely no effect on his cholesterol.  He now eats like he wants, weighs about 150 pounds soaking wet and is very active, retired and living large at 59!

I have no idea what my current levels are at the moment nor do I care very much.  I eat well, get some exercise regularly and don't smoke anymore.  When my ticket gets punched, it's punched!  I'll probably live longer than my father did but nothing is certain in life.

You said a mouthful there, my friend.  I firmly believe that the number of days I would spend on this planet had been determined by my creator before I was born.  And while we have no control of duration, we do have SOME control over quality.  When my time comes it will matter not one whit whether I'm jumping out of an airplane (like THAT will ever happen), or taking a nap in my recliner (MUCH more likely), when God calls me home I'll be going.  Period.

[Solus]

You said a mouthful there, my friend.  I firmly believe that the number of days I would spend on this planet had been determined by my creator before I was born.  And while we have no control of duration, we do have SOME control over quality.  When my time comes it will matter not one whit whether I'm jumping out of an airplane (like THAT will ever happen), or taking a nap in my recliner (MUCH more likely), when God calls me home I'll be going.  Period.

Would that apply to me?  Think of all the time I've waited for the light to change before crossing busy streets....and all the times I didn't use my propane heater indoors.

[MikeBjerum]

No one in my family that I know of has had heart issues.  My father's heart stopped because of complications from emphysema after 55 years of smoking three packs a day!  My mother died a few years after a stroke but she had a very, very high cholesterol level as I recall.  My older brother has a severe cholesterol issue that the rest of us don't share.

He tried eating tree bark and lawn clippings for a few years and it had absolutely no effect on his cholesterol.  He now eats like he wants, weighs about 150 pounds soaking wet and is very active, retired and living large at 59!

I have no idea what my current levels are at the moment nor do I care very much.  I eat well, get some exercise regularly and don't smoke anymore.  When my ticket gets punched, it's punched!  I'll probably live longer than my father did but nothing is certain in life.

I certainly hope I do, because I'm getting scary close to his expiration age!

If I don't make it I suggest you all stay in touch with tt.  He will have my estate sale bill, and that will be one worth attending ... at least that is what my friends tell me    Also, Audrey will be set up for a lifestyle we can't afford today, and my toys may still be around for her next companion