Im 23 have high cholesterol not very active at the moment cause of anxiety and svt am I too young to worry about heart disease??? I mean I want to make life changes soon and get lower cholesterol and be more active am I crazy to think I could already have heart disease?
Please help 
Hi there. You're raising a lot of issues at once: svt, anxiety, cholesterol, worries about heart disease and you want to make life changes soon. What's wrong with making one change today? Taking positive steps may help with the anxiety, because it sounds as if one worry is leading to another.
If you want to tackle cholesterol, you can cut down on naughty things like cream, butter and cheese, but also try taking a little cinnamon every day - about half a teaspoon, according to the lady at my surgery. I add it to porridge.
Hi , I do my best at changing lifestyle I do eat more healthy now and try my best to be more active . I know what I need to do that wasn't my question im just wondering if maybe im too young to be at risk for heart disease . && im guessing you don't have anxiety? I do its really hard to deal with and really cant enjoy or want to do anything. . . Thats why I mentioned I am not that active
Anxiety is hard to deal with but not impossible. We all get anxious, especially with AF. I use relaxation techniques, yoga, exercise (when I can) and CBT techniques and something called EFT emotional freedom technique or sometimes called tapping. Sounds bonkers but it actually works! If the anxiety is stopping you living your life then suggest you seek psychological help. Look on the BACP website - ITS Good To Talk website for qualified people who can help. Or AMT site for EFT practitioner, but google that, you can learn it from YouTube videos.
I've not heard about cinnamon being good for cholesterol - I actually have about half a teaspoon on my porridge already cos I like the taste!
This was from the nurse practitioner at my surgery, but there is info online. The other simple remedy I have been told about (though not via any medical expert) is 7oz beetroot juice a day to lower blood pressure. Beetroot is low in vitamin K so OK for warfarin.
Thanks Rellim.
Hi Lulu. Good advice from Relilim.
I think you are wise to be concerned and worrying and anxiety is not helpful. Get a plan of action together and start doing it and as Rellim says, one change at a time. The old adage an apple a day keeps the Doctor away has proved to be very true, apples have been shown to lower cholesterol as efficiently as statins in one study so think what a tasty treat apple dipped in cinnamon would be and it is going to be healthy!
Lulu,
Prepare yourself mentally for your Ablation tomorrow. Dont even think about life changing issues today,you will have plenty of time post Ablation to stop, think and reflect on your life...Believe me that is where l am at the moment...
Thinking of u tomorrow...cx
I note that everybody has avoided your question so ever one to wade in where others don't I have to say no you are not to young to worry about heart disease. No one is and your current situation has prompted you to look at your life with a view to changing what could be a a not very bright future. This is brilliant! I remember reading many years ago that during the Vietnam War that a significant number of casualties were found during autopsy to have heart problems such as clogged arteries and these would all have been apparently fit young men drafted into the army. Now those were Americans and we know of the fat epidemic there but it was also forty years ago. In recent years much more has been done in UK at least to improve the health quality of foods but we still need ourselves to take a pro-active approach to our own health and not just heart health. Diet is of course one significant area we can look at as well as our general life style. Walking is one of the best exercises you can do as is swimming and neither needs you to join a gym and make your self more ill by over training and becoming obsessed with the endorphine rush. We are all different and some can't and never will be super athletes so if you are one of the can'ts then don't try. Just do a little each day and you will be amazed at the improvements over time.
Right now you should be relaxing and not worrying too much about the future as your first important step is tomorrow when you have your ablation. Please take time to recover, at least two weeks and even then take your time as you will find that you tire very quickly. This is normal. You have a long life ahead of you and have already taken a major step forward by looking at yourself ans asking an important question. Your next step will be finding an answer.
Good luck
Bob
Hope everything is going well today keep us updated lulu janr
you're never too young to take control of your heart health. Don't stress over it because stress is very bad for you but a healthy diet will help you for life. Three months after my ablation I had a heart attack despite having been thoroughly checked and leading a fit and pretty healthy lifestyle. My cardiologist said that we start laying down Cholesterol deposits in our arteries in our teens.What is a healthy diet? There are lots of answers but I would suggest that lots of whole fresh food rather than overprocessed is a good start with a good balance, but it must be something that you also enjoy eating. If I had to live for the next 20 years on nothing but tofu and unflavoured acidophilus yoghurt I'm not sure I bother.
What has been said above is so true. Worrying about what is worrying you does not make it better. I know it is easier said than done. It appears I had Af for most of my adult life when I saw my GP in my 20's he said "do not worry about it" so I did not (I am 59 now), the mind is a strange and fickle thing. All the best with your future as I am sure you have a long and happy one ahead.
Be Well
76 years old with A F
apixaban and hematuria 
shortness of breath
3% Afib burden and proposed medication
