I may be wrong but there seems to be a massive pro campaign for Dr Gupta and his videos . Can I ask the following please
A) his videos seem to be years old , surely things have progressed with AFIB knowledge , so are we getting the latest and most informative info from these ?
The one I put up this week was from February this year and at least one person found it very useful.
As far as I know he only started doing them in 2015 so not that old.
Physalis , I found them useful but couldn’t help but wonder if things hadn’t changed in the last 6 + years in regards advice and medication for us sufferers . I genuinely don’t know as it’s all new to me but had to ask the forum .
Not much to be honest. Treatment of AF plateaued about 2008 apart from some occasional high tech solutions and machines used during ablations which merely make life easier for the EP.
Lots of headline grabbing stuff (particularly in the daily fail ) but nothing ever seems to change.
I think he is helpful and have just looked at one where he talks about heart rate variability which has come up on the forum this week. It's quite short
youtube.com/watch?v=y2mtXLt...
It's dated Oct 2019 and he talks about HRV which helps me to understand it a bit better.
As far as I know he hasn't done videos on ablation, apart from one about four years ago where he didn't think it was such a good idea, or the Apple watch. He's a cardiologist not an EP.
No you don't need shooting down, we are all entitled to our opinions.
Dr Sanjay Gupta who works at York Hospital in the UK has been putting talks on YouTube for many years, so yes there will be a lot of older ones on his site. I'm not sure now how to find all of his videos and yes when you go on there it can throw up older ones.
The many ways a heart can beat incorrectly will never change. What I like about his talks is he explains everything in a way we can all understand. If you don't want to see his older talks, then the easy option is not to watch them.
Can anyone tell me how to read Sanjay's most recent YouTube posts, from latest going back to earliest. He must have so many on there now.
Jean
You need to look at his profile and then videos. There is a "sort by" option at the top of the screen.
Hi Griffin, yes I've tried that with no success as it generally throws up links to every talk/song I've ever looked at, but sometimes I can get a screen that can contain every YouTube talk of his. Will have another try, thank you.
That would be your library/history. What do you see when you click on his profile icon?
Will go an have another look.
This link should always work to get you to the YouTube page listing all of Dr Gupta’s videos. And should be sorted by m”most recent”, of which there seem to be quite a few! youtube.com/c/YorkCardiolog...
No doubt that YouTube makes it a bit confusing to navigate, all the more likely you’ll stumble on other videos and watch them.
Just had a look, thank you works well.
Hi Jean
If you go to his YouTube channel York Cardiology and just press the videos tab it will place all of the content in date order with the oldest being posted some 7 years ago.
Kind regards
Steve
Thank you Steve.
As has already been said, nothing new or revolutionary in the treatment of AF over past few years. Some new mapping techniques for ablations to help EPs though.Dr Gupta is rightly revered by very many for his helpful, easily understood videos.
Am I right in thinking America seems to be taking this more serious than the UK in terms of research and treatments
IMHO no.
What you will see is that because it can be a real money spinner a lot of razzmataz comes from across the pond along with quite a few new claims. Overall results are pretty similar although a recent post did show quite a few bad outcomes most likely due to inexperienced people and perhaps poorly chosen patients. In UK you may wait longer but at least if you are offered ablation the EP thinks there is a very good chance it will help you and if not (say you are a hard drinking, over weight smoker) they will send you away to try life style changes first.
The fact that USA permits advertisements for prescription drugs skews all reasonable assessments. Anticoagulants are hyped so unsuspecting viewers think they are an AFib treatment now a stroke preventative. Same with Watchman procedure. So far I don’t see ads for flecanide or specialized AFib medicines - market is probably too small.
I like my EP fine and really appreciate his nurses. But I’m not seeing anything really new.
In my own AFib journey I need to work on stress reduction - exercise, deep breathing, playing music..
Maybe the fact that you do not see adverts for antiarrythmic drugs is because the patents on all those drugs have expired and the generic drugs are so inexpensive it is not worthwhile,because the market for antiarrythmic drugs is big.
What makes you think America is taking it more seriously?
They seem to highlight it more and the seriousness of the link between AF and Stroke along with the fact it’s treatable before stroke stage . I’m only new to this so don’t take my word for it , it just seems that way when I Google stuff etc
You should watch the video Sanjay Gupta recorded in 2016. It's entitled "why I don't believe AFib causes strokes".
youtube.com/watch?v=LERfUhY...
So...I should stop taking thinners? The body of physical evidence concerning blood pooling in the left atrium is flawed? Are we to toss out the decades of peer reviewed research because of his "beliefs"?I would probably lend more credence, if other AFIB specialists were lining up behind him in 2021.
You think Yanks are a sceptical lot? We "bloody colonials" have our share of doubters as well 😋
And perhaps Americans distrust their own Dr. Sanjay Gupta...yes the famous CNN contributor, and that taints any namesakes medical advice? Who knows.
Stay healthy, skeptical, and thirsty for knowledge my friends 🙂
Meanwhile....
ctvnews.ca/health/surgery-t...
...and for those who understand "medicaleze" here is some light before breakfast reading 😏
onlinecjc.ca/article/S0828-...
He's made a case, backed up by research papers, - if you are under 60 you are unlikely to have a stroke even if you've got AFib. The older you are the more likely you are to have a stroke. It's the combination of age and comorbidities and also AFib, not just AFib.
It's a bit like the people who caught the COVID virus. The ones who died were older, were overweight had comorbidities like diabetes, cancer, and so on.
I must watch the American Dr Sanjay Gupta. I'll report back.
I've a feeling there was some research where they removed the left atrium appendage and it didn't make any difference but I'm not going looking for it now.
I notice that Dr John Campbell didn't have any advertising for years but he started it a month or so ago. Why turn away money when you don't need to. I don't think either of them do it for the money.
And, when it comes down to it, doctors over here only give anti-coagulants to people over 65. If left atrium pooling was such a big issue, they would give it regardless of age.
Eh, not sure where you get that from. I was offered AC for years and finally gave In two years ago aged 51. As for strokes; my wife just suffered a smaller (thankfully) stroke last month after having COVID last year (caught at work) and five weeks after her first jab.
“It's a bit like the people who caught the COVID virus. The ones who died were older, were overweight had comorbidities like diabetes, cancer, and so on.”
Young fit healthy people also died from Covid.
Thanks for the feedback Physalis, all very interesting. Couple of points...which I shall bring up with my doc...although I'm over 65..by one year, considering my health history...no history of cardio issues at all...no comorbidity issues, solid fitness regime, why do I need thinners? Which segues into my next point. When the British Dr. Gupta said he didn't trust Apple watches, it was 2019...before the Apple watch 4 came out, which is now approved for AFIB monitoring and afib alerts. So things move along pretty fast in the world of medical tech. Mine alerted me and has given me great peace of mind, and it works and saved me from having to wear a chest halter for 2 weeks lol. Considering I bought it for fitness, calendar, flashlight, reminders etc, the AFIB/HR was just a bonus which I thought at the time, I would never need.
The American Sanjay Gupta is a neurosurgeon not a heart specialist.
I thought the American Sanjay Gupta talked about the same subjects. I will have a look. In fact, didn't the AF Association video have him in it?
The Apple watch 4 came out in 2018. I bought mine in May 2019 for its fall detect feature. The ECGs were a godsend and were what got me my ablation last July. Didn't save me from having a holter monitor though!
Do you need blood thinners? Probably not and nor do I but my age makes it seem sensible. I've found them harmless and no trouble to take unlike the beta blockers.
They're the only medication I take.
LOL...guess i'm late to the game..when I bought min in ln late 2019 I thought it was new lol...but considering I still have an iPhone 6 😆I am on 180mg daily Diltiazem and 20mg Xarelto. They will revisit in another 6 months if no "episodes".
..and oh ya..fall detection! Ya, I love that as well...considering I hike daily on uneven ground, and ride almost daily ...ya, a bonus as well
🙂...an oh! It tells time!
I had a fall in 2018 and one in 2019 but, since I've had the watch, not one. I've got an iPhone 6 with a cracked screen but it's still working.
I use it most for the timer nowadays, didn't get round to using it until my clockwork one stopped working, but it's brilliant.
Well maybe he is a neuro surgeon but here he is in 2018 talking about the Apple watch.
youtube.com/watch?v=iwv1q5b...
He is a cardiologist.
Well, I wish I had been given bloodthinners before I had my stroke last summer despite the fact that evidence based statistical predictions considered the risk for stroke to be very low. My EP had actually refused to put me on bloodthinners when I had asked because of the family history of stroke and heart attack. I was, on my own, taking aspirin. I would rather not have had a stroke! I would rather be on bloodthinners for the rest of my life than have another.
I was just 60, very athletic until symptomatic afib got really bad. But, was still running 3-5 miles 5 times a week when I could (though it increasingly hard due to breathlessness and fatigue)gardening, horseback riding. Recovery from a stroke and dealing with the afib (2 ablations) has not been pretty and I’ll never fully recover all that was lost to the stroke.
Not sure why a doctor would argue against thinners for a person with family history of strokes. I would like to know what rational concluded you to be a low risk considering your history. And maybe other thinners have adverse affects, but I was prescribed Xarelto once daily, and I no side effects at all. I nailed a large granite boulder last month while riding on local trails, and took some good chunks out of my left calf...ya, it bled lots, but no more than it would normally, and It stopped after some trail-side first aid, and I carried on with the ride. Unless you have a preexisting condition that would exclude thinners, I don't get it.
Having said that, my BILaw in the USA is on Warfarin, and it has a bunch of warnings, so I guess it depends on the type of thinners?
A week after l got a.fib. l had a stroke.
I see you are my age so not under 65 when you had a stroke.
I was 79. It needn't have happened as l was admitted to hospital with tachycardia. The hospital gave me warfarin and l think it was heparin injected into my stomach. When l went home l was told to go to the g.p. for a blood test and given more warfarin to take at home and more needles to inject myself in the stomach. As soon as my g.p. saw me ,he said l don't need the needles and most of the warfarin and took them off me. The next week l had the stroke because l wasn't anticoagulated and my blood had pooled with the a.f.
Oh dear. That was five years ago presumably. Were the new anticoagulants available then?
I had AFib for at least twelve years, quite probably more. Eight years ago my doctor wanted me to take an aspirin a day but I refused - just a well as it turned out. Three years ago I didn't want to take an anticoagulant because I was worried about having a stroke caused by a bleed to the brain but the community cardiology doctor showed me the risk for each so I agreed to take it.
I hope I am doing the right thing. I won't be very happy if I have a stroke caused not by a clot but by a bleed.
I think there IS a different attitude in the US but I agree with BobD that it's about money too. Millions of people suffer from AF and if those people have medical insurance or funds for treatment then of course it'll be on offer. Just like big pharma. So it's likely that treatments like ablation will be fat easier to get, so long as you can pay. I would be looking to the EU and Australia for developments in treatments. But where we need the REAL work IMHO is in prevention! We need to look at AFs bedfellows and deal with those so that people do not get it in the first place. I'm hoping for microbiome mapping that will help us in the future...
There is a well repeated but never the less very pertinent phrase which I think sums up the difference between UK and US - follow the money.
People who get treated for AF in US have good health insurance, all others rely upon ER. Ablation cost in UK is circa £15-£20K. US - the highest I’ve seen on this forum for one ablation $250K but often $80K upward.
Mmmm…. I now wonder why US docs highlight it more?
You will always find exceptions to rules and I know there are some very caring and genuine and excellent docs in US - my comment is directed at the system.
I would strongly recommend the book the AFib Cure by Dr John Day for excellent information on treatment options, Lifestyle factors and managing AF and when to seek ablation.
Dr Gupta’s latest videos was few weeks ago and you can subscribe to his YouTube channel - type York Cardiology in the YouTube search engine.
Of course money is involved and perhaps the lack of ablation in the N.H.S. is an issue.In an ideal world I believe more ablations should be completed in the U.K. The evidence based has become strong in the last year with papers published in excellent peer reviewed journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine.
I think it's a case of making progress when the budgets allow.
There isn’t a ‘lack’ of ablations in UK. There is a waiting list though for them and sometimes long ones but considering the first ablations were performed in Europe I think we are very lucky. Had 2 by the way, neither of which worked long term.
May I beg to differ,the long waiting lists for ablations show the lack of ablations.Indeed in Wales there only 4 E.P’s and these are based in the two teaching centres.
Maybe I should have said England, I know access in Wales is not as good.
Actually the two recent articles in the American journal that I read recently have shown that ablations are not as successful at treating AFib as medication. I have had 3 ablations that simply added more Flutters to the heart beat. With medication I still have Afib off nd on and not continuous... Ive had AFib for 17 years. I take warfarin because it has been clinically proven to be the most effective WHEN CHECKED REGULARLY...(I have my own INR machine at home) and you can stop the bleeding easily with medication.( which is not the case with Xarelto and the other "new" blood thinners".I had my aplations performed by one of the top EP surgeons in the country and have friends who had theirs performed by another of the top EP surgeons in the country and all of us have had the same result.
Just wondering if taking meds is preferred in the UK as a first line of defense for a period of time? From my US cardiologist and EP they feel early ablation can nip the AF nightmare for now and kick that can down the road. Aren’t the meds just as risky? I agree that following the money is valid. That’s what makes decision-making hard. But isn’t that true for lack of money too?
Having done the gamut of treatments my experience was the ‘normal’ protocol is:-
1st line - prophalactic anticoagulant assessment and if required treatment
2. Rate control drugs - I couldn’t tolerate them and yes they were toxic for me.
3. Anti-arrythmia drugs - contraindicated because of another condition.
4. Ablation - but you are correct that most EP’s favour an earlier rather than later ablation policy. Mine certainly does, especially for younger and fitter patients.
5. You will often be asked to try Lifestyle changes prior to any treatment. In retrospect, I didn’t do enough Lifestyle changes, soon enough. I’ve had 2 ablations and ended up with Pacemaker which is what worked for me.
Access to see an EP in the first place, unless you pay privately, however is another story and many people get ‘stuck’ in the system and don’t push hard enough.
The reality is that there aren’t enough trained EPs in the system in many countries that’s often the bottleneck. GPs act as gatekeepers to access and unless they have experience of AF, you can be stuck with what they know or can prescribe.
The costs here in the US are deceiving. Yes, my last ablation “cost” over $100,000. But that is just what the insurance company was billed for, it’s not what the insurance company actually paid. It’s typical to get an insurance statement saying a doctor billed something like $500 for an appt. The insurance might have paid $100 and patient could have a cost of $25 in addition.
And that’s the way that UK private health care works also - just that the figures are a fraction of US prices and one has to ask - how come?
$500.00
You are so right,,,I live in Pennsylvania in the USA,,,,ads on tv are daily for meds for afib and the possible strokes associated with it,,,also ads on Facebook are numerous and daily,,,,the drugs are being pushed with much enthusiasm as $ is always involved and the drug companies are competing to make huge profits,,,I never saw all of this a year or two ago so this is all new,,,,,afib is mentioned with the possible stroke relationship as if no one ever heard of this,,,I was diagnosed with my 1st episode 5 years ago at age 69 and had never heard of afib much,,,now I know several people who have it,,,3 of my cousins and a few friends,,one cousin has had several ablations,,,the rest of us are on blood thinners and beta blockers,,,I guess afib surely has no boundaries,,,much luck to all of you in the British Isles,,,wishing you well,,,,,,HDEV261
He is very up to date- recently talking about whether AF is cause of stroke or whether it is a bother/sister to other heart conditions which result in stroke As said already, he is not an EP so don't cover that as much
I think you make an interesting point- we humans are naturally drawn to other humans for help and guidance and an authoritative one is very appealing. I have only accessed a few of his videos, some time ago, and found them useful and noted a few other rather messianic folk on the web, usually “functional clinicians” who may also be useful for those needing to address lifestyle changes.
BUT many of us have queries about ablation, and there maybe he is less helpful? There has been much research (I understand from my EP / cardiologist) in UK and Europe (i am sure in US, too) on ablation, and on early ablation in recent onset AF, particularly in folk who are otherwise relatively healthy, leading to a culture change in services which follow this research. I.E. early AF seen as a priority for ablation and taken more seriously than previously. I don’t know whether he covers this, I haven’t looked.
No, he doesn't. He's not an EP.
My understanding is that he specialises in imaging, especially complex issues so I rather suspect that although he doesn’t practise ablations himself, he’ll know a lot about them, who might be suitable etc.
I got the feeling that he leaves that side of thing to the EPs. Some patients are more suitable for ablation but he doesn't go into that .
This is an old video from 2016 and I don't agree with what he's said at all. According to him I wouldn't have been offered an ablation at all.
youtube.com/watch?v=3VOq9BL...
He's not a fan of ablations but he may have changed his mind since then. He says it's not a natural process but neither is taking lots of medication.
Let me know if you find a later one.
The drug treatment of atrial fibrillation has not changed for many years.The drugs that treat atrial fibrillation Flecainide (1985 approved)Amiodarone (1974 approved) Sotolol (1974 approved)Bisoprolol (1986 approved) Metoprolol (1982 approved)Atenolol (1975 approved)Carvedilol(1997 approved)and Nebivolol(approved 1997).As you can see these drugs have been around and used for many years.N.B.That in one sense is good we know the effectiveness and we know the side effects.In my opinion the advances are all in the Ablation treatment.I consider the Wolf Mini Maize to be promising,but ablation is probably the way forward.Dr Ajay Gupta is not an EP Cardiologist but in my opinion is an excellent communicator and I find his videos most interesting and I have learned a lot from them.
But look at Ameriodone... It was approved in 1974, but in 2009... 99% of patients in the US who were given it developed Pulmonary fibrosis according to Web MD at the time......
Amiodarone is probably the most effective drug for the treatment of atrial fibrillation,however the side effects limit it use certainly for a long time.That is why other anti -arrhythmic drug such as flecainide are generally used first line.The balance of efficacy and side effects is a major reason which anti-arrhythmic is used.If effectiveness was the only criteria,Amiodarone would be most doctor’s first choice when considering an anti- arrhythmic for atrial fibrillation.
In whose opinion? Where are you getting your “it’s the most effective “ information? I have not found any studies that say that.
I think he does a useful job with his videos, though he could cover lifestyle changes and ablations more. However, I find him a bit waffly. I think he could cut his videos to a fraction of their length if he stuck to the point and even better gave a written precis.
I might be being a bit cynical here, but YouTube videos earn you money. The amount depends on the number of viewers and other factors like how many people click on the ads. A written précis, as far as I know is not a money earner.
I think lifestyle is from what little I have learned, very important. I live in South Africa and we do not have very many EPs. I and my three sisters who live in the UK all have PAF and we all have the same treatment, mine prescribed by a cardiologist, theirs by an EP. That aside, my cardiologist (a canoeist himself) told me that apart from we older folk, most of his patients are extreme sportsmen and this is illustrated by my own son (a canoeist, mountain biker, white water rafter) who had an ablation 15 years ago in Cape Town (where better, home of the first heart transplant !). Over the last 15 years he has not given up his sports but moderated them a little, takes no medication, has regular check ups and has had no repetition of the AF. The point I am trying to make and to seek an answer to - does extreme sport cause AF ?- my son is not the only one in his group who has suffered , only recently a friend of his, a world champion surf skier was hospitalised with an attack.
Yes it does, in those who are susceptible. My family seem to have genetic AF (showing up earlier in life) so probably extreme sports wouldn’t be a good idea. Being a fighter pilot is also a risk apparently.
I agree that perhaps stressing the heart through vigorous exercise may be one contributor or afib trigger, but not enough research that I've found. And I do have a dog in this hunt, as my entire life, my career and my lifestyle all involved, and still involve vigorous excercise. Now the questions I have had since my PAF onset is; did all those decades of soccer, running, squash, mountain bike racing, extreme hiking etc etc contribute to my recent PAF? Or has it kept it in check? And now that I'm on the down slope to 70, my easing into moderation sees my ticket getting less of a workout, I am more "aware" of the muscle in my chest going on about its business. Dunno. I can only speak from personal experience. I am aware from news articles of professional athletes having heart issues...most recently one of my favourite *sadly EX Spurs midfielder* Christian Ericson,...but how many have had AFIB before or during is a big unknown.
My 1st and only hospital worthy episode, In March of this year, was triggered by a large dinner of all things, but I am now on meds for life.
During my stress test, the EP and Cardio ran me on the treadmill for less than 10 minutes, and told me "yer fine" and when I asked about slowing down my favorite pastimes...gravel biking and hiking, the response was "hell no... just remember you are 66 not 26" so I carry on as if I were normal *pun intended*
I would love to see research on exercise onset AFIB vs diet/nutrition onset... could they be related? I suspect two seperate issues, but Im often wrong. Just curious.
Hi Pusillanimous, yes extreme sport does cause AF. I used to row at Uni at quite a high level, 2 hours of hard exercise 6 days a week. I've also cycled a lot and played hockey, etc. I think that was one of the reasons for my AF, alongside a genetic component as both my parents had AF. However my brother does not have AF and he is not into hard exercise, just a bit of walking. However I think his diet is worse than mine. The good news is that people like us who do get AF tend to be tall and slim and good candidates for ablation. After my ablation I did moderate my activities and it has been pretty successful.
This is well know in most circles. Another high risk group is fast jet pilots who have to fight g force and therefor put high strain on their hearts.
When AFib became very prevalent round 2004, It was initially found in athletes and the became more common in non athletes as well. Most medical diseases react that way as well.... according to my original EP.
That's a reasonable observation. And with my research hat on I've noted that sometimes his comments are based around findings from a couple of papers only. So you could think of it this way: I quizzed my EP about some papers I'd read linking acid reflux with AF and he said "yes, all very well, but there'll be as many people without reflux who still get AF. These are scientific investigations, not medicine". On the other hand I think Dr Gupta's videos give you some excellent tools for doing your own investigations. He is a working cardiologist and I think he seeks to demystify medical practice. That empowers us as patients and helps us deal with the NHS system in the UK and hopefully get the best treatment we can.
We are supposedly guided by 'best practice' over here but with such a woefully underfunded system and with a growth of this horrible condition, it's inevitable that many doctors and departments are simply not up to speed. Anything that helps us get the information we need is a good thing and let's face it - he's a lot better than Dr Google!
Good Morning mjm1971
As I am the one who has been mainly posting Dr Gupta’s YouTube content I can assure you there is No campaign by myself whatsoever with regards his methods or his understanding of our condition.
So many members have found his video’s extremely helpful and I only post his most recent content if it is relevant or maybe helpful to some with regards AF,
he has an extensive catalogue which remains on YouTube and some members may post these if they have just discovered Dr Gupta and yes these may be years old but still relevant and helpful to our condition.
We recently had Dr Gupta as a guest on the Surrey ASG group organised by Rosemary and he was brilliant guest he answered so many questions put forward by those involved.
You mention “surely things have progressed with AF knowledge”
Where exactly do you suggest we get this knowledge.
In recent times I took advantage of my private healthcare plan and was seen by a cardiologist who after tests confirming my AF condition suggested eating a banana and taking an aspirin a day.
We are all at the mercy of our Healthcare professionals and we take their word at face value but it is forums like this that we can all digest people’s personal experiences and advice and make our informed decisions.
Just because some find Dr Gupta thoughts and advice extremely helpful to understanding our condition a little more and express those thoughts in comments does not mean there is a campaign or an agenda.
We all have a choice in what we view.
Stay Well.
Hi Steve
I wasn’t saying it wasn’t informative or helpful , as stated I have found them to be both .
I merely stated they seemed to be old and was wondering if they were still current in regards to treatments etc .
It would appear from the responses that he is still current even on his older posts as not much has changed 👍
Medical wisdom is often found in earlier findings (eg Dr Toft on hypothyroidism). I have just watched a couple of Sanjay Gupta’s videos and gained information relevant to me, in particular how high levels of stress can affect the body’s PH balance and the relationship between stress and the heartbeat. I’m recently diagnosed with AFib and although my doctor was aware at the time that I have had a lot of stress over the last 24 months - not least having sold my house but with my purchase falling through, meaning I will have to go into storage etc etc. - was not taken into account when diagnosed. I also have developed heavy tarter on my teeth which indicates my PH balance is out of kilter with a rise in acidity. My diet is very healthy and I don’t drink so could my AFib have been triggered by stress and would a different treatment regime have better outcomes? Being diagnosed AFib and put on beta blocker and blood thinner actually increased my stress when what I may have responded to is stress management to get me through my approaching homelessness.
I do sympathise with you over your house purchase falling through. I've bought and sold quite a lot of houses and there is always something that goes wrong.
Beta blockers don't do much harm, they slow your heart rate down a bit and may make you feel a bit tired. Blood thinners don't normally have much in the way of side effects and, in my case, cure my migraine.
You'll get through it all and then, maybe, your AFib will just go away. I do hope things get better for you.
Thankyou so much for your kind support. Because of the stamp duty ‘holiday’ and high activity in house sales, many are in the same boat and rentals to bridge the gap are rarer than hens teeth. It’s also peak holiday season so all holiday rentals, including caravans, are taken. At least I have acquired a storage container now which means I travel light!
You should read Lee Child's Jack Reacher books!
I’ve never read any of his. I’m a fan of Cara Hunter whose ‘Close to Home’ got me hooked whilst on holiday when a fellow traveller gave me ‘Close to Home’. Reading is great for relaxing a stressed mind🙂
The thing about Jack Reacher is that he travels very light, no car, no phone, only the clothes he stands up in. The books are well written and easy to read. I had more or less written them off as the equivalent of 'empty calories' but they are just what I need at the moment and have got through three this week.
Yes, reading will probably do you more good than anything.
I'll get a Cara Hunter book to read on my Amazon Fire tablet.
Fold up tooth brush and a credit card.
Reacher doesn't even have a credit card.
I can't remember which book but a former colleague contacted him by putting a specific amount of money into his bank account, the amount being a radio emergency code. Sorry yes it is a bank card not a credit card. I must have read about 12 of the books during my last convalescence.
Thanks for your kind words of support it’s much appreciated.
Toft is the sort of prat who said "the science is settled" showing that he has no bloody idea of what science is. He alone has contributed more than anybody else to the appalling treatment of hypothyroid patients in the UK.
I have to disagree with you. It is the lack of GP knowledge of the Thyroid system at the coal face and penny pinching at the top of the NHS. Instead of tackling the drug companies head on re costs of the most effective drug they put in place a comically misguided and ineffective regime for GPs of testing TSH only which reveals nothing about the true functional health of the Thyroid. Treatment is all down to cost so it’s cheap and not very cheerful for the majority of sufferers (women) and our GP’s follow this nonsense because they only learned (or remembered) the teaching on Diabetes.
It was Toft and colleagues that invented the TSH test in the first place and put into place the dogma that TSH is all that is needed. He was ( I expect he's retired now) also a rabid advocate of synthetic T4 treatment only. As for ghe most effective drug I believe it was under Mrs T that natural dessicated thyroid was thrown out.
Here's the link for all his Youtube videos on his York Cardiology channel, with the newest first. youtube.com/c/YorkCardiolog...
Well you have to thank him, my Hospital said bu***r all. All I’ve learnt is from this group, group on FB! Drs and Consultants tell you nothing. Slap you on pills they know’ll cause problems. I was invited to join an area group, I’m miles away from the area, but zoom is great. They had Sanjay as a speaker. Nice man and realistic.
I agree totally, GP's don't tell you anything and I've seen a cardiologist once when she put my pacemaker in. I'm still learning from this forum and Dr Gupta's videos
Yes, looking back my doctor, the community cardiologist, the hospital cardiologist told me nothing apart from the fact that I had AFib. Mind you, as I was going out, he remarked that I was better informed than most of his patients. That was Google, but I know a lot more now.
I agree that this forum is way too pro Gupta. I’m not against him but I think folks should be a little more thoughtful about constantly throwing his name out there. He provides a good service when discussing how things work but when he presents contrarian viewpoints he doesn’t seem to back them up sufficiently with hard science or studies.
Can you point me to an example of a contrarian viewpoint which he can’t back up? It would be useful to others who are in my position.
That sounds like very outdated info as research doesn’t always follow a direct route. Why not post your comments to the Thyroid community page and get some up to date information?
Are you speaking of the wonderful Dr Gupta the cardiologist from York England? Adore him. Wish he was my doctor!
Love him. He's the only cardiologist I've ever heard who makes sense. He's not a slave to the Medical Industrial Complex. He comes from love and not from fear and he doesn't try to scare people like the others do. He's a well informed cardiologist, , sensible and kind. He takes the time to explain the heart and all the different conditions of the heart in plain language that regular people can understand. We need more like him. Dr Sanjay Gupta from York Cardiology is a true gem, a diamond in the rough and a credit to his profession.
I have seen GrGupta in York many times and he is brilliant, a very caring, gentle mannered person who listens and explains things clearly to you, however we disagree on my need to take anticoagulants as I have intermittent PAF (spanning 5-10years at a time) his view is I should be on a NOAC, mine is why would I take it for the years when I don’t have AF, why be on a powerful un monitored anticoagulant for possibly years if I don’t need it? Obviously that’s a difference of opinion and my risk but my question is this, if as DrGupta says it’s not the AF that causes the stroke but it’s bedfellows ie hypertension, diabetes, obesity etc why are all other older people who have those conditions not routinely put on anticoagulants, many people don’t know their pulse, don’t know if they have AF but are possibly at far greater risk than me? Why is that as soon as you are diagnosed with AF you are told to take an anticoagulant regardless, my ChadVasc score is 3 because I’m female, over 65yrs and had previous hypertension - so would automatically be put on anticoagulants? This isn’t a criticism of anyone purely a question which has puzzled me since watching Dr Gupta’s ‘Why I don’t think AF causes strokes’
Any thoughts?
Hello and thank you for your comments. The A F Association are very happy and fortunate enough to be able to offer a variety of Patient videos on our website, as part of our online support to patients, families and carers. They are hosted by numerous leading heart specialists, including Dr Gupta. heartrhythmalliance.org/afa... and offer the most up to date advice at the time of recording. f you would like any specific help or advice, then please do not hesitate to contact the Patient Services team.
I too have had the honour & privilege to see Dr Gupta privately. This was at a time of feeling very let down by my NHS cardiology team. I just felt abandoned and lost about my diagnosis. His YouTube channel brought me lots of comfort and increased my knowledge at a time of not knowing anything. I love his alternative approach to some of this horrible situation. I work in healthcare & sent his menopause film to my menopause specialist GP friend who was very impressed and his short clip on the benefits of acupuncture to my acupuncturist who was equally impressed!
I find he explains in a very helpful way. Not everyone in that profession take the time to explain the way he does. And he does keep current even if old recordings are still online.
Speaking for myself I have found a lot of useful information from Sanjay's little videos. However, I understand where you are coming from as things can change very quickly. Is there any way of contacting him and asking if those videos that are now out-of-date could be removed or updated?
Dr Sanjay Gupta's back in action!
Dr Guptas video
Dr Sajay Gupta nomination
