24 months ago, at the age of 51, I received a mid LAD stent for unstable angina. My only symptom was breathlessness and I was fine again after a couple of weeks. I have recently had an excercise stress test on which I achieved 21 minutes and a max bp of 155 / 85.
I'm hoping that after 2 years my stent would be fully healed and that the result of my stress test would indicate that I have little residual narrowing or new plaque within the stent.
Could anyone she'd some light on this and tell me if my assumption could be true?
I know people can't give medical advice but I would be interested to hear anyone's thoughts.
Cheers Mark
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fergusthegreat
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Mark, assuming no new plaque is a big assumption. Unfortunately heart disease is incurable, it'll always be with us trying to clog our arteries, and the view of the NHS and the British Heart Foundation is that reversing plaque levels isn't possible.
That means we're all relying on medication and lifestyle changes to slow or arrest the progress of our heart disease. Personally I'm not prepared to trust on medication alone, so I'm also making some significant lifestyle changes to improve my odds of enjoying more years of relative good health.
Assuming no more plaque, is a relatively good assumption provided you eat a 100% whole food plant based diet. Most people can't do it but there are studies out there that prove that atherosclerosis can and does reverse, albeit slowly. This does not tend to happen unless you get total cholesterol below 1.5 and dedicate yourself to a plant based diet. It's what I've done after my MI and my blood pressure has plummeted to around 105/65 (must come off bisoprolol soon as I feel it's getting too low now). My total cholesterol is 1.4. I've lost a few stone, walk 5 miles a day, given up alcohol and cigs. I just know if I continue, there is no environment within my arteries for atheroma to survive.
Believe you can reverse your heart disease, my cardiologist did say the mind is hugely powerful in influencing illness. I wish people truly knew that you don't have to dejectedly swallow a pile of pills everyday and hope for the best. Good health is a reality if people give their body what it needs.
I agree Andie. There are many well documented studies that show heart disease can very slowly be reversed to some degree with extreme diet and lifestyle changes, although very few people have the willpower to make these changes for the long term that are necessary to achieve the desired results.
If it was the BRUCE protocol stress test and you did 21 minutes that is outstanding, and if ECG was normal as well I think the likely hood of there being measureable restenosis of stent is low. Non invasive tests are certainly not the gold standard, but I would feel very good about the results of the stress test.
Yes it was the Bruce Protocol. There were no ECG changes and I achieved 100% of my max heart rate. My max BP was 155/86 which the cardiologist told me indicated good vasodilation which doesn't happen with significant stenosis.
So no, not the gold standard and I know stress tests are only positive for severe narrowings but I think the result is good news.
I would call it great news and I think you should find it very reassuring. I had similar results on my stress test, although I only went 19 minutes during my last one and I was very pleased with results as was doctor. And you did 21 minutes, that is really incredible and your fitness level is off the charts good!
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