I have just put my blood test results in a spreadsheet as there are so many. Quite interesting seeing the pattern. Since I have had about 8 at GP since last year, there is a lot of data. Quite a few outside reference range.
I take all the usual heart meds. 10 of them and they can effect other organs so this is why I have regular tests as many of you will.
Kind of put my mind at rest , as one value said outside reference range , but it was higher before heart attack last year.
Noticed one thing though , that my HDL cholestaral is down to 1.0 which I understand is good stuff.
The ratio up to 3.1 I am on 80mg altovastatin . Still ok but has been 2.5 all past year
I only eat same every day. Oats with oat milk breakfast. Salads rest of day with tuna or other healthy food. No added junk. Despite this I cannot lose weight and been months. Never smoked and do not drink. I walk and cycle. Beta blockers seem to be the cause
Anyway pre diabetic. The haemoglobin A1c level gone from 42 on first blood test to now up to 47 , so bordering on diabetes. Crikey! Quite concerning when I have heart failure. Going up by one on every blood test.
Do the meds cause this?
Other one of concern are the serum creatanine levels 105 . ref range is 59 to 104. and
eGfr at 69 - range is [90 to 200] . What does that mean. Seems a lot lower but other is higher. I understand it is to do with proteins and kidneys and I know heart and kidneys as are many things are linked closely
Anyway, it says communicate to patient and see diabetic nurse. So be interesting to see if that happens. Doubt it. Will call myself.
Another question. When I had a iron check last year for potential infusion they said not needed as heamoglobin was 164, above the 150 , despite ferritin being only 77 with t sats at 28 . Is that the same as the serum haemoglobin or some count?
Fascinating stuff.
I do get very tired/fatique/dizzy/pre syncope and I am 58 male. HR bpm always in thirties and low pressure
Thanks folks.
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HeartyJames
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Alpro is 46 calories per 100ml and highly nutritious.
Oats are also extremely good for you. You need some carbs and I have those for breakfast. Just a scoop, no sugars, no fats.
Oats are among the healthiest grains on earth. They're a gluten-free whole grain and a great source of important vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants. Studies show that oats and oatmeal have many health benefits. These include weight loss, lower blood sugar levels, and a reduced risk of heart disease.
Pleased to hear you sing out the virtues of oat milk and oats, may I suggest trying making your own? I use the Almond Cow and its amazing { I’m sure that there are others } after you make the milk you can just eat the oat pulp as it is, no cooking.
I was just thinking that earlier in the week and looked for some recipes as I do already have a blender. Oat milk is now way too expensive. Got some alpro for £1.25 but been going as high as £2. Not paying that. So I decided to start making my own as so much cheaper... Can I have your recipe?
Hi James I get my oat and soya milk from Aldi it’s cheaper than cow milk! I also have a high A1c at 42 constant and low iron despite optimum diet low carb low sugar etc good BMI and fitness programme would be easy to blame the statin and anti acid PPI meds as plenty of chat on them raising A1c and iron absorption issues
The body has no requirement for carbohydrates. Don't eat fat or protein and you'll die pretty quickly, but stop consuming carbohydrates and the likelihood would be an improvement in health.
This is true. One is turned into glucose much quicker than the other, yet the body requires neither of them. Most of the cells of the body can derive energy from ketones (which are utilised more efficiently than glucose). For the parts of the body that glucose is essential, the body performs a process called gluconeogenesis, where it manufacturers the required glucose from protein.
There are a growing number of people living apparently healthy lives by having a zero carbohydrate intake. I have more flexibility in my diet and usually consume 20-50 grams per day from whole food sources. The standard Western diet typically has a 200-250 gram consumption per day.
Hi Heartyjames, I think you got your HDL and LDL the wrong way around. HDL is the so called good cholesterol which you need to keep up, LDL is believed to be the bad cholesterol. As Rose54 mentioned, you would benefit from reducing carbs as they spike blood sugar. Have you investigated keto (i.e. low carb) diets for improving insulin sensitivity and losing weight?
The only carbs I have are for breakfast and they are oats. My diet is very strict.
I did say HDL and that is 1.0... Too low. My LDL is 1.3
Oats lower blood sugar actually Oats are among the healthiest grains on earth. They're a gluten-free whole grain and a great source of important vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants. Studies show that oats and oatmeal have many health benefits. These include weight loss, lower blood sugar levels, and a reduced risk of heart disease.
Each to their own I suppose. Its well known that carrying extra pounds and getting close to being pre-diabetic aren't good things for those with heart issues. If I was in the OPs position I'd be far more interested in getting some weight off and getting my A1c score down. Keto has been demonstated to be effective at both by thousands of people.
It has worked wonders for me. My health markers have improved dramatically and I am medication free. I'm coming up to two years now of living this way.
According to my doctor I should have died by now. He openly does not understand why all my health markers are improving. He has no interest in what I am doing to improve my health, merely saying "Well, whatever it is you're doing, keep doing it." Despite the evidence before him, his preference is for me to be back on a cocktail of different drugs.
I do what I believe is best for my health, I don't offer advice as what I do may not be the best course of action for others, in fact, it almost certainly isn't. Due to an underlying health condition that I won't go into here, I believe I'm likely to have a longer healthspan and lifespan than were I on these drugs. While I'm far from 100% well, I feel the best I have felt in several years, when this underlying medical condition emerged following a poisoning.
I have just been diagnosed as pre diabetes too (Mine was 41).
The practice nurse asked me the usual about diet/exercise food when I told her that I am 6 5 weigh about 11 1/2 stone (on a bad day) go the gym and exercise 4 times a week, don't drink I think I had her stumped. Now I do like my carbs, however I don't have potatoes ever day and mix them up with brown rice and wholewheat pasta and have a terrible sweet tooth which I mostly keep in check. I asked if it was Ok to have potatoes and she said yes just not every day.
The potential problem with me was my mum had it.
Have you been referred to the NHS pre diabetes programme? I have and am just awaiting a suitable date for me to start. Don't know what they can do but I bet I will at least learn something! (I believe it is 9 months long).
Hi Uziniemm. My condition is genetic too, as it is with my heart. From young child to 40's I cycled thousands of miles every year. . Did many challenges and long distance tours, to arctic, Alps , all over and very fit. Probably why my resting rate is low thirties. In recent decade , more into walking. Never drank or smoked and always ate healthily. So was a suprise to have a severe HA last year. Cholesteral low too and still is, so a bit of a mystery. Maybe if your really active and ease off a bit , it clogs things up . Parents were also very active and thin.. Still they got same issues.
Anyway , diabetic nurse was not interested. Said its the drugs I am taking. The figure keeps going up though. for the kidneys I have to have regular blood tests, again due to damage from heart meds.
I only eat salads, tuna, and small portion of oats to start the day. Keep the same each day. Have the odd egg but not often. I used to be able to cycle 100 miles with just water and a sandwich.
"Do the meds cause this?" Statins are linked to diabetes. BHF acknowledge this.
eGFR and kidneys. Your eGFR of 69 is not bad. Some NHS labs only have a range of >60, and many patients are not advised of levels until lower still. Low bp slows eGFR. Has your GP spoken to you about 'sick days' ? ie If you are very unwell with stomach problems/bugs, you may need to speak to your GP about stopping some of your meds for a few days to protect your kidneys........it is worth askimg next time you speac to your GP.
Keeping well hydrated may help reduce your A1c, creatinine and haemoglobin.
Yes. Statins I take 80mg and forxiga for heart failure is known to cause this. More than likely drug induced. Not seen my GP since I had heart attack, just nurses and telephone appts. Not had stomach issues, I guess if the blood tests got worse then the doc would suitably advise I did phone and receptionist said I have to have regular blood tests. . Thanks for your reply as all the others were about oats
I am very surprised at your bpm being only 30! That is probably why you are so tired. Mine between 60-80usually. Have you spoken to your doc about this? I know little about the various drugs and would not presume to comment except to ask if you have looked up ‘numbers needed to treat’ and also ‘numbers needed to harm’. Can be enlightening reading. I take 3 ferrous gluconate 300mg three times a week in order to have my red blood cells more able to pick up the oxygen from the lungs and transport it to the cells. Being tired a lot of the time could be due to anaemia. If your cells don’t get enough oxygen to function properly for you it can really affect how you feel and what you can do. At one stage I used to take them daily but have now been able to reduce them to a mere 3 pw.
Yes waiting for a CRT pacemaker since June. Urgent, but appt not until October. The way the NHS is at the moment sadly and the demographic has a large aged population here (bless them all). . Never used NHS once since 3 years old until last year as always so healthy, then bang when I needed it.. (Oh except when a wisdom tooth removed ).
I have a GP appt next week on Wed and Thursday but just with nurses. One is annual review in person and one is telephone for pre-diabetes. They asked me so I did not have to ask so I think my GP service is good... MY BP was 75 over 51 when laying in bed this morning and yes I do get dizzy and nauseous a lot. If I do exercise it gets so bad a day later.. Need that pacemaker asap..... Oxygen level is usually 89 to 91 on oximeter. Some days I feel fine ....
If my heart rate was over 50 I would be shocked as that only happens if doing exercise. My heart rate is naturally lower than most as been a cyclist all my life but not as low as it is these days with symptoms. At first cardios used to think it was ectopics and not picking all the bests up, but ECG have proved that not to be the case with 34 at last A&E visit after walking! They put a catheter in straight away in case they needed to resus, but I was ok.
The cardiac nurse did a ferritin test and although was low, the red blood cell was ok, so did not need an infiusion but said that may change soon...
I am looking forward to the PM as I know I have a lot of potential yet to recover and want to do the things I enjoy. I do not feel old yet at 58 and so many in this forum are really suffering.
Thanks for asking. Appreciated. Hope your feeling better and if not I hope you do soon.
Hi, hope you well. Thank you for sharing your Results and experiences. I too am 58, healthy diet, exercise limited due to arthritis but weight stays within a kg no matter how much I try to lose. Your hba1c looks like you may have tipped into the realms of diabetes now but your last sentence alarmed me. A bpm pulse of 30 will make you fatigued and pre-syncope. Do make that your priority to discuss when you get to speak with GP. I wish you well. Take care ❤️
Hi Bingofox007 Snap They know about my heart rate issues. I am on urgent waiting list for a crt pacemaker. Booked for October. Waiting lists are rediculous these days. I was first told I may need one last year , but tried meds first that made things worse. In June the cardiologist said he would book me in as urgently needed. Was shocked to hear of October and I have tried to chase it, but no budging. My weight went up by a stone within three weeks after starting max dose of beta blockers, that have now been reduced. I am not huge but even so, My weight is trickling down very slowly. You take care too.... arthritis is nasty.
Wow, you write a post principally about your blood test results and got a debate on diet. Well, I personally won't join that debate (it has brought up some interesting points) other than to say that I too believe in the value of salads and have one more or less everyday, though I do not follow a particularly strict regime otherwise.
I too record my blood test results on a spreadsheet. Although I am 5 years post heart attack and 4 years post triple bypass, I have to remind my GP practice that I am due a test each year. They always ask me to attend the local hospital, whereas at one time they using to do them within the practice. Looking at my results, the lead up certain events can be seen, though none were recognised at the time. The benefit of hindsight is a fine thing!
Most of my levels sit within the recognised parameters. However, since 2011 when I fell over an exercise bike onto a concrete floor damaging my right kidney (yes, bizarre I know), my creatinine level has been in excess of 120umol/L. Two years ago it peaked at 139, but keeping well hydrated and my kidneys flushed through has controlled the level. Exercise can affect the level and I always park a good mile or more from the hospital and walk there, so that might be a minor factor. My GP regards my test result as "abnormal, but expected".
My main issue has been getting a test for my homocysteine level. My heart attack was caused by a blood clot and it was discovered (the following year following tests) that my level was above the normal range. Taking Vitamin B (folic acid) brought this within normal parameters, but last year it had crept up and was no longer within range. I requested a test this year, but was refused as I was taking Vitamin B, so my only recourse was to double the dosage to 2 x RDA to hopefully cover it. I'm hoping for a more sympathetic approach next year.... but I'm not holding my breath! It's all down to money.
I do find it fascinating being able to quickly compare results using the spreadsheet, but would really like more input. With just one test a year, it only shows general trends and won't pick up on anything going awry. I just have to hope nothing kicks off!
Great reply thanks. Yes I found the diet thing, marginally off topic but I see why.
Pleased to see others use a spreadsheet, it certainly puts things into context as figures go a bit like roller coaster and you can see the trend.
Creatinine. My level of 105. It was same two years ago, so varies a bit.. The gfr one. Not sure what difference is below the range of 90 to 200. at 69 but to be honest seems normal for me.
Is that usual for one to be higher and the gfr low?
Falling off an exercise bike and injuring your kidney is very unfortunate.. I use my normal bike in a trainer and use Zwift virtual cycling. It has crossed my mind , what would happen if I collpased, but cardiologist said not to ride on the road for now, due to potential fainting.
I have not heard of homocysteine but I will look. My rca still blocked and thats dead now lvsd. rvsd. Don't see why they would not test you when you have such a history.
Yes as with many tests they are just snapshots. I find myself going for ech and bp hoping the measurements are what I experiemce most days. taking heart rate just after walked a mile is not very useful
Take care and thanks for your reply. The kind of reply I was hoping for. Thanks to others too, its all interesting...
Good to hear back from you. I can really see where you are coming from with your situation. I'm extremely fortunate in that I called 999 less than an hour from my first pains and the damage to my heart is minimal, indeed hard to find on a scan. My RCA was 100% blocked by a clot, but its removal and a couple of stents within 90 minutes of calling 999 sorted that out. 😀
My high creatinine level is down to the damage to my right kidney, so my eGFR is lower than normal..... 49mL/min at the latest test. I checked my latest figure for creatinine and it is actually 126umol/L. These figures would normally indicate potential kidney failure, but no action is being considered while my other levels are stable and inside normal parameters. At least the reason is known.... oh, and I fell over the exercise bike, not off it. It was in the garage awaiting repair at the time! 😂
Back in 2011 the urology consultant said he would remove my kidney if it is was working at 30% or less. Basically I told him to *** off as in my view any contribution to the ability to pass urine was a positive. If the left kidney was perfect and the right had been removed, then the system could only run at 50% capacity. With the right contributing 15% (or more) that potentially increases to 65% (or more). Anyway, with ample water intake and cranberry juice, I don't normally have any problems. If I get a bit dehydrated my right kidney does let me know and I get disturbances in my peripheral vision.... a cheap light show! 😀
Other points of reference might be my heart rate which is nominally 55 (medication 1.25mg Bisoprolol). Occasionally it dips into the 40s and I get a bit dizzy when I stand up. It used to be worse when I was on a higher dose. Goodness knows how I'd cope with 30 bpm. My BP usually sits around 115/65 ~ 125/75. O2 is 97 - 100%.
My main sporting interest is hill walking.... well mountains usually. I will walk a couple of Munros in a day. Maybe 15km and 1500m of ascent, sometimes more, sometimes less. I have never been a runner, though I do enjoy a bit of a work out occasionally which may take me up to 130bpm. Unfortunately gyms bore me to distraction, so it's a few movements from my rehab routine and then off for a walk once I'm back down to 80 bpm. I have walked 17 miles non-stop, but then here in Middle England the slopes aren't that onerous.
So keep doing what you are doing - it obviously works for you. I'm happy with my medication as I feel it does help with my kidney issue. I know my GP would like to get me on higher doses, but the spreadsheet suggests it is not necessary.... for the moment at least. 😀
hi again. I got up out of bed, walked about ten feet and then had that terible nausea. Felt like I wanted the toilet but anyway could not move. Sweating but I do not recall pain but that came after. I just knew something bad was happening. I called my daughter. Wife started ringing 111 and said noooo 999... They came in twenty minutes luckily. Then sirens for 20 miles. Immediately tried to stent but blocked. tried again two days later after blood thinning stuff by drip. Lots of morphine. Second angio , no luck. Severe lvsd,rvsd but improved a bit afew weeks later.. We all have a story if an attack , though 😀😀
Sounds you did right about not removing the kidney. If it works a bit, better than nothing. Too right and falling over your bike , now makes sense. I was trying to visualise how you managed to injure it. I assumed the impact distorted your body in some way , with your pelvis slamming against it, but seems you hit a bluntish object and kapowwww
🚴♂️
With my heart rate , the symptoms vary a lot. I feel terrible after exercise, a day later, then I get that pre-syncope and legs start wobbling beneath and hissing sound/nausea, but not had it once this week. Seems to be bad episodes and sometimes I just cannot stay awake. Other times , all ok. Kind of puts me off exercise and I have lived for activity all my life. I see a lot have bisoprolol but I do not have that. carvedilol must be similar. I been on max doses, no doses and everything in between. When I went to A&E they recorded 34 on ecg after walking and said I was beta blocked. I explained to them I am still that level when on no BB's.. Was going to be admitted but no beds and would have to wait 24 to 48 hours in a chair. I was sent home. So after GP called me and cardiologist twice in a week, the conclusion was to have a CRT-P urgent. Still waiting. MY Bp is usually 80/60 resting , Been lower, been higher. No idea why I am on blood pressure tablets, apparantly the losarten helps HF..
Interesting that you do hill walking. Done most of the wainwrights but my business is books for activities. Used to do 10k's three years ago. Loved it as ran with daughter.
Yes will do so. I lost another half pound each day this week, so must help. I want to get back to running and cycling more and that wonderful hillwalking. Waiting for the pacemaker - three wire one, then I am hoping..
When I had my heart attack I met a guy in the cardiac unit and his heart rate was 40bpm and he was in for a pacemaker. Sounds like you're overdue yours! Hopefully not too long a wait.
My HA was caused mainly by stress. The high homocysteine level was not diagnosed until 16 months after my HA. That was 5 months after I had a triple bypass (elective). Once I had been discharged to the care of my local hospital, I was called in by their cardiac unit for tests and referred to pathology. There was lots of head scratching until I had had the blood tests for homocysteine and LP (a). Thankfully the remedy is Vitamin B / folic acid. I currently take 2 x RDA due to the absence of the test this year.
My meds are basically preventative - 1.25mg Bisoprolol, 25mg Losartan, 75mg Aspirin, 10mg Rosuvastatin and the Vit B. It took a while to get the balance right for me. Over the years I've found I am allergic / intolerant of quite a few medications, so I really am cautious about change. Thankfully the stress element has largely gone away as I retired 21 months after my bypass and I've adopted a manyana type approach to things, which my wife finds a bit trying at times. Even so, I still have the ability to do a Victor Meldrew when something annoys me. 😂
So take care and keep well. Hope you get the call soon.
Yes if we worried about all the drugs and all the side effects , we would never take any . Risk we take. I have been lucky as few side effects whatever I take. Some people get some terrible ones. I read the other day about the gangrene possible side effect from forxiga and by heck that can be nasty, but its just one of those things. Important to know though so if it starts to occur you can get fast action.
It was a Swiss doctor Bircher Brenner who came up with Bircher Muesli which he said contained all the nutrients which people needed. It was soaked oats with fresh fruit and nuts and plain yogurt. When I was a student in Switzerland I had it pretty well every day for lunch. Cheap delicious and nutritious. I made my own yogurt in those far off days. Very easy to do.
Sounds like a full meal in itself. I guess you could have that as one meal a day in some days of the week. Especially if you want to avoid meat. I am not veg myself but do not have much these days. Sounds like the recipe my mother used to make or very similar and I recall it was delicious before a 70 mile family cycle tour/ride when we went away for the weekend 50 years ago
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