Hi all
I was diagnosed a few years ago in early 40's with heart disease, a 50% block in an awkward place to stent.
I'm really keen to find out what this means for life expectancy when planning retirement and things. Lots of material on Google is pretty unhelpful but i thought there must be a study that says if you get heart disease at x age you lose y years?
I know there are a number of variables but I just want a general idea.
Thank you
Hello 
I am sorry to hear about your diagnosis
Everyone is different so for me I would find that hard to answer others may be able to
I had a triple Bypass and one of the reasons for that was one of mine was in an awkward position that they could not stent so that was the only way to go , I wonder if they have not mentioned any other treatment to you like a possible Bypass ?
I hope others will come along and maybe be able to answer your questions so much better but just wanted to see if that had not been suggested and if not if you could ask maybe is it a possibility x
Good morning BK.
They had dismissed an Op at this stage as it was only 50% blocked and i think they felt the inherent risk of the op was not seen as worth taking at this stage. Maybe one for the future.
Ive found it really difficult to get a general idea of impact to life expectancy. Its purely for planning purposes as it will only give me a rough idea with no guarantees of course!
Hello
With a healthy lifestyle , taking medications it may not get any worse and if so then a Bypass could be done so life expectancy could be to a ripe old age
Nowadays they do everything they can to try and make this possible x
hi, my husband had a heart attack in his 40s and a stent was attempted but the narrowing was long and they could not get a stent in. He was sent home and told that they would wait until it got worse I.e another blocked artery and they would then do a bypass. Usual medication of statins and aspirin snd beta blockers. At 69 he died but nothing heart related it was bowel cancer, in fact he went through many extensive operations and his heart managed to get through all of them. Live your life, take your tablets and do not worry. One thing I always remember is the heart surgeon saying is having sex once a day keeps the heart surgeon away 🤣. Must be true because I lost hubby five years ago and I too now have narrowing x
Hi Mg123456. I can only speak about my husband who also could not be stented and was told he needed an urgent (ish!!) bypass. That was in June 2018 and in November he had a quad bypass as the surgeon and I quote "I think I might as well run pipework around another little blockage while I'm in there"!!!
You're in good hands and if you need a rant or advice, this forum is a brilliant place with people who've been there and got the T shirt.
All the very best. Jan xxxxxxx
My husband, also, had a quadruple bypass because his blockages were in an awkward place.
Hello
I hope he is keeping well now and you to x
Thank you, he is and my cardiomyopathy is stable. 🌺
That is really good news
I am so pleased you both are as well as you can be and hope it long continues x
😊
Ah, that would be a difficult one to study because there are so many variables...
The severity of the condition, response to treatment, previous health of patients, genetic dispositions, lifestyle changes, compliance with treatments, patient outlook, the availability of newer diagnostics and treatments... could probably go on at length on this one.
There are some hearties that suffer complications or don't respond well to treatment and so have a shorter life expectancy... some go on to continue with althetics etc... there was a post recently on here about a fellow hearty who lived to 103 I believe...
Sorry it's not much help - but it is a difficult one, it's really unique to the individual. Maybe your doctor can look at your current state of health, and give a prognosis?
For retirement planning, I'd err on the side of optimism and plan for a long (and hopefully healthy) one!
thanks Captain. I understand what you're saying here. What i'm looking for is a real straight forward generalisation that doesnt account for any specifics, for example take 100 people from 40-50, 50-60, 60-70 etc and see how long they live with a diagnosis of heart disease on average. I know it would be flawed and some extremes would be in there, but its hard having no idea of whether this is generally a 5 year reduction or a 25 year 🙂
Dear mg
I lived with a generic heart defect for 70 years without knowing anything about it. I am pleased I did not know as I enjoyed life without thinking my heart might fail. I would recommend that you live your life whilst you can. And to assume you will live past 100.
I built up a large pension pot by continually adding contributions. I paid off my mortgage early by simply increasing the monthly payment when interest rates rose but never decreasing when the rates fell.
In theory I should get paid a much bigger pension because my life expectancy is low. Dear But in practice that does not get offered.
investment companies cover all the options to their advantage. They have an army of accountants, actuaries and lawyers to cover all bases. So I would save money as best you can.
My LAD (widowmaker) artery is 50% blocked but cardiologists here don't do anything about them until they are 70% blocked. I have other issues as well. No-one can predict your life expectancy. There are lots of variables. You can be run over by a bus before anything happens to your heart. Try not to worry - it just makes you feel bad.
I also had a genetic defect which was discovered at 77 by a routine echo. It is a PFO -patent foramen ovale. They are often not found until an autopsy.
I too was interested in this. I found a site online looking at life expectancy from an actuarial pount of view (calculating life insurances and pension annuities). It allowed you to put in amount of cigarettes smoked, health conditions etc. This was so i could plan my later years.
After my NSTEMI at 56 it looked to me that an average life expectancy reduced by 3 years in my case from 86 to 83 which was quite encouraging. I could drop dead tomorrow or live to 100 but essentially i don't have quite as long as someone without chd. Of course everyone is different but I hope that is of some use. Sorry I don’t have the site details.
thanks firstlight, this is exactly what im looking for, if you remember the site id be grateful. I cant seem to find anything!
hello mg
My husband had a quadruple bypass this year at age oof 43. His was genetic. We have struggled a lot regarding life expectancy. I asked the cardiologist as well.he said that there is no straight answer. We can only manage the disease.
For planning purposes, i would suggest that you plan for a long life. If they are thinking of stenting now, you still have the option of bypass later in your life to extend the latter.
Take care of yourself.
Shaivi
Sorry to hear you have heart problems in your 40s, the question you ask about life expectancy is difficult,
I had triple by pass in 1999 and another in 2009 , retired at the age of 70, I am 80 years old now and have a total blockage of the main artery which is a graft and am having to use medication.
Have been reading about a new type of procedure which is available in some NHS Trusts called Orbital Atherectomy have. approached my Cardiologist (awaiting reply)
My guess is if your artery is 50% blocked, although very uncomfortable , I assume you are on medication?? and remember there are other procedures other than stents.
What did the Cardiologist tell you other than it would be difficult to use a stent??
regards
Morning Joy, thanks for the response. Ive been on statins since the diagnosis and didn't get much more detail from the cardiologist. Its funny not knowing if things have stayed at 50% over the past years or grown to 90%, doesnt seem like there is a 'check in' point (until heart attack??! 😁)
You really do have options, get your GP to refer you to the cardiologist with a view to having an Angiogram, that is assuming you are getting chest pains, if not then perhaps the Statins are working, are you taking Aspirin 75mg as well ? Are you getting mild chest pains?
Hi Joy, no chest pains thankfully and takings daily Asprins too. Just unsettling not knowing whats happening to the blockage without the more invasive scan.
I wish there was a check in point. After my HA and 2 stents I was told I have two 65% blockages in the LAD but blood was flowing freely s o they wouldn't stent them. They weren't bad enough. It really worries me not knowing how those blockages are progressing ( or not). Obviously I don't w ant another angiogram unless essential but how do you know? I had an echo a few months ago which was fine but I don't think an echo shows blockages.
Quali, this is exactly how I feel although clearly you've been through a tougher time than me to date.
Not really;the HA was a shock b ut fairly mild. However I do worry about the other two blockages. They did the stents immediately after the HA and i had to go back a month or so later for a second angiogram to look at the two other blockages they'd seen. That's when they decided to leave them alone. I think the normal decision on stents is a 70% blockage depending on what effect it's having. I had no angina or breathlessness after the first stents so they decided to do nothing. It does leave you wondering.
impossible to predict even a semi accurate life expectancy and this was probably your cardiologist answer too.
Also, as someone else commented, not to jinx it but being realistic here, there are so many other ways you (and I) could die.
Cancer I think is the winner at the moment!
So, try not to stress and enjoy this ride called life.
All the best!
Hello,
There was a recent study that showed stents and surgery aren't necessarily any better than good medical treatment OMT Optimum medical therapy.
"OMT should form the mainstay of treatment for patients with stable coronary artery disease.
Coronary intervention should be reserved for patients with angina despite OMT."
britishcardiovascularsociet....
Maybe see knowing about your coronary heart disease now, as an opportunity to ensure you live in away that is healthy for your heart. You are able to be treated with medication to help stop the progression of the plaque in your arteries.
Many people find out too late that they have coronary artery disease.
None of us know how long we are going to be around. A risk or probability isn't a certainty that something will happen.
Eat well, don't smoke, exercise, manage your stress, take your medication, enjoy and live your life.
Hello,
I am sorry to hear about your case.
I know how you feel. I had my first aortic valve replacement at age 33 and another one a couple of months ago at 41.
Now, people in our age group are always concerned about our life expectancy. The reality is that it isnt really possible to say in our age group.
We are still young enough where the body continues to adapt and heal itself: You can essentially manage all of the damage much better to live a long and fruitful live. For some people this is genetic, but if you can change your lifestyle (diet/exercise) you should do it. I would recommend cardiac rehab style low intensity exercise. It has helped me a lot.
Anyways, I know that this is a big shock, but I will just repeat again. We (you and I) are massive statistical outliers in previous studies that have been done. It is unlikely that those results apply to us.
This is something that I figured out for myself after being depressed for quite some time about my own prognosis. But now I live life to the fullest. I enjoy every day. I suggest that you should do the same. I know it is much easier said than done, but if you make small changes everyday, they will add up to one big change down the line.
Good luck.
My dad had a heart attack at 48 (I myself had one at 47) and was diagnosed with heart disease, he beat prostate cancer at 55. He died at 74 from a fall and a bang to the head which caused a massive bleed to the brain. He was still as fit as as a fiddle apart from his knees which we’re giving out. As Milkfairy says above none of us know how long we are going to be around eating well, exercise, medication, enjoy and live your life 😉
my aortic valve only had two leaflets, or propellers, whereas most aortic valves have three. I now have a replacement valve with the full compliment of three. English is not my strong point.
Hello Mg,
I myself have had HA and one stent in may 20 at age 58,real shock as I'd always been extremely fit.
Anyway a good pal of mine is triathlon coach he's done events and runs training camps abroad. He was having chest pains ,got seen by cardiologists ,they couldn't stent him because of difficulties ,the outcome ?
He has been put on the usual meds and told to carry competing and training as normal ,which he has !!
I had an angiogram in 2017 and was told I had 35% Lad blockage and 20/25% blockage of the other arteries. I was put on Aspirin which I took daily and I walked 4-5mls daily. On holidays abroad (Sept 2018) I noticed I was tired during my 5 ml walk, told my GP and had another angiogram arranged in a different hospital. This time during the angiogram they told me there was a blockage at the top of the left coronary artery and as it was the main artery they advised stenting rather than medication. I agreed and had the stent put in in January 2019. Since then I had an annual echo and a cardiac MRI all showing good results with EF of 53% no ischemia visable. I asked the consultant that put in the stent what % was the blockage and he hummed and hawed and said 70-80% and 20% in the other two arteries. I am not convinced this stent was necessary as I feel one of the cardiologists read it wrong. Anyway trying to figure out your life expectancy is a bit like picking the lottery numbers not really worth the effort or anxiety.
thanks for the response wischo, the conflicting advuce cant have helped! I totally agree with the fact that we cant know specifics. Im talking in very general terms as it helps me frame things. For example many people retire at 65 because of average life expectancies - even though there are many variables involved.🙂
There really is no answer to what you are looking for but I can tell you this, almost everybody has plague in their arteries when they reach middle age. This plaque is what cardiologists call heart disease and for some people it causes trouble and for others it remains stable enough to warrent a long life. A heart attack is mostly the result of a small piece of plaque breaking loose and blocking one of your 3 arteries and this often happens to people with minimal plague hence you can see the difficulties in predicting mortality. If you had advanced heart failure which you do not then prognosis would be doable but all you have is a 50% blockage which is not causing you any problems. The good thing is that if it did ever start to cause you symptoms then there is multiple options open to you to fix it. Bearing all this in mind and your relativly young age I really would not dwell on this anymore and enjoy life. Exercise is a great tool to adapt and avoid big alcohol sessions as is best advice for everybody anyway. Try and remember that Stress and anxiety is one of the worst things for your health in general. There is no average to your question so stop fretting about it and best of luck with your long future life.
Ah the $ 64,000 question.
I asked my cardiologist the very same question. I was told my life expectancy should be similar to that it would be/have been before my HA , so clear as mud then (well sort of)
Basically he said as far as he was concerned I'd been fixed...... stents in place, don't forget to take the meds, eat a good diet, exercise regularly and give it time the rest is up to me, and there's no reason why my original time shouldn't be the same. But who knows how long that is anyway?
Those of you who know me, know I'm always fond of a quote ......
"begin each day as though it were on purpose"
Good luck
I can't help re the age, but my first blockage was in a difficult place which is why I had a by pass as I was told while a stent would do the trick the location made it too difficult to insert one.
No way of knowing, but a 50% occlusion is quite common among the general population. So long as you take meds to mitigate then don't worry about it. Stress will certainly not help. I always think I'm going to be dead for long enough without wasting my life obsessing about it.
Hi Mg, so nice to hear from you. Your life expectancy depends on so many risk factors like diabetes, hypertension, obesity, family history, fasting lipids etc. Your cardiologist will take all these into consideration when deciding on stenting. Life style improvement and control of lipid level is important. You have a long life ahead of you and it's important to assess stress factor at home and at work.
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