Help please

[Sued2704]

Hi. New be here trying to support my daughter. Had heart attack on Sunday aged 31. We are all very shocked. She is worried about what to eat. Any advice welcome. Also how best can I support her.

it’s a horrible time. Thanks

[Yumz199725]

Ahhh I'm so sorry to hear 💔😪. Must be so awful and shes so young, I'm sorry I don't have any experience with heart attacks but I know what's it like being young and having heart disease I'm 26 and was born with congenital heart disease. I just wanted to wish you all the best and hope she feels alot better soon x there's alot of others on here that have experience with having a heart attack so hopefully they will be along soon with some better advice and support x take care ❤️

[Sued2704 in reply to Yumz199725]

Thank you x

[Tos92]

Welcome to the forum.

I’m very sorry to hear about your daughter’s heart attack. I’m glad she is safe and at home now. Did they say what type of heart attack she had and what the cause was? This can be very important in understanding why it happened.

I had a heart attack last year called a MINOCA (myocardial infarction in non-obstructed coronary arteries) and was of similar age to your daughter.

I have heard good things about the Mediterranean diet and it is also supported by the BHF as below in order to reduce the possibility of another heart attack and overall maintain good heart health. You’d be typically looking at things like oily fish, vegetables, whole grain foods, and small amounts of meat and low fat dairy.

bhf.org.uk/informationsuppo....

Has your daughter been offered cardiac rehab? This can prove to be beneficial for her physical and mental wellbeing post-heart attack.

I know there are others on here with very good info on diet so I hope they will share their experiences.

All the best to you & your daughter.

Tos

[BeKind28-]

Hello

I am so sorry to hear about your Daughter and I feel for you to as her Mum as it must be a very worrying time for you

What she can eat is really simple in so many ways and that is just be sensible we all know what is good and what is bad for us

Just start watching things like what fat content are in things especially staurates , what salt content things have as well as sugars aiming for low to medium

Food size portions fish is very good and vegetables

Avoid fried foods and so on

A lot follow the Meditaran diet which if you Google it then it will come up

A little treat now and again does not hurt and red meat should be limited maybe once a month replaced with Chicken maybe like I say all the things we know are good for us

As a treat what I tend to do now is where you may have liked a chicken Burger I do lean no skin chicken and have plenty of salad on the top and to be honest I prefer them more now

I hope she has Rehab lined up and if you do not hear anything about Rehab then chase it up with the Hospital as Rehab will be a huge benefit to her

Tell her not to worry what she eats as long as she is been sensible maybe sit with her and go through healthy meal plans with her

Keep reassuring her everything is going to be alright and try and get over that even though she is young how lucky she is she got to Hospital and now on the right treatment and that it does happen to others her age and younger but that does not mean it will happen again and she will make a full recovery as age is on her side to enable her to do that

If she needs to talk let her know you are there to listen

It is early days and things will feel very daunting but as time goes on and your Daughter gets her confidence back as well as you getting over the shock life can and will go back to how it was before but you all need to give this time but things will get better

Let us know how she gets on x

[Valentina98]

I was 24 when I had my first heart attack.

I know how scary it is being so young. It's hard but you will come through it.

Feel free message me if you need to chat

V x

[Coffeelover2]

Hello, I had a heart attack this year and I’m in my 30s. I felt the aftercare wasn’t necessarily as good - perhaps because I didn’t have a stent. Make sure you get the NHS to offer cardiac rehab or look into it as I wasn’t referred and then they put on the letter that I had it. They also didn’t give me much advice. Diet wise is cut down on animal fat and increase vegetables and use olive oil - the Mediterranean diet. The British Heart Foundation website is very good. Make sure the NHS arranges the required appointments and you can arrange counselling support.

Just be there for her - she will have ups and downs but things will get better. Just try to ensure she follows guidance . I don’t know what they have instructed about exercise but I found a short daily walk helped me and I built it up

[devonian186]

First things first is to get the report on the various tests that will have been carried out and get them interpreted.

For example, was it a mild heart attack. Can they identify why it happened. What remedies as regards lifestyle and medication is recommended?

[uzininemm]

Hello there,

BHF have a recipe finder bhf.org.uk/informationsuppo... which I found very useful. the recipes are very easy, tasty and good for you.

What I would suggest as well, is do a weekly food plan and perhaps do a food order on line and have it delivered, this way it removes the temptation of impulse buys why you are at the supermarket.

[Lowerfield_no_more]

It is unfortunate to say the least that your daughter has had a heart attack at 31, and that must have come as a great shock to her and those close to her. Looking forward she is now advised to take measures to reduce her risk of further incidents related to heart health just like everyone else who is affected by this disease. Whilst diet is important, and others have advised on that particularly the resources on the BHF website, there are other lifestyle measure which are equally important such as regular exercise, body weight management, quitting smoking, and reducing alcohol consumption. And of course medication, some of which may be for life like aspirin and statins. And as others have said your daughter should be offered a cardio rehab course by her hospital which will be able to provide her with support and advise on the way forward and will include the measures above. Finally be reassured there are many who have one or more heart attacks during their lives, yet still manage to live a full and long life. My aunt was one such person, she had three heart attacks, had other health issues, yet still managed to live to 95. I wish your daughter well.

[DWizza]

All the information about your poor daughters heart attack should be on her discharge notes Sue. The reason she was admitted to hospital , the treatment /procedures and medication. The discharge notes should also have contact numbers for various departments and contain information for the patient how to get on after discharge and what to expect.

I had Nstemi heart attack in July , quadruple bypass. I was very fit prior to that , had no idea about my blocked arteries! I’m making a fantastic recovery , back to jogging, lifting weights, yoga class ( using regressions ) working round my farm and riding my motorcycle! I was told by my surgeons that I was so young and fit 🤣. I’m 61 ! They considered my procedure to be run of the mill , some plumbing for new pipes and some sewing. Lol. I hope you’re daughter is comfortable and makes a full recovery without any complications. Post some more info and I’m sure the community will respond with more of our experiences that may help you ❤️

[World1inmotion]

Hi Sue, sorry to hear your daughter had a heart attack at such a young age. I would just want to add to the great advice already given that it is also important to take note of any instructions on the medication she is prescribed as occasionally some foods do not react well or stop medicatione working. E.g quite a few advise not to eat grapefruit. So check the instructions. Hope your daughter recovers well.

[Deejay62]

Welcome to the group Sued. So sorry to hear your daughter has had a heart attack at such a young age. I don’t know anything about heart attacks except what I’ve read, but there are many here who have been through the same, and some are around the same age, and some good advice as already been given.

I wish her all the best with her recovery and I hope you both receive all the support you need from the medical side and from the group.

[Qualipop]

YOu must be so worried. On the main page of the BHF website is a link to hundreds of heart health y recipes. I'm much older but after my HA diet wast he first thing I Looked at and change. I've always cooked everything from scratch; never any take aways or ready meals , fish and chips once a year, but I did eat quite a lot of biscuits and cakes. I was not overweight but after changing my diet I lost 2.5 stones without even knowing. It was only when I got my summer skirts out 8 months later and they all fell off that I realised how much I'd lost. I lost so much it set my GP wondering about something like cancer but it was just the change of diet. Hardly any red meat - I swapped to quorn mince or chicken; far more vegetables, cooked only with a minimum of pure rape seed oil, NO cakes and biscuits. Basically what they call a Mediterranean diet. Stopped smoking and tried to get more exercise but as I use a wheelchair that was difficult. The very best of luck to your daughter on her new, healthier life.

[isobelhannah18]

I was a lot older than your daughter but to say I was shocked is an understatement. Family support is really important but try not to pass your anxiety on to her - easier said than done! The Mediterranean diet is tasty and healthy. If she smokes then she definitely has to stop. Alcohol in moderation and regular exercise. She should get offered cardiac rehab which I found really helpful. It gets you safely exercising and there are some really useful talks. For the inevitable anxiety I referred myself for C.B.T. - Cognitive behavioural therapy on the NHS This forum is great for advice and support. I've posted at all hours and got a reply. It's really important to take any prescribed medication. Finally get support for yourself.

[Weetabixie]

Hi Sued, sorry to hear about your daughter's heart attack. Everything I could have said has been covered by everyone, all I can add is that this forum is full of knowledge, good advice and a great support network in itself. I hope your daughter will be back on her feet and fighting fit as soon as possible and wish you well. Best of luck to you and hugs to both of you x

[Jetcat]

I hope she feeling better soon sue.

Sending best wishes.

Ron👍

[Smitty1956]

Hi, Sued2704,

I am so sorry to hear that your daughter has had a heart attack, and at such a young age. Hopefully, with medications, some lifestyle changes, and your support and love, she will feel much better very soon.

I had a HA in March 2022. I felt like rubbish for at least four months following that event. Every time that I got up to walk even a very short distance, my heart would race. I had aches and pains and palpitations that I never had before. I had no energy. Little things like washing my hair or brushing my teeth just made me feel exhausted.

After the heart attack, I received no information from the hospital or my doctor on diet/foods that I should eat. I knew that I needed to make major changes in my diet so I read a lot and started small. Others on this forum have suggested that you check the BHF website for information and recipes. That is a great place to start!

For me, I started with small meals spaced 3/4 hours apart. For breakfast, I would fill a plate with a small handful of blueberries, a handful of cherry tomatoes, a small dish of low-fat cottage cheese or yogurt. Also, I would usually have a sliced banana. As you can see, I mainly had raw fruits and vegetables for breakfast.

Now, 19 months following my HA, I might have an English muffin, a bowl of oatmeal with a banana or blueberries, or just a handful of blueberries, a sliced banana, small dish of yogurt, or a sliced apple, and/or cherry tomatoes. I have remained with a fairly consistent set of foods for my breakfast.

After my HA, I would have something like a small dish of low-fat cottage cheese, a handful of cherry tomatoes, a handful of sugar snap peas, 2/3 small pieces of roasted chicken breast, and, perhaps, a small handful of walnuts. Again, I stayed with mainly raw vegetables and small amounts of protein.

For dinner, I would have a small portion of chicken breast and two cooked vegetables like summer squash or green beans or kale, etc.

My diet is still an ongoing work in progress. Over 19 months, I have fallen back into some less healthy habits such as having a doughnut or cookie too often. I am working on changing this again.

Obviously, your daughter might benefit from lots of green, leafy vegetables and other veggies such as summer squash, Brussels sprouts, cherry tomatoes, etc. She also needs fruits and some nuts—plus proteins such as skinless chicken, beans, etc. I try to mainly stay away from red meats, alcohol, and (help give me strength God) processed, sugary desserts.

When I felt able, I began indoor walking for five-minute intervals, until I could work up to more time. I am still a work-in-progress in this area of proper exercise.

You got many great suggestions from everyone who responded to your post. I hope that some of them will prove to be helpful for your daughter going forward. Also, remember to be kind to yourself. You are providing support and help, and that can be a difficult job!

Best wishes! ❤️

[Sued2704 in reply to Smitty1956]

Thank you so much .