A Salient chat?: Just bumped into a... - British Heart Fou...

British Heart Foundation

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A Salient chat?

Stentsandrun profile image
15 Replies

Just bumped into a fellow dog walker this morning, who told me about a chap down my road. His wife was talking to mine a few months back (both our daughters were in the same class), her hubby had a heart attack couple of years ago and a triple bypass. She was worried at the time as he was taking no notice of the advice he was given at Rehab, still eating all the wrong stuff and zero exercise, not sure about the Meds but I know she has told me only a few weeks ago he "didn't even like taking pills for a headache". Poor bloke died of another attack last week sadly aged 66.

Thought it was very pertinent in the light of some recent posts on the subject.

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Stentsandrun profile image
Stentsandrun
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15 Replies

Gosh, how old was he?

I don't understand people like that, when you have children, a family , surely you're number 1 priority is looking after yourself for them?

We all have responsibility for ourselves.

anyway that's all I have to say on this.

Stentsandrun profile image
Stentsandrun in reply to

Me neither he was 66

Happyrosie profile image
Happyrosie

thank you for posting this.

DWizza profile image
DWizza

Sad update really, the poor family having to deal with the loss 😔

Stubborn men!
Stentsandrun profile image
Stentsandrun in reply toDWizza

I was going to say I found it a bit sobering, think the lady that conveyed the news was expecting a different reaction. I suppose it is really, but I think I have focussed so much on trying to prevent any more trouble I might have got a bit immune to it. For sure there are plenty of people who seem to want to find any number of excuses for not doing the big 3 things exercise/proper diet/med's.

On the plus side I know of 2 men one personally who had full on cardiac arrests then stents or bypasses who are still going strong, the guy I know is now running gym classes!

MoretonCross profile image
MoretonCross in reply toStentsandrun

This begs the question what is "proper diet", doesn't it?

DWizza profile image
DWizza in reply toMoretonCross

I don’t think it’s rocket science , plenty of previous studies showing “Mediterranean “ type diets are conducive to good heart health and that over consumption of anything really isn’t conducive to good health overall.

Making some simple swaps and changes to my (what I thought was already pretty good ) nutrition is working for me. It’s not a life of misery either 🤣 but the 80-70/100 rule works , stacking up the good habits consistently but having treats once in a while for the right occasion.

Stentsandrun profile image
Stentsandrun in reply toMoretonCross

Not really, there is plenty of information - on here and loads of other places, just depends if you want to take any notice of it or not - as DWizza say's it's not rocket science. Mediterranean diet in moderation, rather than something unsustainable. Each to their own but how some people mange to do things like fasting while they are exercising properly is beyond me, I can only assume they actually don't.

Jedi14 profile image
Jedi14

For us "Hearties" we have to go through many changes! Some people loose hope and no longer see the point of so much self control, the outcome is not suprising! (Almost like appying shariah law to oneself-it has to be done.)

Qualipop profile image
Qualipop

The only way some people can deal with illness is to pretend it doesn't exist. My husband is diabetic. He religiously takes his tablets, panics if a meal is even 15 minutes late but then goes out and buys 2 cakes, a huge pack of crumpets and two packets of biscuits every week. His tablets are increased every time he has a check up. His BP is far too high but the only thing he's concerned about is the effect on his eyes. He doesn't believe it can affect his heart or cause a stroke. or he chooses not to believe.

Stentsandrun profile image
Stentsandrun in reply toQualipop

Words fail me TBH.

Qualipop profile image
Qualipop in reply toStentsandrun

I've given up.He s imply can't cope with illness at all and prefers to ignore it. When I had a heart attack he went back to bed - sheer panic. It's not happening. Don't believe it and it will go away.

It's a weird one. I "thought I was fit and active" , " i thought I ate healthy " but still had a HA.

I take the medicines religiously but other then that I've continued doing my healthy eating and excericses.

I suppose some people start thinking " what's the point of any of it".

I don't, life is too precious.

Stentsandrun profile image
Stentsandrun in reply to

All depends on your age but I guess the majority of us are in an older bracket where it would be difficult to say "I have eaten healthily all my life". I certainly haven't, I was brough up with a diet consisting of a lot of saturated animal fats, which up until having to have the stents I continued. Sure I got plenty of exercise and always had home cooked food, but if it consists of the wrong things it's no good. I believe your own community has a big problem with this, there were 2 Asian guys on my Rehab course and they both pointed out the traditionally bad food they ate, heart wise. Sadly we are just repeating the same mistakes now with processed and ultra processed food, which is everywhere, even my local co-op now has a "hot food" vending machine full of the crap, when already there are worries about such foods causing a rise in related cancer deaths amongst under 50's. I have even seen school children using it, it's appalling.

But as you say adopting a "what's the point" attitude is just asking for trouble if you have CAD, there are plenty of people on here who regularly tuck into pork chops and bacon breakfasts every day.

in reply toStentsandrun

I get that , even in my 20s and 30s when you think you are invincible I probably had a donner kebab and chips on Friday with a good dosage of beer.

However I always excercised, as I moved to my 40s,50s pubs became a thing of the past.

This thing I hear about Asian diets, whilst the stereotype of using clarified butter, fats, eating a lot of meat might apply to the generation prior and certainly didn't in my house growing up( patents are strict vegetarians) doesn't apply to all.

In my case the cardiologist put it down to my dad, his family having a history of suffering from heart disease in their 30s.

Who knows? I've moved on from why? why? to it happened, now look forwards and pay a little more attention and make fine tweaks here and there .

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