Hmm - CVD (Cardio Vascular Disease)

[Bazza1234]

This is a very wide ranging and broad term - but it looks like I can now officially say that I have it!! asymptomatic (meaning, without symptoms) CVD! I have had a high cholesterol reading for over 30 years now - and recently decided to have a Calcium Score test done. I had not even heard of this before this and asked my Doctor ( who always wanted to put me on statins) if I could do it. Turns out that I now have a nice CT scan of my heart showing where all the artery hardening has occurred over the years - and will have a treadmill type test in a week or so to see what artery narrowing I have.

Probably most of you ( depending on age) all also have some degree of artery hardening - you just don't know it. But unfortunately for me, I now do - so I can see that this will have some effect on my running Yet - to be determined and I am not sure that I will get much of an answer from GPs as to how much effect it will have on my activities. They still seem to think that my maximum HR is 220-age =150!!

[Noaky12 Graduate10]

I'm not quite sure what to say Bazza other than if you feel ok keep running! I hope the treadmill test goes ok & you get much more insight.

Is there treatment that can be done? Can you have a stent for example?

Take care x

[Bazza1234 Graduate10 in reply to Noaky12]

Have to wait until after the stress test. Certainly I will be taking lipid lowering drugs now forever!! - maybe aspirin. Just came home from a reasonably hard work HR intervals workout - no heart attack!!

[Hidden]

bazza hope all goes well but for your information 7 years ago i had a heart attack and had a stent put in on my left side. but my right artery is totally blocked. but my body had started making blood paths itself. (long term blockage) since then i have been running about 60 to 80 kms per week plus gym time for core strength. a few months ago i ran 18.75 marathons in the month of may. this was for the british heart foundation. still alive and jogging on. nothing is written in stone and you know your body. i am entirely sure that you will keep on going. By the way i agree with you regarding the thoughts on max heart rate. i am 68 and when i am doing intervals my heart rate can go up to 160 - 165. not dead yet. good luck

[Bazza1234 Graduate10 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for that - comforting!! You are doing really well. At almost 70, that is around my max HR as well. I did see 67 once at the end of a 10K

[Bazza1234 Graduate10 in reply to Hidden]

I actually have no symptoms at all - no heart attack, angina, etc. Just 30 years of high cholesterol!! Nothing has really changed since the beginning of the week except that I have a set of nice x-rays with white spots on them !!

[davelinks Graduate10 in reply to Bazza1234]

Maybe the white spots are just dropout's in the quality of the x-ray..😉

[Realfoodieclub Graduate10]

I'm sorry Bazza, going though any medical tests is a worry. As a family we have seen many doctors over the years but for some reason I find the consultants are more proactive about exercise than gp's and of course they are the ultimate in knowledge about your condition when they assertain what it is. Ask as many questions as you need to feel confident on how to manage whatever they throw at you including specific training questions. If they don't know the heart no one will. Good luck and I really wish you a happy healthy outcome.

[davelinks Graduate10]

Bazza, yes, a lot of people have CVD, I have some, which was seen when I had a CT scan done on my head for a hearing problem.

I've been on statins for some years, (as high cholestoreI occurs naturally in my family through from my dad) and of course now do more excercise such as the running, so I take some precautions also a supplement of 1000mg of Omega3 fish oil, watch the fats and sugars in my diet and a doctor's checkup very year, so what more can I do?

My older brother at 66 started getting problems with his breathing and had a stent inserted, but think he still has a problem with his breathing. Now, he wouldn't take statins as advised and does minimal moderate excercise, so I think, unless you have problems breathing, which I wouldn't think you have as you run OK, and take precautions, then try not to worry too much..😉

[Bazza1234 Graduate10 in reply to davelinks]

I know older people who have trouble with breathing - particularly noticeable when they walk uphills. I wonder whether their heavy breathing comes from heart or lungs???

[davelinks Graduate10 in reply to Bazza1234]

Bazza, I'm thinking a lot of that is down to fitness? And maybe also having been a smoker..

[Bazza1234 Graduate10 in reply to davelinks]

I was reading only today about two different types of fitness - cardo-vascular and cardio-respitory

[davelinks Graduate10 in reply to Bazza1234]

A good TV prog on here in the UK last night at 8pm, channel BBC2, Trust me,l'm a Doctor... think you'll find it very interesting, a lot upto do with running & excercise. Maybe you can get it on sattelite BBCiplayer?

[Bazza1234 Graduate10 in reply to davelinks]

Do you know what the series and episode was??

[davelinks Graduate10 in reply to Bazza1234]

Series5 episode1

[IannodaTruffe Graduate10]

Sometimes ignorance is better than knowledge. It will be interesting to hear what the consultant says.

[Bazza1234 Graduate10 in reply to IannodaTruffe]

So true!!! I guess it is good to be able to get early warning about health issues - but in this case , I am going to have to investigate how it may/will affect my getting travel insurance for when we travel. Many of the Insurance Companies shy away from pre-existing illnesses like cancer and heart attacks - but they bundle the actual heart attacks into an over-riding category of CVD.

[misswobble Graduate10]

I will watch your progress with interest Baz. I am told I have high cholesterol but will keep running regardless. My heart rate is higher than that when I'm flat out! Still, I'm still here so I'm not going to worry about it. If you read too much you can frighten yourself silly, so I wont.

[Bazza1234 Graduate10 in reply to misswobble]

Just because you have high cholesterol doesn't mean that it has translated into hardening of your arteries - so you have nothing to worry about. I am not worried either, it is more that I am now a bit like Eve in the Garden of Eden - I have eaten the apple and now I KNOW!! Have lost my innocence

[misswobble Graduate10]

Ha ha! You sure have!

Nah, not worrying. Not the type. What will be .......