Hoping everyone is doing ok and hanging in there. I had a positive echo stress test. My insurance denied the oncologists request so had an echo and the. A stress test. I failed it so they fought for the echo stress test. Now I need a catheterization because my heart isn’t pumping the way it should be and I have a blockage. So now I have JAK2 and will
Most likely have angioplasty. Stent. At least one. Any g back on how much of a risk this is with JAK2? Any suggestions or thoughts would be appreciated. Will I start a chemo pill now with this? I see my oncologist in Wednesday. This is all new and my head is spinning. I’m 56. Thank you!!!please take care.
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MPNJunebug
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With the cardiac issues plus a JAK2 positive MPN, cytoreduction is a likely recommendation, It would not necessarily be a chemo pill (e.g., hydroxyurea), Depending on your specific diagnosis, Pegasys, Besremi, and Jakafi may also be options. It is important to discuss ALL of your options with a MPN Specialist who can help you evaluate each choice.
Your post has reminded me of my long process to get a specific diagnosis for my heart condition. Five or so years after my symptoms started I had various lung tests (all clear) and then an ecg treadmill test which indicated a blockage.
I was started immediately on various heart meds, listed for an urgent angiogram and told to expect stenting at the same time (angioplasty) or possibly coronary artery bypass grafting if stenting wasn’t possible. I was mighty spooked.
What they didn’t tell me was that one third of angiograms reveal no blockage of the coronary arteries. Turned out I was in that group. I’m attaching a link which states the one third statistic and there are other specialist sources which show similar stats.
Three years later and another angiogram, but done by a different and specialist team with stress testing, revealed coronary artery spasm. It’s classed as INOCA which are some not so rare but yet poorly recognised and diagnosed heart conditions. It also includes coronary microvascular dysfunction which is particularly tricky to pin down.
Having a diagnosis helps me to manage the condition and I now take a minimum of medication for it but my running days are definitely over! Overall my Mpn has a greater effect on me.
Going back to your post, it’s important that there is a link up between your cardiologist and haematologist before the angiogram. I have ET and I was already on aspirin and HU with platelets kept close to 400. With both angiograms (done at different hospitals) I was told not to stop either meds, given a full blood count a few hours beforehand and also given a large amount of clopidogrel to take. Had I had stents I would be taking clopidogrel every day.
Good luck with the angiogram, my first one was a breeze and I hope yours will be too.
You haven’t mentioned the symptoms that led to your echo stress test but there is an article on the Cleveland Clinic (Journal of Medicine Oct’21) site and, at the risk of taking a quote from the abstract out of context, it states:
From one-half to two-thirds of women with angina symptoms who undergo coronary angiography for suspected ischemic heart disease have no obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD), according to some estimates.
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