[Closed] Right lads, grab a brew and pull up a seat.... I'm going to be blunt.

I'm 50 and I race at XC at a reasonably competitive level so am active and train hard and as such, I always have concerns at the back of my mind because I am pushing my body regularly.

Both my parents died of heart related illness, as a result I have an annual check up every year, a few years ago I started to see a pattern of elevated cholesterol, nothing too major but it was on the way up year on year.

So I decided to take some action myself before I 'needed' to, I made a conscious effort to eat well for 80% of the time, mostly this is just fresh veg, lots of fruit, low GI carbs, fish, chicken etc.

Weekend 20% is my reward, I eat & drink pretty much what I want on a Friday night & saturday, as a result my last test had considerably reduced cholesterol increased 'good' markers and my risk of a heart attack had actually decreased to a good level too... this is particularly significant as it very rarely goes down as you get older.

Whilst i'm not suggesting it is a cure all, your diet can be a huge factor on general well being, it certainly won't do you any harm

Thanks legolam, that is certainly the most simple to read article I have seen, I hazard a guess that you are "in the trade" as it were? The main point they make is that the benefits of exercise far outweigh the risks - not that's any help to you or your family if it's decided your time is up. The main problem is that most of us that ride bikes or generally do some sort of regular excercise are in the category of moderately fit or better, probably think we are all OK, hardly ever go to the doctors etc. Therefore have no idea if there is an underlying issue?

I hazard a guess that you are "in the trade" as it were?

Yup, I'm a cardiology registrar in the North East of England, currently doing research, so I have a bit of an interest in all of this!

I genuinely don't know the stats for what proportion of those who have heart attacks have symptoms beforehand that they've ignored, although anecdotally it is something I see a fair bit.

I'm not sure I'd agree that fit people/athletes are at higher risk of missing symptoms though - heart attacks are caused by a narrowed (or blocked) blood vessel supplying the heart muscle with blood, but this often doesn't happen out of the blue (although it can). The blood vessel often narrows over the course of weeks, months and years. As cyclists, we are effectively performing our own "stress test" every time we get on a bike - increasing our heart rate and asking the blood vessels to supply more blood to the heart muscle. If there is a narrowing building up, you'd think that cyclists would get some warning symptoms, whereas a couch potato wouldn't notice until the narrowing was so bad that the person got symptoms walking around the house or at rest. Does that make sense?

I guess the message is to heed any warning symptoms (mainly chest pain or shortness of breath on exertion) and to minimise your risk factors as far as possible.

I have booked in for a check up at my local health centre tomorrow. I am nearing 40 so thanks for the kick in the arse I probably needed!

Good idea Skellnonch, I may try that approach. I'll update this thread after seeing Doc's on Wednesday evening.

It has probably been mentioned on page 1 and 2 (only read 3) but you can get self cholesterol testing kits from the chemist which will give you an indication of whether you need to speed up that appointment at the docs! 🙂

Have never had one before so did a test today off the back of the recent threads to see if I needed to worry. Seems I am borderline satisfactory / slightly high. Something to keep tabs on and maybe think a little more about what I eat.

@ on one orange. Try intermittent fasting. Dropped a couple of cholesterol points off both myself and partners results.

I simply follow the 16 hour fast 8 hour feed. So skip breakfast and eat dinner a little earlier.

The way I see it, instead of constantly grazing and giving the body fuel, fasting gives the central nervous system time to actually mop everything up and suppresses igf1 hormone which also puts you in repair mode.

Legolamb

If there is a narrowing building up, you'd think that cyclists would get some warning symptoms, whereas a couch potato wouldn't notice until the narrowing was so bad that the person got symptoms walking around the house or at rest. Does that make sense?

Yep it does, I did get the warning signs and interpreted them correctly the second time around and took action immediately - thus my second stent - and funnily enough if you work in the North East my notes may have passed through your hands!

BUT

The first time around I had a fair chunk of the symptoms (i.e. Angina) prior to the MI but they were masked by Musco-skeletal pain. I have severe wear C6 & C7 probably due to the forces that were exerted on my neck and spine as a stage rally driver and navigator - I regularly used to be black & blue the day after an event on my collar bones and pelvis from being thrown into the harness, and that was sat in a made-to-measure seat with 3" wide Willans multipoint harness. This didn't include the numerous times that I was in a car that left a stage at high speed and hit something solid (I'd far rather be in a roll-over, the bulk of the accident energy is taken up in overcoming a low centre of gravity of the car). It was only in later life that I started wearing a neck brace as pictured below which made a major difference (to the point I used to lecture everyone on wearing one!).

[img] [/img]

My left shoulder suffered multiple dislocations after we burst my door catch a mile into a 24 mile stage - I hung onto the sodding thing for the rest of the stage so every drop or bump pulled my shoulder out of joint, you are on such a MASSIVE adrenalin high so you don't notice it.

What I'm saying is that all of the angina pain I was getting prior to my MI could be accounted for by previous injuries, the thing that foxed everyone was that my blood pressure was spot on even when I was having the bloody MI! And my pain was unrelated to heart rate or exercise too, the week before my MI I'd ridden the red at GT three times and navigated on a tarmac rally 5 days before with NO ill effect, yet sat in a sodding meeting and away it goes.

I did get checked out poked and prodded but in the years leading up to my MI due to my lifestyle, age and fitness level, medically I simply wasn't considered a risk. The one thing that was never conducted was a simple cholesterol test which would have shown I had issues. I now know that for me if I get sharp almost electric shock type shooting pains into my jaw that's [b]THE[/b] warning sign for me.

Someone mentioned recovery, basically there is very little advice out there about what a "fit" healthy and active person does to come back from a heart attack, all the advice is don't over exert your heart (thus the crack about take up bowls) I was advised gentle cycling only if I must. The advice is aimed at the statistical bulk of MI victims who tend to be older, more sedentary with poor-ish lifestyles.

IMHO It's not the health professions fault as up until about 10-15 years ago blokes (you know what I mean) who were closer to retirement age than birth age didn't throw themselves off mountains or run marathons or cycle 120 miles or if they did they had been doing it all their lives so they were all ready fit. I think we are still a statistical anomaly in general terms, but as more people take up active and very active sports in later life then we are seeing more an more of this form of problem.

I think there does need to be some form of awareness campaign coupled with a study of how a "cardiac" athlete recovers from an MI, particularly the effects of BetaBlockers and ACE inhibitors on recovery in younger people - for me those two drugs were just plain wrong, they virtually crippled me and that was on a very low dose, in later life if I get a bit more sedentary then we'll see but hopefully that won't be for a long time. I'm happy to be a guinea pig and I'm sure others here are who are in similar boats, just as long as you don't make me [u]run[/u] on a cardiac stress test as my knees are booboo'd too 😛

The key point is never assume historical injuries are all that the pain you are feeling is, I did, the medical profession ten years ago did (I stress NOT their fault) and I (we) got caught out. Second time around the medics were more aware of these types issues but then I had history and was by then in the right age bracket.

There's no denying that it's a really tricky business trying to diagnose anything (not just heart trouble), and it's not helped by the fact that everyone is wired up slightly differently and no two heart attacks feel the same!

I also agree that we have a bit of a "one size fits all" attitude to treatment and rehab (although it's based on good evidence) after a heart attack, although again I hope we're getting better at individualising (is that a word?) things nowadays.

I also agree that we have a bit of a "one size fits all" attitude to treatment and rehab (although it's based on good evidence) after a heart attack, although again I hope we're getting better at individualising (is that a word?) things nowadays.

Totally agree with this, and yes from my experiences far, far better at individualising care nowadays than ten years ago. I can't fault my care, particularly when my second stent was inserted at Newcastle's Freeman Hospital which (being honest) is a bit of an angioplasty production line when you look at it, you're in one day, job done, you're out the next. [u][b]BUT BUT BUT[/b][/u] The staff are brilliant you are made to feel like you are wrapped in cotton wool - real individual attention. When they discovered I was a cyclist I was moved into a ward next to a chap who had been a semi-pro road rider which was superb. The surgical team was excellent, they spent a lot of time with me before the op. The Scandinavian lass (think she was a senior registrar) who performed the Angioplasty was just great - as was the rest of the team, yes you can feel stuff going on inside you which is a bit weird, I didn't realise she'd finished till she leant over and said "there you go, you will ride again soon" and I just burst into tears. She said it was nice to "fix someone who could really make the most of what they had done"

The Scandinavian lass (think she was a senior registrar) who performed the Angioplasty was just great - as was the rest of the team, yes you can feel stuff going on inside you which is a bit weird, I didn't realise she'd finished till she leant over and said "there you go, you will ride again soon" and I just burst into tears. She said it was nice to "fix someone who could really make the most of what they had done"

That was Ingi Gudmundsdottir - she's Icelandic and one of the best doctors I've worked with (she was my registrar back when I was a really baby doctor and I really looked up to her). She's a consultant back in Iceland now, and we miss her. She'll be glad to know she's remembered fondly by her patients!

Legolam - do you have any thoughts about plaque rupture and the likelihood of our sport to increase the chance of it? I ask because in my Dads case, he had a fairly fast crash onto snow covered grass and winded himself. He got back onto the bike and rode again but collapsed and died the next time he needed to climb. He had undiagnosed arthersclerosis and the consultant at the time mentioned plaque rupture probably played a part in his collapse. Is this something that us especially relevant to us MTBers (or anyone doing impact sports)?

That was Ingi Gudmundsdottir

As ever, I love how STW makes the world seem a little bit smaller. 🙂

Sad though the news has been, this a great thread. Good work OP.

That was Ingi Gudmundsdottir

That's her, just found her name on my discharge letter, I thought at the time it was an Icelandic style patrinomic as in Ingi daughter of Gudmund.

Really nice lass and very, very competent and so was the rest of her team, I forget the name of her boss at the Freeman, I'm assuming she was a senior registrar in April last year.

As ever, I love how STW makes the world seem a little bit smaller.

I now have the weirdest sensation that an STWer could have been near me with sharp objects* Legolamb 😯 😯 😯 and what is more worrying is that I don't know whether that statement is a good thing or a bad thing

*I could have been pricked ....fnnnaaaarrrrrrrrr 😛

I'm booked in Friday 😯

Don't worry, I'm not pricking (or probing) anyone these days - I've taken time out to do research.

Plumslikerocks (good name!):
Impacts don't have anything to do with the likelihood of plaque rupture. There's some circumstantial evidence that, if you're going to have a heart attack, then you're marginally more likely to have it at times of physical or emotional stress eg during a marathon, whilst having sex, or on a Monday. I'm not sure it's enough to make me avoid marathons, sex or Mondays for the rest of my life though. Well, maybe marathons. But that's cos running is for people who can't ride a bike.

But that's cos running is for people who can't ride a bike.

Or whose bike is broken... Stw is an all inclusive forum despite handicaps

Booked in at the doc's on monday evening.

Booked in next Monday. General check up, but will ask for my cholesterol to be checked as well.

Hubby booked in next week (that's the earliest they could manage - must be all you Stwers blocking up the system :-)).

I'm 36, I had mine last checked in 2011. This thread has reminded me and I am booked in first thing tomorrow morning for bloods 🙂 Cheers!!

I went for a general check up today and have my ecg/blood tests booked in for thursday.

Blood pressure normal but gained almost 20kg since 2006 (70.4kg-89.5kg) - I blame getting old and married in that time!

As I said on page one, I've been putting this off for years (in an I'll do it next week kind of way)

Am now booked in for the 15th April

Thanks again o.p for giving me a much needed kick up the arse.

Booked for Thursday - worth checking out the pain in my shoulder and left arm that I've put down to my old busted collar bone rubbing on something or just not sleeping right but this thread and the fact my dad had a non fatal heart attack in his 50s suggests I ought not to ignore it.

Especially as I've been a bit of a couch biker for the last few years since first getting married and then having kids and going self employed. I guess I need to make the time to get out on the bike regularly again and give up on the sugar in my tea.

Cheers Jock

I've been thinking about going for a health assessment for a while but like lots of us have been putting it off - I know I'm over weight already, right?! Thanks for the kick.

As part of a company scheme I've got £200 toward a heath assessment/wellman check - any recommendations for where to go around Birmingham? I know there is a BUPA in Solihul but suspect the assessment would be much more than £200.

I'm 41 and a fat ****er. Had a cholesterol test and to my amazement it was only slightly elevated. I was stunned as I've basically eaten utter shite since I was 17. No history of heart probs in family and don't drink or smoke. Having said that, I have not and probably never will have a pension so maybe I should carry on in the same way....

Been thinking about this, I think we owe it to Steve and Brian to start some type of awareness campaign, their deaths and my post have bit a nerve here and I'm stunned by the response, but I haven't got a clue how to go about this? I opened my metaphorical gob first so I'm happy to put the time in, help would be appreciated, anyone any experience of this and how you get the ball rolling or is it as simple as open some social media accounts (FB & twitter for starters) and start pestering the media?

My Mum was diagnosed with high cholesterol and is now on statins or whatever they are called. She has been riding and racing road bikes for years and is super fit and healthy. I have been pretty fit and healthy now for many years and vegetarian since the age of 18 (I know you can eat crap and be veggie). Was told I had a slightly raised cholesterol marker, was quite a surprise but looks like I inherited from my Mum.

Jock-Muttley you maniac, do you realise what you've done *. Read your post, thought "why not?"

Long story short: been in hospital since then, acting on your post!

Short story long: I went to GP next day at lunchtime. Told him I had no specific illness but felt Meh.

I had been pull-starting the petrol lawnmower previously and had muscular pains, like me it is difficult to start after months off.

He said come and play on our ECG, but it was broke. Let's do BP - "ah!??"

So sent me to A&E. ECG fine woohoo! Pulse fine, cholesterol fine double woohoo!

BP through the roof. So still here getting loads of tests and Ramipiril.

Fingers crossed that I've not left it too late as hypertension is not nice.

* - thanks really, I was always going to go get it checked but never got round to it. I just read the post & thought if people from my online peer group are discovering issues, then go sooner rather than later.

So first of all bloods taken and blood sugar and cholesterol all good.

Now a thanks to JM, Steve and the fellow rider that fell victim to the same MI in Swinley a few months ago and passed away. I has given me the impetus to go and get this checked (I'm 47) and I will continue to have an annual check to ensure I am around as long as possible for my wife and family.

Er.... I've just had a twitter message to contact ITV News Desk, looks like someone in the media has picked up on this... ulp 😯 I'll keep you posted.

Who was the rider in Swinley SixFootTwo? is there a name? So far I have Steve and Brian (Messiah).

Just spotted this too [url= http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/rider-down-in-clwyds-n-wales ]http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/rider-down-in-clwyds-n-wales[/url]

and this which may or may not be related but sounds like a collapse

[url= http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/rider-down-leeds ]http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/rider-down-leeds[/url]

and this

[url= http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/a-work-colleague-died-last-night ]http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/a-work-colleague-died-last-night[/url]

and this

[url= http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/chest-pain-how-worried-should-i-be ]http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/chest-pain-how-worried-should-i-be[/url]

and this

[url= http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/chest-pain-how-worried-should-i-be ]http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/chest-pain-how-worried-should-i-be[/url]

and this

[url= http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/chest-pain-how-worried-should-i-be ]http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/chest-pain-how-worried-should-i-be[/url]

and there is mention in here

[url= http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/i-dont-want-a-fag-i-dont-want-a-fag-i-dont-want-a-fag ]http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/i-dont-want-a-fag-i-dont-want-a-fag-i-dont-want-a-fag[/url]

Are we starting to see a trend emerging here?.... and that's just from THIS forum only going back 6 months and using fairly restrictive search terms! Take into account that STWers are a tiny proportion of the active population ... nobody mentioned the tri-athletes, joggers, footballers, rugby players, marathonists, hill walkers, swimmers, canoeists, rally drivers (know a few cardiacs there), etc etc etc... 😯

Folks we are dropping like flies out there... never mind bloody motorists killing us off on anecdotal evidence we are doing a fairly good job ourselves.

Glad this thread has had some effect.. 😛

Well, following on from this post I went and had my cholesterol tested this morning for the first time. 3.6 - so mid range according to the doc. This has given me some peace of mind.

Going to take a hard look at my health and make some changes - glad that I'm OK but room for improvement obviously.

Thank you OP.

I had the scary test result talk with my GP a few years ago. High BP, v high cholesterol, family history. My CVD risk score was way high for a 40 yo, can't remember exactly, but between 15% and 20%

Dr gave 6 months to sort it out with lifestyle or on the drugs. My BP is now normal, cholesterol just on right side of ok. Why - weight down, exercise + fitness up - but also change of job/lifestyle so big reduction in stress. GP did warn that I would prob end up on meds in the end given family history - but everything I could do to push it back was a bonus.

So the moral is get yourself tested - you know it makes sense - I could have been sleepwalking to a stroke before I was 50 if I hadn't.

Similar vein- a very good friend of mine died on Lochnagar a few years back. Very fit (ultra runner, with West Highland Way Race finishes), personal trainer to trade. No history nor warning, massive MI at the top of the mountain wthout any unwellness first. It would seem that a highly tuned machine can go very wrong quite suddenly.
Since then, I've worked to raise awareness of these and other health issues in ultra sport across Scotland. We have seen stent wearers (for example) returning to run 50miles and beyond. Stay positive guys.

Jock,

One more for you from a few months ago.

http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/any-rider-with-heart-problems-who-ride-on-here

Like you I have noticed more cardiac related threads over recent years, but then you do pick up on these things having had a near miss.

There are probably and sadly a few that will no longer be contributing to threads as they didn't make it.

We have seen stent wearers (for example) returning to run 50miles and beyond

When my second stent was inserted (over the top of my original*) it literally felt like (to draw an automotive analogy) somebody had unblocked a fuel filter to a carb and I could open the throttle full again, weird and surreal sensation but very welcome.

*and with this I got very, very lucky as the heart tissue in that area was already damaged by my previous MI so the 100% occlusion didn't do that much more damage, in need to dig out my discharge letter but it was about 1% loss of heart function.

Peter,

I found that but it looks like I boobed the link in my post thanks for picking up on that.

Yeah it does make you wonder when STW keyboard warriors go silent... 😕

Thanks for this thread Jock

I know my blood pressure is a little high...

OK - I'm going to book a test.

Similar vein-

😆

Very good.

In next Wednesday at 8:15am for a "well man" checkup.

Just back from doc's. I have been diagnosed with hypercholesterolemia, and have been prescribed 20mg/day atorvastatin. To go with the lisinopril! 😯

Just back from doc's. I have been diagnosed with hypercholesterolemia, and have been prescribed 20mg/day atorvastatin. To go with the lisinopril!

Bummer mate, but at least you know and now you can action a remedy before its to late, remember the first indication that I had of my Hypercolestemia was my GP going "oh shit"... 😉

20Mg is an OK dose (I'm on 80Mg) but just a wee bit of advice, see if you can get the Atorvastatin changed for one like Liptor, it may not be possible but my cardiac team said it's a newer more advanced statin with reduced side effects. Atorvastatin is the most common world wide (i.e. its cheap so there is a reason they prescribe it).

I take it you're hypertensive if you are on an ACE inhibitor? Sorry to pry. You may find that if you are as your cholesterol drops, diet and exercise kicks in and you natural BP should drop back at which point you could drop the ACE Inhib. Surprised they haven't given you a low dose asprin 75mg to reduce clotting

Hi J-M, yes hypertensive but only mildly so (family heart issues so the doc in that respect is being cautious). Mother has high BP, father did (and angina etc., he died young).

I'll have to jump back into the recipe thread and start taking more notes!

The doc did mention taking low dose(75mg) aspirin to reduce clotting, but didn't prescribe as it is much cheaper to buy it yourself as opposed to paying £8.05 for something that costs about 50p!

Asprin is a true wonder drug that is often overlooked.

Went for the blood test and ECG today... bloods been sent off and should get the response next week.

ECG taken and now being referred to the GP - although I am a lardy chap resting heart rate was 49 (Sinus bradycardia)so will hear back from them soonish

Here's what you could do JM - there's a few NHS types on here, get them to recommend an NHS flyer/leaflet that tells people what to do (I assume one of these exists). If the NHS don't have one, check charities like BHF?

Get STW to host it here, or to link to it.

When people who have been affected by this go somewhere like a trail centre, or event - print some leaflets off and stick them under windscreen wipers, or ask the local cafe to give them out (especially with the bacon sandwiches).

You could also go to race/event organisers and ask them to automatically include this leaflet with any event packs that go to men over 35.

It feels a bit pushy to be doing this, but if you save one person, then its worth doing.

Aspirin is being reviewed as the wonder drug as it causes issues too.

47 years old, and no health issues at all. I cycle, walk and have a job that keeps me on the go physically. No history in our family, but off to the docs next week anyway.
Just too many of my age group copping it, so fingers crossed its all good. Cheers, for the thread.

Got my statins yesterday Jock, Stavropolstatin or something. Haven't built up the courage to take them yet (am also trying one final attempt to get chloresterol lower on a detox diet), but I was told no more grapefruit - for life. Shocker. One of my favourites too. You know you're getting old when you're banned from the healthy things as well.

Got myself an appointment for this friday for an MOT.
interestingly i told the wife and she says 'you're only going 'cos of reading that stuff on STW forum and if she'd have suggested it i wouldn't have gone blah blah blah..........'
Must check my insurance as it looks like i'm worth more to her dead!

Had my check up last night. Blood pressure was 122/80 which was higher than I expected and according to various web sites 'above the ideal' of 120/80. Dam. It's difficult to know what to do differently:

East less takeaways / I don't eat takeaway
Exercise 3 times a week / I already do.
Smoke less / I don't smoke.
Eat less fried food / I don't eat fried food.

😕

What about your sugar intake, your salt intake - you may not be deliberately adding these to food or drinks but how much processed food do you eat - even beans can have a scary amount in a supposedly healthy food.

Plus if your diet features a lot if healthy carbs you can convert the excess to sugars and fat without realising it.

How much coffee or tea do you drink, caffeine can/will affect BP and heart rate.

Try using the "my fitness pal" app for a week or so, you have to be totally honest with it, every scrap of food and drink that passes your lips. 9/10 the results will be enlightening even after a couple of days.

Hard as it is to say you may need to knock the caffeine on the head, I suspect that this may be the culprit, it was with me and an elevated heart rate. It may require a total detox for a month or so before you can start even in decaf. I now drink decaf in the house & at work with the occasional "proper" one if we're out. I'm an occasional tea drinker so I've left that as full strength. Knocking caffeine on the head has seen a 7-10bpm drop in my resting heart rate day to day (measured when I wake and still lying in bed). If I have had say a couple of caffeinated coffees or day on tea the day before you can guarantee my heart rate is +10bpm the next morning.

Just back from doc's having gone for my 40+ check after reading this thread. I had two bad unhappy faces on my 100 face chart, Cholesterol 6.2 and , LDL 4 but good news...Pulse 44, 124/60 got an "OK", triglycerides OK HDL OK, something about a low ratio, so OK. Told to start taking Benecol spread and go back in two weeks for another blood test. They also added the PSA - Prostrate Specific Antigen - test for next time. Doctor said they had written out 400 40+ health check letters and 40 people had come in over the 6 months as a result of them.

122/80 is spot on, don't worry about it.

After giving out advice on this thread, I thought I should probably take some of it myself. So last week I went to get a breast lump checked out that I'd been ignoring for 4 months 😳

Got the results of the biopsy today - totally benign 🙂 . More than a little relieved now (after feeling a bit of a wally for waiting so long).

I'm going for an Health Check on Monday, I will report back with their findings.

Hmmmmmm 😳

Got an irregular shaped mole on my back 😳 been there for months like LegoLambs lump... 😳

I'm on my way

[img] [/img]

Just back from doc's having gone for my 40+ check after reading this thread. I had two bad unhappy faces on my 100 face chart, Cholesterol 6.2 and , LDL 4

gym guru/health advisor

Well that's it of course, I know where I went wrong, you pointed out my mistake there - I should have ignored the advice of millions of man hours of medical research, decades of education, training and experience of the health professionals who treated me and gone an listened to the muscle bound moron in the gym spouting shite about bloody conspiracy theories....

Please just re-read what you have written and go and stand in the corner an have a really good think about it.

Give me strength. And if you are not being serious this is not a subject to troll about, sick graveyard humour yes, trolling no.

Oh and one egg just one ikkle medium, free range egg on average contains ALL your cholesterol allowance for a day BTW.

Oh and one egg just one ikkle medium, free range egg on average contains ALL your cholesterol allowance for a day BTW.

Hang on. I was told to stop my daily boiled egg habit when I went for my test yesterday, along with olives. As the cholesterol is high.

Yet the BHF site says 'get em in'. As the cholesterol is irrelevant.

Is confused....

EDIT: results tomorrow so I'll find out if there's an issue.

I thought there was "good" and "bad" cholesterol?

(Off to get my bloods checked on Friday)

Likewise. HDL v LDL can't remember which is good or bad 🙂

brassneck - Member
Likewise. HDL v LDL can't remember which is good or bad

POSTED 8 MINUTES AGO #

HDL good, LDL bad.
Heroes and louts as you get told regularly in rehab.

Regarding Statins. There is a lot of bollocks talked about the side effects. They are not nearly as common as is often made out, but they do exist and are not confined to particular statins. It's horses for courses. I can tolerate Atorvastatin but not Simva, Rhosuva etc. These make me walk like a zombie.
BUT, in half a dozen stays in cardio wards I've only ever met one other person with a similar intolerance.
Side effects are rarer than the press would have you believe, though some doctors' total dismissal of any negative reactions doesn't help matters either.

Sadexpunk - 6 eggs per day! for real?

I can't imagine how you would be able to eat six eggs per day without putting some serious effort into it…..

You will save on loo roll as a result though

I think its a good/bad cholesterol thing, the thing with eggs is whilst you think you are eating one you may be eating another 3 or 4 unseen in processed foods.

Eggs are v.high in cholesterol and I was advised to reduce consumption (now 3 a week) The cholesterol doesn't translate immediately into blocked arteries.

[u]I was more trying to make a point[/u] about "snake oil" type conspiracy theory peddlars... and that is all these so called "gym guru/heath advisor" types are, they have a product/service to sell in which they have a vested interest, which is more than the NHS has...

"Oh the budget strapped national health service it trying to [s]sell you[/s] give you free advice and subsidised medication you don't need, they are all in it together"

Oh puuuuullleeeeeessssssssssssseee get real about this people. If you don't want to take the pills its simple don't take them

I can tolerate Atorvastatin but not Simva, Rhosuva etc. These make me walk like a zombie.

Me too, Atorvastatin was a revelation to me 12 months ago. Only side effect I get is occasional fatiguing but that can be combated with exercise.

double post due to cr@p internet

i certainly didnt mean to upset you mate, i was merely trying to put someones mind at rest by stating that i too had similar cholesterol readings, but that i had been told it was nothing to worry about. yes, by someone i trust, but also my doctor said that reading wasnt too high.
FWIW, the chap who advised me has masters in physiology, biochemistry and neuroscience. not relevant perhaps, but i just wanted to make the point that hes not just 'a bloke down the gym with something to sell'. he also gives his time and advice for free.
below is a quote from him about cholesterol. im not clever enough to understand it but make of it what you will.

Firstly cholesterol is a very important substance, it has many uses but one of its primary uses is to repair damaged tissue, when you cut your finger cholesterol comes along to patch up and seal the wound (otherwise you'd bleed to death from even a tiny cut).

Damaged/injured tissues bind to the LDL molecule that's attached to LDL cholesterol, this is how cholesterol binds to the site of injury so that it can start working its magic. After the injury has healed HDL cholesterol comes along and binds to the cholesterol (which is no longer needed) so that it can be returned to the liver and excreted. So basically what I'm trying to say is that LDL sends cholesterol out to the site of injury while HDL returns cholesterol back to the liver after the injury has healed.

In regards to your LDL/HDL ratio it's a good indicator of overall systematic inflammation (damage/injury), if your LDL is elevated higher than usual it means that there's more systematic inflammation going on than there should be. Lowering your LDL cholesterol and increasing your HDL cholestrol is a sign that inflammation is decreasing (less cholesterol is leaving the liver while more is returning to the liver).

At this stage it's important to point out that cholesterol can't simply bind to tissues (for example your arteries) for no good reason, in fact it can't bind at all unless there is inflammation/injury present first. It's mostly VLDL (very low density lipoprotein) that's responsible for allowing cholesterol to bind to inflammed/injured tissues.

So high LDL cholesterol in and of itself doesn't cause your arteries to become blocked, high LDL cholesterol is simply a symptom of excessive systematic inflammation. If you can reduce the inflammation you'll reduce your LDL cholesterol.

Inflammation/injury is the root cause of heart disease, now the question becomes; what exactly is injuring our arteries? If we can prevent/reduce arterial injury/inflammation we can prevent heart disease from developing. I'll give you a list of things that could potentially cause arterial injury (and hence inflammation):

1. High blood glucose (especially spikes), sugar is an extremely destructive molecule, this is why your body tries to keep its blood sugar regulated within a very narrow range. Uncontrolled blood sugar (as seen in diabetics) will slowly destroy your arteries, it's no wonder that diabetics are much more likely to die of heart disease or stroke when compared to non-diabetics.

This is why high GI carbs aren't the best option (especially for people who don't exercise), they spike your blood glucose levels too high which damages your arteries (and the rest of your body too for that matter, especially your eyes).

So in order to keep your blood glucose levels (fasting and post meal) under control you need to reduce your overall carbohydrate intake (in order to lower your fasting blood glucose levels) and you also need to eat lower GI carbs rather than higher GI carbs (in order to reduce your post meal peak blood glucose levels).

If you've ever wondered why exercise reduces the risk of heart disease it's because it helps control your blood sugar, firstly it burns blood sugar directly, secondly it causes your muscles to absorb more glucose out of your blood (in order to replenish muscle glycogen). People who exercise regularly can eat more carbohydrate than sedentry people without it causing problems.

2. Vitamin/mineral deficiencies can prevent our arteries from maintaining their normal elasticity/strength, usually when we spike our blood pressure (after high sodium meals or during intense exercise) our arteries expand/stretch in order to accommodate for this. Collagen is extremely important for maintaining the strength/elasticity of our arteries, a vitamin C or copper deficiency will prevent proper collagen formation which in turn will reduce arterial strength/elasticity. What this means is that instead of expanding and contracting like healthy arteries normally would our arteries will only expand slightly (which drives blood pressure even higher than usual) and they will start to develop small cracks/tears because they're not flexible enough.

These cracks/tears are then patched up with cholesterol, if cholesterol didn't come along to patch up these cracks/tears our arteries would simply split and we'd die of internal bleeding.

3. High sodium and low potassium diets, this related to the above.

4. Omega 6/3 ratio, more specifically the arachidonic acid (AA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) ratio. Arachidonic acid is around 10 times more potent than EPA when it comes to promoting inflammation, while a high AA/EPA ratio in and of itself won't cause heart disease it certainly will accelerate its development. What this means is that reducing your AA intake and increasing your EPA (from fish oil etc) will slow down the development of heart disease but it won't actually prevent it.

If you have a high AA/EPA ratio you might develop heart disease in only 20 years, if you have a lower AA/EPA ratio (or higher EPA/AA ratio) it might take 60 years for heart disease to develop.

5. Pollution, for example chemicals in cigarette smoke can directly damage your arteries and hence promote inflamamtion and cholesterol deposition.

If you want my practical advice for avoiding heart disease I suggest:

- Avoid excessive carbohydrate intake, especially high GI carbohydrates
- Avoid excess sugar intake (sucrose, HFCS etc), it increases triglycerides
- Exercise regularly in order to help keep your blood glucose levels under control
- Avoid high sodium foods, they cause transient increases in blood pressure which causes undue strain to our arteries
- Increase your potassium intake in order to help lower your blood pressure
- Avoid vegetable oils
- Avoid processed foods, they contain less vitamins and minerals and potentially contain substances that cause harm
- Supplement with vitamin C (at least 1500 mg per day divided throughout the day/night) and copper (2-3 mg per day divided throughout the day/night) to help ensure proper collagen formation which will keep your arteries strong and flexible.
- Reducing your linoleic acid (parent omega 6) and arachidonic acid (AA) and increasing your alpha-linolenic acid (parent omega 3) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) will slow down the development of heart disease (by reducing your rate of inflammation) but it won't prevent it from developing entirely.

Dietary cholesterol (unless it's oxidized) and saturated fat are both absolutely harmless, in fact saturated fat is very good for you, it helps protect your cells by stabilizing your cell membranes.

once again, apologies if ive caused offence, none is meant. i think the thread is a very important nudge for us to go get our health checked.

once again, apologies if ive caused offence, none is meant. i think the thread is a very important nudge for us to go get our health checked.

Good job I switched to whole milk in my latte then... and butter...

EDIT butter on my bread, not in my latte.

130/81 pulse of 80, but I was in a state of panic over the size of the bloody needle! so she said I was fine.

10 units of alcohol per week, largely vegetarian diet, 24 BMI, cycling and swimming.

I passed.

Blood results on Friday.

Sadexpunk .. apology accepted, just saw 'Gym Guru' and interpreted it as per the stereotypical testosterone driven moron who's a legend in his own small, sad little world. These people do exist and they are capable of spouting some scarey bollox.

I'm not an expert, I don't do much reading into the subject - I used to but I deliberately stopped myself as you just get paranoid. I know what works for me, which is a sensible, varied diet where the emphasis is cook fresh from scratch. The occasional take away treat thrown in a couple of times a month. I take the medication that works for me. So that's 80mg of statins, aspirin and clopidogrel (anti-coagulants). Beta blockers and ace inhibitors even at 2.5mg turn me into a zombie ( as a previous poster so aptly put) - and they wanted to titrate me up to 12mg so I'm guessing that if I wasn't so bolshi then I'm guessing I'd be a 18st couch potato if I wholly took their advice.

You find what works for your own body BUT don't believe the hype that it is possible to read without at least discovering for your self. This can mean effectively experimenting on yourself for up to 6 months, to get to the right medications. Remember I've had 10 years of living with this condition so I've got it honed right down.

Harry, not quite the same but I get "needle fatigue" where my arteries and veins crawl up my arm and hide every time I'm in hospital.

Best way to measure your resting, relaxed heart rate is to take your own pulse when you first wake and are still lying in bed, make a note of it every day and you will find that you can eventually pick up on stuff like too much caffine the day before or even sometimes when you have caught a cold before the sniffles set in ( your heart rate elevates).

A really interesting thread. Under a bit of pressure at work, started having chest pains and dizzy spells went to Drs on Monday, had BP test- - 136 over 96 which was a surprise. Another BP test in a week or so

Cholesterol score 5.1.

Bugger.

Mine was around that a couple of years ago. Doc told me I was low risk and it was not a problem. I still very much keep an eye on what I eat, especially saturated fat. When I get rid of this cold, I'm going to sort out a check-up.

Got my results the other day. Everything is a okay and normal. Right where's the nearest Greggs?

Just got back from the Docs, the blood tests may be back Thursday but more than likely next week because of Easter.

So far :-

Height 5ft 9

Weight 87 kgs

Blood pressure 106 over 60 which she said is fine.

According to the BMI I'm over weight and need to be under 12 stone and I'm currently 13 st 10

Funny thing happened on Saturday, I woke up with chest pains, a stiff left arm & tingling in my fingers - like a wally I went to be linesman at my sons ride, then went for a bike ride as it was arranged, all the time wondering if all of a sudden my chest was about to hurt quite a lot.

Then I saw this thread so was into the Dr's first thing this am - luckily I appear to have a trapped nerve rather than a more serious issue - Dr said to go to them or call 999 if chest pains next time esp if sweaty or feeling sick.

At least I shall sleep better tonight with a fair chance I shall wake up tomorrow.

Thanks for posting - at 48 I have two mates who have issues, stents for one and a minor stroke for the other - both fit(ish) both eat ok(ish) neither drinks to much (ish)

Increase your potassium intake in order to help lower your blood pressure

Be slightly careful with that one. Last year blood tests showed while everything else was good my potassium was high. It's potassium that actually stops your heart if you are unfortunate enough to be given a lethal injection in the US so not something you really want too much of. Apparently 10% of all blood tests taken in hospital show high potassium, usually associated with poor kidney function. My kidney function was fine and an ECG was also good. I've just avoided bananas since and my levels did drop to only .1 above normal. Any half decent diet will give you plenty of potassium, I can only put my high level down to a 95+% vegan diet with loads of fuit & veg. If you look at a low potassium diet it's about as depressing as a diet can get, I really can't see how anyone who likes good food could be deficient unless there is medical condition causing it.

Just got back from the Docs, the blood tests may be back Thursday but more than likely next week because of Easter.

So far :-

Height 5ft 9

Weight 87 kgs

Blood pressure 106 over 60 which she said is fine.

According to the BMI I'm over weight and need to be under 12 stone and I'm currently 13 st 10

All the tests have come back fine, cholesterol was 3.4

Now where's them Cream Cakes 😆