Impressed with our cardiologist :)
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macchiatto
Posts: 2,890 Member
For background, DH and I see the same cardiologist, but for very different issues.
DH has CAD, 5 stents in his heart, hypertension, super-low HDL (genetic; one of our 7y/o's has it, too) and is overweight.
I was referred to this cardiologist a year ago for a few near-fainting episodes. Turns out I have a vasovagal response and my BP runs low. (My lipid panel is good though and with my recent weight loss on keto, my weight is good.) I also have MS and PCOS and formerly prediabetes.
DH happened to go w/me to the appt today. The cardiologist was talking to him about a vegan diet seeming like the best bet for CAD patients. I piped up half-jokingly, "So I guess I shouldn't tell you I'm on a low carb/high fat diet now?" I had been hesitant to mention it since I know the cardiac rehab people they sent DH to after his caths were all about low fat and the typical "heart healthy" advice.
The cardiologist actually said, "No, actually; a high-fat diet is recommended for MS, isn't it?" I was so impressed he knew that, especially since it's not even his specialty (and there's a mix of recommended diets for MS). He added something about different patients having different dietary needs depending on their health conditions. I told him about the benefits I'd experienced on this WOE (lost 20 lbs in 3 months, reduced joint pain, reduced reflux/GI issues, etc.) and he said that's great and to make sure I keep up my sodium levels ... and asked DH if he was jealous.
Now, I'd still love to see more research on this WOE for people with existing CAD b/c I do wonder if it would help DH lose weight, raise his HDL and lower his BP, but this is the first dr I've seen since switching to this WOE so I admit I expected more resistance, especially from a cardiologist given the advice DH has been getting.
DH has CAD, 5 stents in his heart, hypertension, super-low HDL (genetic; one of our 7y/o's has it, too) and is overweight.
I was referred to this cardiologist a year ago for a few near-fainting episodes. Turns out I have a vasovagal response and my BP runs low. (My lipid panel is good though and with my recent weight loss on keto, my weight is good.) I also have MS and PCOS and formerly prediabetes.
DH happened to go w/me to the appt today. The cardiologist was talking to him about a vegan diet seeming like the best bet for CAD patients. I piped up half-jokingly, "So I guess I shouldn't tell you I'm on a low carb/high fat diet now?" I had been hesitant to mention it since I know the cardiac rehab people they sent DH to after his caths were all about low fat and the typical "heart healthy" advice.
The cardiologist actually said, "No, actually; a high-fat diet is recommended for MS, isn't it?" I was so impressed he knew that, especially since it's not even his specialty (and there's a mix of recommended diets for MS). He added something about different patients having different dietary needs depending on their health conditions. I told him about the benefits I'd experienced on this WOE (lost 20 lbs in 3 months, reduced joint pain, reduced reflux/GI issues, etc.) and he said that's great and to make sure I keep up my sodium levels ... and asked DH if he was jealous.
Now, I'd still love to see more research on this WOE for people with existing CAD b/c I do wonder if it would help DH lose weight, raise his HDL and lower his BP, but this is the first dr I've seen since switching to this WOE so I admit I expected more resistance, especially from a cardiologist given the advice DH has been getting.
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Also, he's a bit concerned about me doing HIIT b/c of the vasovagal thing and not wanting me to pass out. I have had issues at times with getting dizzy from the rapid changes in pace/exertion level. I'm not sure what to do about that since HIIT is supposedly so good for you. I might try drinking Keto-Aid pre-workout. I do keep an eye on my sodium but I don't think I'm quite consistent enough, and I've been forgetting to take my magnesium.0
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I doubt the doc is recommending a vegan diet for the HDL effects. It's usually recommended to reduce LDL, and there's some evidence of plaque regression and arterial widening.
No similar studies for LC (yet) AFAIK, so it would basically be an N=1 experiment.
If he's overweight, LC will almost certainly help. High saturated fat might raise HDL, but it'll also raise LDL, and that might freak out his doc.
Some think LDL has nothing to do with CAD, but that's still a controversial stance.0 -
Yeah, he was talking about recommending a vegan diet in general for patients w/CAD. DH had referred a friend to this dr and was talking about the friend's response to the vegan diet suggestion so that's how the vegan thing came up.
DH's total cholesterol is actually fairly low but b/c his HDL is only 18, his ratio is bad. (Our son with the issue has total cholesterol just under 100 but HDL is only 17.) I know I've seen mentioned on here that LC can help with raising HDL and lowering BP along with weight loss but it seems risky re the existing CAD so I've had mixed feelings about whether I should be encouraging DH to look into it for himself or how I should be cooking family dinners ... or whether I should be sharing my bacon ... 0 -
I'm curious about this too. I know that the anti inflammatory response of LCHF might actually help CAD. Then maybe a moderate level of fat, instead of the high level (just enough to reach the satiety?) but not high enough to affect the lipid panel too much. Just sort of rambling some ideas here.
I do like your cardiologist for being knowledgeable about this woe! 0 -
There is a study that looked at a ketogenic diet with the main fat being olive oil. It reduced ALL traditional risk factors, including LDL.0
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Hm yeah, that's a good question, @Karlottap. I wonder how he would do if he kept carbs lower, moderate fat and higher protein, and for his fats focused on things like walnuts, salmon, olive oil, avocados. He's been meaning to lose weight since I've known him. He was at 215 for a long time, did get down to 207 after his last heart surgery, but now he's been at 220 for a while. If he could lose 20-25 lbs I think it would help his health.0
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macchiatto wrote: »Yeah, he was talking about recommending a vegan diet in general for patients w/CAD. DH had referred a friend to this dr and was talking about the friend's response to the vegan diet suggestion so that's how the vegan thing came up.
DH's total cholesterol is actually fairly low but b/c his HDL is only 18, his ratio is bad. (Our son with the issue has total cholesterol just under 100 but HDL is only 17.) I know I've seen mentioned on here that LC can help with raising HDL and lowering BP along with weight loss but it seems risky re the existing CAD so I've had mixed feelings about whether I should be encouraging DH to look into it for himself or how I should be cooking family dinners ... or whether I should be sharing my bacon ...
With that low, he might be better off with the cholesterol raising effects of certain fats. Coconut oil seems especially useful here. Yes, the traditional tests will say that the LDL went up, but it changes the composition of the particles, and raises HDL possibly even more than LDL, which will improve his ratio.
He should probably seriously look at K2 supplementation. It's known to have positive effects on CVD markers and athlerosclerosis. If he does go vegan, he won't really have a good source of it, and it's the pre-formed K2 that has the best effects.
Also, here's a couple more articles of interest:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2716748/ (not CAD, per se, but does mention cholesterol markers)
http://eatingacademy.com/nutrition/the-straight-dope-on-cholesterol-part-i (long series on cholesterol in general, he also has a bunch of articles relating to heart disease and whatnot that are worth reading)0 -
Thanks so much for the links and info, @wabmester and @Dragonwolf!0
