Hereditary Heart Disease
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Runnermadre
Posts: 267 Member
Two weeks ago my dad suffered a massive heart attack. They said it was the widow maker. He's 53, not overweight, his blood work had always come back good, and he didn't have high blood pressure. He ended up needing a double bypass. They told him it was hereditary, so I am also at higher risk. I find it to be very concerning considering everything always looked good, and then somehow he had two blocked arteries and is lucky to be alive. Does anyone have experience with hereditary heart disease? I'm open to any information you all can share. I have an appointment to talk with my doctor about it, but the soonest they could get me in is the end of April. I'd love to go the appointment fully prepared with all my questions.
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Replies
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I'm glad your dad is doing better. I'm not in your genetic situation, but would encourage you to look at reliable websites such as Web MD, mayo clinic, or medscape. They usually give you a list of questions to ask foe various conditions. Also American Heart association and also do a search for women's heart disease.0
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My father had quadruple bypass back when the procedure was relatively new, '70's when he was about the age your father is now. This served him very well and did not contribute to his passing many many years later. At the time I was offered cholesterol testing which came up negative. Now it is possible to have genetic testing, which could show a predisposition were you to have one, but usually there have to be a series of events which tip one gently into this sort of problem were you to have this predisposition. For the most part we are able to take better care of ourselves than our parents were, as children we were also probably better fed too, better range of nutrients etc. I would not worry that your appointment is not till the end of April.
I do suggest you have a very varied diet which contains oily fish every week, and suggest you make good use of the widest range of fruits and veg you can get your hands on because with mechanisation of our food chain the range of foods, variety within a kind of plant has decreased over time, 100 years or more. It could be an idea to go organic/grass fed etc, if you are able. I realise it is said the interventions/chemicals etc which are used in our food chain is said to be safe but I now try to reduce my chemical load so it is easier for my liver/endocrine system to do the job of elimination.
Wishing you well. Please try not to worry, as women, if we take care of ourselves we are less at risk than men though after the menopause our protection drops to the same level as men.1 -
Runnermadre wrote: »Two weeks ago my dad suffered a massive heart attack. They said it was the widow maker. He's 53, not overweight, his blood work had always come back good, and he didn't have high blood pressure. He ended up needing a double bypass. They told him it was hereditary, so I am also at higher risk. I find it to be very concerning considering everything always looked good, and then somehow he had two blocked arteries and is lucky to be alive. Does anyone have experience with hereditary heart disease? I'm open to any information you all can share. I have an appointment to talk with my doctor about it, but the soonest they could get me in is the end of April. I'd love to go the appointment fully prepared with all my questions.
have them run tests on you,ultrasound,etc. my dad had some kind of heart disease,he also had extra valves or something that would basically short circuit and make his heart go haywire,he died of a asthma/heart attack when he was 63 I think it was.. I have MVP/MVR.I also have FH(familial hypercholesterolemia) and that can cause heart attacks,stroke,TIA if not treated and its genetic. my nephew was just diagnosed with heart disease,he has a condition called Idiopathic Hypertrophic Subaortic Stenosis. hes 15 years old. and we have no idea where he got it, so now his mom,dad and brothers need genetic testing(my sister and I have different dads).0 -
Runnermadre wrote: »Two weeks ago my dad suffered a massive heart attack. They said it was the widow maker. He's 53, not overweight, his blood work had always come back good, and he didn't have high blood pressure. He ended up needing a double bypass. They told him it was hereditary, so I am also at higher risk. I find it to be very concerning considering everything always looked good, and then somehow he had two blocked arteries and is lucky to be alive. Does anyone have experience with hereditary heart disease? I'm open to any information you all can share. I have an appointment to talk with my doctor about it, but the soonest they could get me in is the end of April. I'd love to go the appointment fully prepared with all my questions.
My dad had a widow maker at 61 and passed away. I have a lot of the same hereditary issues to fight and it's an uphill battle, but I do what I can do. My conditions seem to be very sensitive to diet and exercise (or lack there of), so I'm relatively strict with both. When I get off track diet wise and exercise wise, my LDL goes through the roof...same for my blood pressure, both of which are hereditary issues for me.
I saw my doctor shortly after my dad's passing and they sent me to a cardiologist for a stress test...I passed with flying colors...so far, so good. Due to my issues and risk factors, I see my doctor twice annually for a physical.0 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »Runnermadre wrote: »Two weeks ago my dad suffered a massive heart attack. They said it was the widow maker. He's 53, not overweight, his blood work had always come back good, and he didn't have high blood pressure. He ended up needing a double bypass. They told him it was hereditary, so I am also at higher risk. I find it to be very concerning considering everything always looked good, and then somehow he had two blocked arteries and is lucky to be alive. Does anyone have experience with hereditary heart disease? I'm open to any information you all can share. I have an appointment to talk with my doctor about it, but the soonest they could get me in is the end of April. I'd love to go the appointment fully prepared with all my questions.
My dad had a widow maker at 61 and passed away. I have a lot of the same hereditary issues to fight and it's an uphill battle, but I do what I can do. My conditions seem to be very sensitive to diet and exercise (or lack there of), so I'm relatively strict with both. When I get off track diet wise and exercise wise, my LDL goes through the roof...same for my blood pressure, both of which are hereditary issues for me.
I saw my doctor shortly after my dad's passing and they sent me to a cardiologist for a stress test...I passed with flying colors...so far, so good. Due to my issues and risk factors, I see my doctor twice annually for a physical.
have you ever been gentic tested for FH? that can cause your LDL to go through the roof too.a lot of people dont know they have FH its often just misdiagnosed as high cholesterol0 -
My dad died of a massive heart attack at 51. Which means when I go to a new doctor and they ask about my parents, their eyes tend to go wide when I mention my dad. My mom died at (I think) 67 of a massive heart attack. Both were overweight smokers, and didn't watch their diets.
I'm 70 now, have had atrial fibrillation for over 16 years, don't smoke or drink, have lost 72 pounds, eat a reasonable diet, have high blood pressure that's under control with meds. I'm doing all the right things. I've outlived my dad by 19 years, and my mom by 3 years. The American Heart Association has a lot of good tips on their site:
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/HealthyLiving/GettingHealthy_UCM_001078_SubHomePage.jsp
Bad family history isn't a death sentence -- and it's never too late to get your act together. You can do a lot before you get in to see your doctor: If you're a smoker, stop. If you're a drinker, cut down on it. If you're overweight, lose weight. Cut down on the fats and sugars, eat a variety of veggies, add soluble fiber and Omega-3 sources to your diet.
I believe that by FH CharlieBeansmom is referring to Familial Hypercholesterolemia - but I had to dig around to figure that out. It helps if you're going to use an acronym or technical term to provide a source where people can read more about what you're talking about. Just sayin' - not all of us have medical training.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Familial_hypercholesterolemia1 -
My dad died of a massive heart attack at 51. Which means when I go to a new doctor and they ask about my parents, their eyes tend to go wide when I mention my dad. My mom died at (I think) 67 of a massive heart attack. Both were overweight smokers, and didn't watch their diets.
I'm 70 now, have had atrial fibrillation for over 16 years, don't smoke or drink, have lost 72 pounds, eat a reasonable diet, have high blood pressure that's under control with meds. I'm doing all the right things. I've outlived my dad by 19 years, and my mom by 3 years.
Bad family history isn't a death sentence -- and it's never too late to get your act together. You can do a lot before you get in to see your doctor: If you're a smoker, stop. If you're a drinker, cut down on it. If you're overweight, lose weight. Cut down on the fats and sugars, eat a variety of veggies, add soluble fiber and Omega-3 sources to your diet.
I believe that by FH CharlieBeansmom is referring to Familial Hypercholesterolemia - but I had to dig around to figure that out. It helps if you're going to use an acronym or technical term to provide a source where people can read more about what you're talking about. Just sayin' - not all of us have medical training.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Familial_hypercholesterolemia
If you look at my other post above cwolfman I did say what FH was,I spelled it out so others knew0 -
CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »Runnermadre wrote: »Two weeks ago my dad suffered a massive heart attack. They said it was the widow maker. He's 53, not overweight, his blood work had always come back good, and he didn't have high blood pressure. He ended up needing a double bypass. They told him it was hereditary, so I am also at higher risk. I find it to be very concerning considering everything always looked good, and then somehow he had two blocked arteries and is lucky to be alive. Does anyone have experience with hereditary heart disease? I'm open to any information you all can share. I have an appointment to talk with my doctor about it, but the soonest they could get me in is the end of April. I'd love to go the appointment fully prepared with all my questions.
My dad had a widow maker at 61 and passed away. I have a lot of the same hereditary issues to fight and it's an uphill battle, but I do what I can do. My conditions seem to be very sensitive to diet and exercise (or lack there of), so I'm relatively strict with both. When I get off track diet wise and exercise wise, my LDL goes through the roof...same for my blood pressure, both of which are hereditary issues for me.
I saw my doctor shortly after my dad's passing and they sent me to a cardiologist for a stress test...I passed with flying colors...so far, so good. Due to my issues and risk factors, I see my doctor twice annually for a physical.
have you ever been gentic tested for FH? that can cause your LDL to go through the roof too.a lot of people dont know they have FH its often just misdiagnosed as high cholesterol
No, that was a thought at one point...but when my doctor saw my numbers responding to diet and exercise he thought it not to be necessary. It just seems that I'm very sensitive to a crappy diet.0 -
Runnermadre wrote: »Two weeks ago my dad suffered a massive heart attack. They said it was the widow maker. He's 53, not overweight, his blood work had always come back good, and he didn't have high blood pressure. He ended up needing a double bypass. They told him it was hereditary, so I am also at higher risk. I find it to be very concerning considering everything always looked good, and then somehow he had two blocked arteries and is lucky to be alive. Does anyone have experience with hereditary heart disease? I'm open to any information you all can share. I have an appointment to talk with my doctor about it, but the soonest they could get me in is the end of April. I'd love to go the appointment fully prepared with all my questions.
My dad passed away at age 51of heart disease. He wasn't overweight and it was a complete shock. My Dr not only did tests back then ( over 20 years ago) but continues to do them. I have my heart tested on an annual basis with more rigorous tests done every 5 years , I get my blood pressure checked annually and my cholesterol as well . My Dr did say that if my blood pressure goes up he will most likely put me on meds as a preventative. One of the reasons I am trying to get healthy is because I will be 46 this year . I feel like I need to be the best I can be or I will end up like my dad. I don't believe it is a death sentence but don't be afraid to push for more tests if your Dr doesn't do them.
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CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »If you look at my other post above cwolfman I did say what FH was,I spelled it out so others knew
Sorry, the punctuation and grammar in that post was a bit hard to read and I confess I don't read every post in a thread carefully to see if acronyms and tech terms are defined by person X earlier in the thread. It would have made it easier if you spelled it out again in the second post rather than assuming everyone reads every post in a given thread. Or you can view my complaint as a personal failing and ignore it.0 -
CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »If you look at my other post above cwolfman I did say what FH was,I spelled it out so others knew
Sorry, the punctuation and grammar in that post was a bit hard to read and I confess I don't read every post in a thread carefully to see if acronyms and tech terms are defined by person X earlier in the thread. It would have made it easier if you spelled it out again in the second post rather than assuming everyone reads every post in a given thread. Or you can view my complaint as a personal failing and ignore it.
grammar? I dont see where I posted anything with bad grammar. As for words missing the apostrophes,for me its not a big deal.if someone cant read what I wrote,then I guess its on them and they can skip my posts.lol.
Im no longer in school and being graded on what I type.As long as I get my point across thats all that matters.
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I experienced a similar situation, except that my dad had to have a quadruple bypass. His dad passed away from a heart attack as well. This was back in 2005, and I have done a ton of research since then to try to determine what the healthiest diet is for someone with heart disease. Based on everything I have read, the best you can do for yourself is to consume a plant-based diet (mainly vegan) and to exercise at least 3x a week. I would visit nutritionfacts.org and/or read How Not to Die. They are very interesting and helpful resources!0
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Runnermadre wrote: »Two weeks ago my dad suffered a massive heart attack. They said it was the widow maker. He's 53, not overweight, his blood work had always come back good, and he didn't have high blood pressure. He ended up needing a double bypass. They told him it was hereditary, so I am also at higher risk. I find it to be very concerning considering everything always looked good, and then somehow he had two blocked arteries and is lucky to be alive. Does anyone have experience with hereditary heart disease? I'm open to any information you all can share. I have an appointment to talk with my doctor about it, but the soonest they could get me in is the end of April. I'd love to go the appointment fully prepared with all my questions.
My dad passed away at age 51of heart disease. He wasn't overweight and it was a complete shock. My Dr not only did tests back then ( over 20 years ago) but continues to do them. I have my heart tested on an annual basis with more rigorous tests done every 5 years , I get my blood pressure checked annually and my cholesterol as well . My Dr did say that if my blood pressure goes up he will most likely put me on meds as a preventative. One of the reasons I am trying to get healthy is because I will be 46 this year . I feel like I need to be the best I can be or I will end up like my dad. I don't believe it is a death sentence but don't be afraid to push for more tests if your Dr doesn't do them.
What types of tests do you have done if you don't mind me asking? My dad's cholesterol, sugar, blood pressure, and even stress tests were always good. I guess I just don't understand how nothing showed up until he almost died with two clogged arteries. :-(.
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Runnermadre wrote: »Runnermadre wrote: »Two weeks ago my dad suffered a massive heart attack. They said it was the widow maker. He's 53, not overweight, his blood work had always come back good, and he didn't have high blood pressure. He ended up needing a double bypass. They told him it was hereditary, so I am also at higher risk. I find it to be very concerning considering everything always looked good, and then somehow he had two blocked arteries and is lucky to be alive. Does anyone have experience with hereditary heart disease? I'm open to any information you all can share. I have an appointment to talk with my doctor about it, but the soonest they could get me in is the end of April. I'd love to go the appointment fully prepared with all my questions.
My dad passed away at age 51of heart disease. He wasn't overweight and it was a complete shock. My Dr not only did tests back then ( over 20 years ago) but continues to do them. I have my heart tested on an annual basis with more rigorous tests done every 5 years , I get my blood pressure checked annually and my cholesterol as well . My Dr did say that if my blood pressure goes up he will most likely put me on meds as a preventative. One of the reasons I am trying to get healthy is because I will be 46 this year . I feel like I need to be the best I can be or I will end up like my dad. I don't believe it is a death sentence but don't be afraid to push for more tests if your Dr doesn't do them.
What types of tests do you have done if you don't mind me asking? My dad's cholesterol, sugar, blood pressure, and even stress tests were always good. I guess I just don't understand how nothing showed up until he almost died with two clogged arteries. :-(.
cardiologists can run all sorts of tests,some heart issues will show no side effects until later on down the road. My nephew with his IHSS(stated above what it is). was never diagnosed until he started having pain in his chest.
he has what athletes who drop dead of a heart attack are usually diagnosed with. his arteries are not blocked yet,but could become that way later on. so far he is on meds and he was diagnosed by a pediatric cardiologist.
He had to take a year off from sports due to having knee surgery which was probably a blessing in disguise as he may not have been here with us to date,he has to carry a handheld device to shock his heart if it stops or goes into cardiac arrest(for another person to use on him).0 -
Great advice here! The only thing I have to add is that you might ask your doctor about getting a calcium score scan and/or test which can identify coronary micro vascular dysfunction. Women have smaller arteries and so different testing might be necessary.
Keep up the healthy eating habits, cardio and strength training workouts and yoga. Yoga is great for reducing stress which is important for heart health too!0
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