stopping artery blockage

I am 62, 5ft 4 ins., and 8 stone 4 lbs. I had a triple bypass 18 months ago and am on the regular drugs to keep cholesterol and blood pressure down. Both of these are very low. But in the last 18 months one of my grafts has refilled to 85 per cent, another to 50 per cent and a third which wasn't sufficiently serious at the time of the operation is now also 85 per cent blocked.

I eat no red meat, lots of vegetables and fish and walk a t least an hour to an hour and a half every day. The doctors are going to stent the arteries and are doing a stress test with nuclear imaging to see what is happening to my heart when under stress.

I can find nothing to reassure me that this process can be stopped or even that is is not unusual. Has anyone any experience of this and what can be done to at least slow it down

thanks for any help
Christine

[ed34]

In 2007 I was found to have high cholesterol and this was treated with statins. I then had an MI and a single stent was fitted. From 2007 to 2009 I had a triple bypass (which lasted three months) and 9 other stents. I was beginning to believe that nothing was going to stop the disease. I did a lot of reading on the subject and found one obvious risk factor which wasn't on the list at the time, stress. I also read that sugar is a huge culprit, as in processed sugar. So, I went to a relaxation therapist, and was shocked to learn just how stressed I was all the time. It felt normal to me, it was the way I was used to. After a few classes, I was much more relaxed and recognised if I was getting tense, so reversed it. I also cut out most of my sugar. Suddenly, 2010 became the first year with no further angina and the need for stents. Still the same today.

[ed34]

In 2007 I was found to have high cholesterol and this was treated with statins. I then had an MI and a single stent was fitted. From 2007 to 2009 I had a triple bypass (which lasted three months) and 9 other stents. I was beginning to believe that nothing was going to stop the disease. I did a lot of reading on the subject and found one obvious risk factor which wasn't on the list at the time, stress. I also read that sugar is a huge culprit, as in processed sugar. So, I went to a relaxation therapist, and was shocked to learn just how stressed I was all the time. It felt normal to me, it was the way I was used to. After a few classes, I was much more relaxed and recognised if I was getting tense, so reversed it. I also cut out most of my sugar. Suddenly, 2010 became the first year with no further angina and the need for stents. Still the same today.

[beansandpeas]

Thank you very much for that. It is helpful to hear from someone who is has experienced the same thing. I am a high stress person. Don't eat a lot of processed sugar though but will cut out my one pice of cake with coffee per day. Chocolate? I love dark dark chocolate and generally have a square or two a day. It's supposed to be good for the heart but maybe the sugar is bad news.

[ed34]

If it's high quality chocolate, the dark stuff expensive stuff high in cocoa, then it's meant to be good for the heart.

[jrbon]

In support of what Ed says, I can tell you that in the cardiac rehabilitation that I had, we were told how to relax and encourage to make 20-30 minutes of relaxation daily.

As per the sugar, I find a good substitute in the Stevia (a plant from Sud-America). I mainly use to sweet my coffee.

A new line of thinking says that taking Vitamin K2 can reduce the calcification occlusion in the arteries.

Jesus.

[beansandpeas]

I'm really thinking of getting one of those infra red massage to address all of the tension in my back, arms and even feet. I eat 86per cent chocolate and it does my spirits good. Thanks for all the advice

[ed34]

The oldest form of relaxation is the best one for the cardiovascular system, and it requires no expense, just 30 mins a day. Lay on a comfortable surface, such as your bed, then close your eyes. Take some slow deep breaths and think about somewhere nice. Then go from your forehead right down to your toes, relaxing every muscle as you go. Once all are relaxed, just lay there thinking about your favourite place for about 20 more mins. You wont believe how much the average heart slows down during this procedure and even though it's only a short period of time, it adds years to your life if done every day.

[dazzadoo123]

hi there ed ive seen threw the forum you seem to no alot about heart disease issues ..i wonderd if you could help me out on a recent angio i had and the report as no-body seems to explain it proper to me really ..so if possible would like your advice as i see you have a few stents in the artery i have an issue with ...on my angiogram the findings were...lad has minor irregularity proximally. it is a small calibre vessel,,there is a large calibre diagonal branch and then in the mid lad after this there is a 50-60% stenosis.the lad at this point is between 1.5 and 2.0 mm in diameter ...all other arteries like left main stem .normal.? circumflex looks normal? right coranary artery  normal..ive been discharged from cardio and gp was told to keep eye on my cholestrol ...can you maybe help me out and tell me what it means and in english terms lol please
regards darren ..
thankyou ..

[nikijar]

Hello,
Thanks for the amazing information you are discussing. I come from a family that has had heart issues for generations and generations. This has given me enough motivation to work with patients who suffer from the same problems.
As part of my work, I have to look for new technology to help reduce the time it takes a patient to get diagnosed and start treatment for any heart disease. A
As I was browsing online, I found a very interesting company called SHL, who’s products are some of the most modern I found in the market. They have a device called Smartheart that allows patients to take EKGs at home and send the results to their doctor immediately. Please take a look, as I think it is something very unique.
http://www.shl-telemedicine.com/portfolio/smartheart/
Hope it helps.
Kind regards

[ed34]

Nice device but I don't think it will diagnose people any sooner. The electrical activity is sometimes affected by heart disease, but usually in late stages of development. I had a total block in my LAD, RCA and a 70% blockage in my LCX but my ECG looked normal.
I think the key is education, people need to be made aware of how heart disease can be caused by many factors and what those factors are. It's a shame though, too many people think "I feel fine, it won't happen to me".