Cardio Health Assumptions

In your opinion, are these assumptions correct?

A 55-yr. old male, not overweight, was diagnosed with afib a couple of years ago. This individual also has had bad eating patterns for the first 50  years (lots of red meat, junk food, soda, etc.)  He was given a stress test and passed. Passing a stress test means that you have no blockages of the arteries due to build up of plaque, (the stuff that brings on heart attacks) correct?

This individual assumes that he had high cholesterol but do not remember any doctor bringing this up to him in the past.) He has since been diagnosed with high cholesterol and has also completely changed his diet around. His last blood work up was fine in regards to cholesterol. But since he passed the stress test when he was on a horrible diet, he should be OK now since he has changed his diet, correct?

If there is a heart problem, they will manifest themselves usually/almost always when the heart is under stress, like when exercising, correct?  

If there is an impending heart problem, one

[Forum-M.D.-MJM]

Hello,

Passing a stress test means that you have no blockages of the arteries due to build up of plaque, (the stuff that brings on heart attacks) correct?

Not exactly.  Passing a stress test means that there are not flow limiting blockages in the coronary arteries, there still may be coronary artery disease.  In studies, the blockages that lead to ischemia on positive stress test (usually greater than 70% blockages of large coronary vessels) are not the ones that cause heart attackes.  The narrowed arteries typically cause stable chest pain -- chest pain with a known quantity of exercise, like chest with walking or climbing stairs.

But since he passed the stress test when he was on a horrible diet, he should be OK now since he has changed his diet, correct?

Cholesterol is only one component of coronary risk factors -- smoking, exercise/fitness, family history, diabetes, high blood pressure. It is not like people with good cholesterols are protected from coronary disease if they have other risk factors -- it certainly helps, but the it isn't an all or nothing phenomenon.

If there is a heart problem, they will manifest themselves usually/almost always when the heart is under stress, like when exercising, correct?

Sometimes but not always.  Exercise imparts a stress on the heart, but so does stress, anger and emotion.  There is not always a good reason why heart attacks happen.

If there is an impending heart problem, one

[Al Dente]

i hope the docs are helpful.

i'd venture no to all of the above.  generalities get thrown out the window and each issue is patient specific.

good luck!