The above Lexiscan report mentioned a LV ejection fraction of 71%
I’d like to tell about my history, but only to the extent you wish to know, so I’ve arranged this in time blocks. If you want to skip the life history, just jump to the ‘last twelve months’ near the end.
History: I’m male, 75, 5’8” and muscular 175 lbs, played full scholarship NCAA Div One football, and graduated at Harvard and Stanford, I quit smoking at age 35, and have always been immoderate with alcohol, I’ve played tennis three times weekly until two years ago when my wife of 50 years died suddenly, a year of depression and heavy drinking ensued, then I quit alcohol forever with no physical withdrawal symptoms and found a great psychiatrist. I’ve had HBP in the range of 135/85 for most of my life.
Last twenty years: in 1998, a screening kiosk at Vanderbilt reported my heart calcification at the 99th percentile. I found a cardiologist and she controlled the BP then above 145 and Lipitor 40 mg, and over two years ordered a stress ecg, and thallium stress echo, all normal. My total cholesterol was 230 and the statin brought my LDL to less than 60 and HDL over 40 with low triglycerides. This has been stable since my first Lipitor dose. We moved and I changed cardiologists over time and have had angiograms heart caths four times. The main descending artery was blocked in two places by 60% and two other arteries were blocked 40%. There were no stents the that could span both stenoses. No apparent change has occurred in blockage since the first angiogram.
Last four years: as my base BO is above 155, my drugs have escalated accordingly with carvedilol, losartan, and Norvasc; Four years ago breath shortness led to the placement of a long stent that could span both stenoses in the big artery. Three years ago I was hospitalized for three days with CHF with asymptomatic afib and went on 20 mg Lasix and Pradaxa, blame pointed to the afib and water overconsumption.
The last twelve months: have had severe iron deficiency anemia with hemoglobin dropping from 13+ to a low of 9.2 at that time I suffered two more CHFs, I’m now taking iron and 40 mg Lasix daily, after iron therapy, hemoglobin recovered to 13.7, recently: echo cardiogram during worst of anemia reported ‘diastolic failure’, heart MRI showed thick inelastic ventricular walls, and reduced refilling of ventricles. The anemia started a search for a ‘bleed’. GI doctors found no stomach or large bowel bleeds, next is intestinal scan. The recent Lexiscan stress echo report was to further evaluate my cardiac condition. I feel good, and my emotional state is upbeat. Our sons are independent, successful, super educated, and making offspring.
If this heart condition is unfailingly progressive, I’d like to know. And I’d like to start exercising again, if only to be able to have a normal stress echo, but I’m wondering how much, and if it’s dangerous. The last two CHF stints were two weeks apart, as I the first went away before my upcoming cardio appointment. The last one I feared for my life, struggling for each breath. I do not want to die under conditions having such anxiety.