weight lifting after aortic aneurysm repair

[irvrube]

I train a 70 y/o very active male who likes to work hard, in the gym and on his farm. He had a stent for an aneurysm put in about four months ago and insists on building up to lifting heavy weights wherein he must strain with Valsalva maneuvers. I insist he avoid such intense movements. Any professional feedback on this would be most welcome, esp if some statistics could be provided.
Irv

[irvrube]

thanks. it's just what i needed.

[kenkeith]

This is not the professional forum.  But it is well known that blood pressure should be controlled and that heavy lifting is contraindicated for an aorta aneurism.

QUOTE an authority...it may be more detail than you expect:
"Arterial hypertension is a significant risk factor for late cardiovascular morbidity and mortality after repair of coarctation (obstruction) of the aorta. The commonest causes of late death are ruptured aortic aneurysm, cerebrovascular events (atherosclerotic and hypertensive), coronary artery disease and cardiac failure. While surgical repair usually abolishes the aortic arch gradient, systemic blood pressure often remains abnormal and may increase with time, even in those who became normotensive early after repair.  The mechanisms for these abnormalities of long-term blood pressure regulation remain unclear. Furthermore, treatment in later life may be less effective, as long-term studies have shown persistent hypertension and decreased survival in those who were operated on in adolescence and adulthood.  Residual or recoarctation contributes to hypertension, but abnormalities of the aortic wall, peripheral conduit arteries and resistance vessels, present even after successful repair, may also be important. We have previously demonstrated depressed endothelial and smooth muscle function in the precoarctation vascular bed, in contrast to normal function in the femoral and posterior tibial arteries late after successful repair. These diffuse abnormalities were associated with higher blood pressure during EXERCISE  normal daily life, and suggest an acquired element of vascular dysfunction before coarctation repair. However, the relative contribution and importance of residual gradient and the wider pattern of vascular dysfunction as well as the potential for recovery remain unclear.
We therefore designed a study to evaluate the contribution of mechanical aortic obstruction and vascular function to daytime ambulatory systolic blood pressure. We chose adults with coarctation or recoarctation who were likely to have generalised vascular dysfunction. Residual or recoarctation of the aorta can now be relieved successfully by percutaneous transluminal balloon aortoplasty with or without stent insertion. This presented the opportunity to examine the impact of aortic obstruction and wider vascular wall changes on blood pressure control. The potential for normalisation of function in the different vascular beds, and the relationship with blood pressure, are likely to be important predictors of late cardiovascular morbidity and mortality".

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