CAD

[poppy10]

Is it possible for me to have had coronary artery disease 20 yrs before the first syptoms showed up other than some changes on a EKG.Keeping in mind that my mother died at 39 and two male relatives died in their early 30's and three aunts died in their late 60's from heart disease

[Lutheran122]

Im going for a 2nd opinion in a month or so , will probably go on the tread mill for a nuclear stress test to check blood flow again. Poppy the answer is yes btw and sorry for asking a question about myself in your thread. I think you should error on the side of caution and make sure that you are checked out very well since you have a family history. I have heart disease because I am stupid and didn't care for a long time. Now I eat almost 0 fat and 0 cholesterol foods only , mostly fruit and veggies and beans..I want at the very least a stent or 2. No way will I let them crack open my chest when I can hopefully keep any more progression from happening.

[kenkeith]

I haven't read any hard evidence that CAD can be reversed, however, there are opinions that medication and heart healthy diet and exercise can reverse the condition.  At the very least the regimen can prevent any progression.

You shouldn't ever require a stent if medication can effectively treat any angina you may have. If the little pain is angina it should be treated, as angina indicates there may not be enough oxygenated blood to the heart cells.  That can damage the heart muscle, and sometimes there is ischemia and no pain (that happened to me, and my first symtoms were due to CHF).  

[Lutheran122]

Kenkeith is there a way to turn that soft plaque into not being dangerous? I mean can going on an ornish style diet make your vessels repair itself and or harden that plaque? I ask this because I have turned my diet around in the past 2 months and have gotten my ldl down to 62 or so and my hdl is 43 and trig's are 70. Those numbers are a huge turn around for me but before I started this i did find out I have a 70 percent blockage ( 64 ct scan determined this ) of mostly soft plaque..the dr there said the less fats and cholesterol the better..since i have little pain they are just going to watch it closely instead of putting a stent in..

[kenkeith]

The answer to your question is yes,  Symptoms (angina, shortness of breath, etc.) for CAD happens in the late stage after plaque in the vessels have narrowed the lumen, and there is some obstruction to blood flow.  Stents, bypass and medication treat the symptoms and not the disease!

For those individuals that have a family history, CT scan 64/258 slice is recommended as it views the anatomy of the vessels and not just the lumen.  Soft plaque can and does develop between the inner and outer layer of the vessel.  The soft plaque runs the risk of a heart attack by breaking through the inner lining and forming a clot that can cause a heart attack (higher probability of an MI than blockage) and that is the likely event that happened to your relatives and most sudden deaths for younger people (barring arrhythmia).  If there is a family history of CAD, it is advisable to have a CT scan and to be pro-active and treat.

[Encephalomalcia]

Some people do not have hardly any symptoms of coronary artery disease until the blockage is severe.  Being that you have a strong family history, you should be monitored closely by your cardiologist.  Have you had the echocardiogram and stress test done?  Do you watch your diet closely?  Are you taking any statins now?  A small dose of statin can really help prevent the blockage buildup.  Sometimes all it takes it a very small dose, even smaller than the starting recommended dosage.  When you say that your mother and relatives passed away from heart disease, was it sudden or was there a heart attack?  If it was sudden, it could be related to the electrical system of the heart, which you will want to keep a close eye on for yourself.  There is medication that can help and if needed even a pacemaker/defibrillator later in life.  Usually, people pass away early in life because of not being diagnosed or not having the medication available.  Medication really helps people live a long life.  It is important to have all the blood work done that is needed to find out exactly where you are at and what you can do to prevent any heart damage in the future.