Possible Heart Disease

[beeguy]

I am 58 years old and fairly active.  BP is 120/68, resting pulse =55, total cholesterol 181 (40 mg of pravastatin nightly); HDL 55 (ratio is 3.3), Triglycerides - 79mg/dl, and ldl 110 mg/dl
I ride my bike 3x/week about 75-100 miles/week.  No family history with parents, but grandfather died in 1964 of heart attack at age 65 (most likely no medications on board for him).  Had a stress test about 3 years ago that was uneventful.

This weekend I went on a 110 mile ride - 2 days.  First day 55 miles and slept in tent.  Felt some chest pain on left of sternum upon waking in night (due to train going by).  This lasted a couple to a few seconds.  Was sleeping on my left side and dismissed the pain.  On day 2, at about the 35 mile mark we had a steep climb for about one hour (pedaling 4-6 miles per hour).  On about 5 occasions, I felt a slight pain, lasting about a second each in the left quadrant.  I took a deep breath, stretched out my upper torso and continued riding the last 20 miles or so with no further pain or discomfort.  Slept fine and fine the next day.  I do have some soreness from the ride in my upper chest when I stretch my arms in, out or upwards but this is not the same sensation I felt going up the sustained hill.

What do you think and suggest?  Should I continue riding and/or plan additional tours?  What does my risk seem to be?    

[kenkeith]

One can not rule out a chest-pain heart event, but the pain can be the result uncontrolled contraction of the chest muscle.  It can produce intense pain and muscle cramps can develop in any muscle in the body although they most often occur in the calf or foot.

Muscle cramps usually happen while lying in bed or playing sports or exercising. Overuse, injury, muscle strain, or staying in the same position for a long time can produce cramping.

Without knowing the cause one cannot evaluate any risk associated with farther bike riding activity.  It could also be a heart spasm of the coronary vessels, but that wouldn't have a residual effect when stretching the arms....the soreness would better associate with muscle spasm.