Running after bypass

[RickP]

I am a 45-year old marathon runner.  I ran my last marathon about 2 years ago at an 8:30 pace. After 2 years of decreased performance (I was down to running 3 miles at a 9:30 pace and feeling exhausted--my HR was 176 at this pace) a heart cath detected blockages.  I had quadruple bypass in February.  I began jogging at 7 weeks and have been building back up for 4 weeks now.  My performance seems to be returning to the pre-operation level rather than showing any improvement (I ran 5 miles yesterday at a 10 min pace and my HR was 156.  A 9 min pace puts my HR over 170).  Do you have any data on runners that have undergone bypass or know where I can find some?  My hypothesis is that I should be able to regain some of my fitness of 2 years ago.  My concern is that perhaps some of the grafts didn't take.  Thanks

[geosot]

What about your family history, your blood lipid levels ?

It is unusual for young athletic females to develop CAD.

Certainly CAD is not a matter of lifestyle.

[No Bypass / No Stents]

Why take Atenolol if you don't have rhythm problems?  I think that it's mainly prescribed because it's off patent and is very cheap, it's effective at lowerig BP, and it's proven to reduce a second heart attack in the general population, which is mostly a bunch of couch potatoes.

My motto is no beta blockers, no blood thinners, no nitrates, if you are a physically active person.  All of these substances can help the couch potatoes live a little longer, but they are counterproductive to physically active people.

That depression of heart rate sounds like near syncope, which in my case, was caused by atenolol.  I have a low heart rate to start with and do daily physical exercise and weekend strenous exercise.

If you have a BP problem a better choice might be an ACE inhibitor.

You do have to taper off of a beta blocker, should you choose to dump it.

[Terry Lee]

My dad is the culprit.  He died of heart disease at age 58 but he was diabetic, smoked, was sedentary had bad lipid levels, etc. Only ate meat and potatoes, etc.  My Doc did not even think it was hereditary but I really can't think of any other explanation. I also read that all people are born with some "plaque" in the LAD - that seems to be the norm - but whether you develop the inflamation, etc. seems to be hereditary.  I only wish someone would have suggested a baby aspirin a day to me as they did my brother.

My lipid levels were very good.  In fact the day I returned home from my angioplasty, I had a card from my primary physician to let me know that my numbers were so good, the chance of any heart disease was minimal!

When my Doc did my angioplasty he was blown away.  He was on the phone checking all my tests.  My stress test was excellent as was my thallium scan.   The only thing that bothers me know is I can be monitored since I pass all the tests.

Have you had problems?

Terry

[geosot]

Not really,  but the family history (from father's side) is too bad. Father with MI at 56, triple by-pass at 57, but till today (69 years) he is OK.  
He was a heavy smoker 50-60 a day, with  high cholesterol more than 280 (from his 30s), high blood pressure 150/90 (from his 30s), overweight etc.
All his brothers and sisters with CAD and by-passes (one died from MI at 59).

I had some symptoms in the recent past, during a very stressful time of my life, but these symptoms did not involve chest pain or  agina during exercise or physical exertion, but palpitations, and a feeling of an embedding disaster, during mental stress. My MD thinks that was a form of panic attack, which disappeared since.
A did a series of tests, actually two stress tests and two ECHOs with normal findings. (LAFB, slightly oversized heart and slightly oversized  left ventricle and bradycardia  due to exercise).  

The only think that worries me is the LAFB, although my MD, and my cardiologist are quite sure that is normal variant in my case.
LABF puts me in a slightly greater risk for a pacemaker in the future.

Sorry for the lengthy answer.  Best Regards.

[Terry Lee]

With your family history, I would suggest that you take a baby aspirin a day, one garlic tablet (which is supposed to keep plaques from forming at all - latest study!) and perhaps one B12 and a folic acid.

All of these are supposed to be preventative.  Also make sure that your lipid numbers are REALLY good - I always had what I thought was low cholesterol (about 160) but my Doctor wants it between 120 - 140!

Good luck and hopefully you will never have any heart problems to deal with!

Terry

[barnyard]

I am 51, I had quint bypass 1 1/2 yrs ago. My cholesterol level was good, but doctors said it was genetic.  The problem I face , and I was wondering if others do, is that I can speed walk and jog for 45 minutes on a treadmill on a steady basis, but get pretty winded if I climb two flights of stairs. I do not understand this and was wondering if any one else has experienced the same problem.