Cheery Cardiovascular Disease Thread

[St_Eddie]

I think you should write a letter to the General Medical Council, your MP and the Beano about this horrendous case of lies and betrayal of patient care and ethics.

Oh, please.  I'm not trying to make out that it's an egregious and horrendous betrayal of ethics.  It's not the scandal of the century.  I'm simply saying that it wasn't congruent with the way that one would expect a doctor to behave and by providing their patient with false information, it could, in theory, have potential negative consequences.  That's all.

If you'd care to refute that and make an argument as to why it's a good thing for a doctor to lie to their patient in any circumstance whatsoever, then by all means, go ahead.  Alternatively, you could just post another tiresome meme and be all sarcastic, like.  Choices, choices, choices...

[Mr_Simnock]

Oh, please.  I'm not trying to make out that it's an egregious and horrendous betrayal of ethics.  It's not the scandal of the century.  I'm simply saying that it wasn't congruent with the way that one would expect a doctor to behave and by providing their patient with false information, it could, in theory, have potential negative consequences.  That's all.

If you'd care to refute that and make an argument as to why it's a good thing for a doctor to lie to their patient in any circumstance whatsoever, then by all means, go ahead.  Alternatively, you could just post another tiresome meme and be all sarcastic, like.  Choices, choices, choices...

[Carpool Dragon]

What if Carpool Dragon, not believing that it was "impossible", had gone online to research the validity of that claim, only to be confronted by the reality that it is in fact possible.  That could potentially cause even more stress, not to mention create a mistrust towards doctors in general.

Well that's exactly what happened! Like fuck I know it's unlikely for a fairly healthy woman in her mid-20s to have a random heart attack, but still it's a possibility. Especially when heart problems run in my family, a fact he never bothered to ask me.
But reading hummingofevil's post, I should investigate the GERD thing, I have heartburn all the time.

[Bence Fekete]

I've been down this rabbit-hole lately and found there seems to be a reasonable amount of flux going on in medical science over whether they've actually been wrong for decades and cholesterol isn't such a great marker after all.  My amateur understanding is that most heart-disease could just be another form/off-shoot of diabetes, and that it's all the carbs, grains and refined sugars that are over-burdening the liver (all these carbs convert to sugars, I didn't know that) and creating insulin resistance with all the mayhem that comes with that.   

I've had good health results from eating a low-carb diet myself, full of meat and fats.  An ancestral diet.  And it makes allot of sense when you contextualise the rise in obesity, diabetes, heart disease to the modern era - where we've suddenly been exposed to ubiquitous sugars and grains - that something we technically don't need in our diet for any good reason would cause all this grief.

Anyway, a couple of youtube links:

York Cardiology - heart doctor with lots of detailed videos on different heart palpitations and what they could mean. Really helped put my mind at rest when I was 10 minutes from phoning an ambulance.

Ivor Cummings - has plenty of informative chats/lectures about what I was discussing above. 

[Mr_Simnock]

Well that's exactly what happened! Like fuck I know it's unlikely for a fairly healthy woman in her mid-20s to have a random heart attack, but still it's a possibility. Especially when heart problems run in my family, a fact he never bothered to ask me.
But reading hummingofevil's post, I should investigate the GERD thing, I have heartburn all the time.

Just about all families have at least one member who has had heart/circulatory issues and you can talk can't you? You don't have to wait till the GP asks you a question before you tell them something that might be important.

[hummingofevil]

FWIW I have recently been eating a low-carb diet. I am trying not to go down the full keto route as I don't like the idea of chugging pints-o-cream but I have to admit that it feels really good.

Being a meat eater I can get away with eggs for breakfast, chicken and/or tuna for lunch and steak or fish or something for tea. I replace the bread/pasta/potatoes with loads of veg and I must admit i have loads more energy (I have been a very sleepy person for my entire adult life) and my blood pressure has gone from a bit dodgy to okay.

My girlfriend is veggie and has done the same but tends to eat veg protein where I eat fats but despite her fucking moaning at me constantly for starving her to death by feeding her high-calorie food that just happens to not be the pizza, chips and prosecco diet she has basically lived off for 20 years she has dropped half a stone and is eating like a king.

I have kicked off on here previously about keto but I am at least intrigued but the concept. I'm starting to be convinced by the idea that refined carbs are the problem for a lot of things but its hard to find the scientific evidence to back it up (all the cunts who used to live on a diet of lard died young from the tabs so its hard to find a control).

I have become quite obsessed with all things Japanese lately and before I went low-carb was eating loads of homemade Japanese food. Conversely to everything I have written above the main thing I noticed was how a hidden away in their diet is loads of salt and sugar and refined foods but none of their food is JUST that. The Japanese don't eat toast. Look up the ingredients to their sauces and its all shite but they eat them with loads of seafood, meat, fermented/pickled foods and carbs. They also love the hard liquor. It all suggests that the secret to good health is eating loads of the RIGHT foods even if you eat plenty of the wrong ones.

[hummingofevil]

Well that's exactly what happened! Like fuck I know it's unlikely for a fairly healthy woman in her mid-20s to have a random heart attack, but still it's a possibility. Especially when heart problems run in my family, a fact he never bothered to ask me.
But reading hummingofevil's post, I should investigate the GERD thing, I have heartburn all the time.

Just noticed this. Yes. Go to your doc and tell them everything. Suggest going for a "upstairs" endoscope if you worried about Barrett's. They will put you on Omeprazole and see if it is helps and eat loads of veg. Omeprazole is basically a lifetime prescription but don't worry about that as if you need it you need it. My grandparents are both on it for similar issues and those cunts are in their 90s. :)

[BlodwynPig]

Just noticed this. Yes. Go to your doc and tell them everything. Suggest going for a "upstairs" endoscope if you worried about Barrett's. They will put you on Omeprazole and see if it is helps and eat loads of veg. Omeprazole is basically a lifetime prescription but don't worry about that as if you need it you need it. My grandparents are both on it for similar issues and those cunts are in their 90s. :)

How long can you go without one - I'm rationing as I won't be able to get a new box sent over to Canada before I leave back to the UK, so taking one every two days...feel the acid now, though, so 48 hours is the max.

[Dr Sanchez]

A few months ago out of nowhere I started to get numbness in my face and lips. I also experienced light heads and dizziness even while sitting. I didn't mention it to my girlfriend because I'm a closeted fool that thinks things will just go away.

I experienced what I thought was a minor heart attack at home a few days later but didn't tell anyone. The symptoms got worse but I carried on with life in this blur of worry.

I was in a cafe with a friend and I just couldn't concentrate on what he was saying. He kept asking me if I was okay. Then I felt a heart palpitation and everything went to fuck. I felt like I was dying and couldn't catch my breath, my heart was beating out of my chest. I stumbled out of the cafe and tried to walk it off but it got worse. He called an ambulance, they got me in the van and ran their tests and told me I was fine but I insisted that they take me to the hospital because my heart done in.

I had an ecg and all kinds of blood tests done but they were fine. I couldn't get my head around it. A doctor spoke to me and asked about my life. I told him pretty much everything and included that my mother died three years ago.

He told me that it was anxiety and it stemmed from my mother's passing.  "ME! I'm not that guy. I don't have mental health issues" is pretty much what I said to him.

I'm only just starting to believe him because anytime I get a symptom now I don't dwell on it which in turn stops the avalanche of anxiety that builds up and leads to an attack.

It's made me far more aware of how mental health can really fuck anyone up.

[hummingofevil]

How long can you go without one - I'm rationing as I won't be able to get a new box sent over to Canada before I leave back to the UK, so taking one every two days...feel the acid now, though, so 48 hours is the max.

I've not really thought about that. Every now and again I double up but I just do my 20 mg a day every day. It's been licensed for over the counter sales over here (#10 for a 7 tablets) now which I find very troubling as if you take it and it works then in my experience it shouldn't be used as a temporary thing but I suppose if I was really healthy and not drinking 10mg a day could be a precaustionary dose. 20mg a day seems to be the norm though and I would feel a bit off taking less.

If you've been prescribed 20mg and taking less then I would suggest you try make sure you take that.

In the occasions I've run out I've found that the hearburn kicks in after three days but you don't want to be doing that.

When you coming back home? How much are they in Canada?

[hummingofevil]

Sorry for all the typos. I'm not a fucking idiot I just type like one.

[a duncandisorderly]

omeprazole sold over the counter in madrid is about a fiver for 28 x 20mg. I've got used to them now- initially had a bad reaction- & they're helping.

[Blue Jam]

Appropriate Google doodle today...

[Blue Jam]

Just been back to my GP to discuss my test results. ECG was perfectly normal, blood tests show my cholesterol is 5.2 mmol/l so 0.2 above normal- nothing to worry about though. Been told that losing a couple of kilos will probably sort it out.

My iron levels are also a bit low. Better eat more red meat then... oh...

AAAARRGHHH

Liver function is normal though, going to have a pint to celebrate...

...and then eat a fuckload of spinach...

[a duncandisorderly]

going to have a pint to celebrate...

...and then eat a fuckload of spinach...

fuck the spinach, have guinness.

[BlodwynPig]

Just been back to my GP to discuss my test results. ECG was perfectly normal, blood tests show my cholesterol is 5.2 mmol/l so 0.2 above normal- nothing to worry about though. Been told that losing a couple of kilos will probably sort it out.

My iron levels are also a bit low. Better eat more red meat then... oh...

AAAARRGHHH

Liver function is normal though, going to have a pint to celebrate...

...and then eat a fuckload of spinach...

Good stuff Blue Jam. I got HEART PERFECTLY CLEAR results last week. Cholesterol also well inside ranges.

Im back in uk if you want to come down for a cab snooker mini-meet. Dunno if pancreas knows how to hold cues, mind.

[Norton Canes]

Played Tuesday Night Football a couple of weeks ago, played up front instead of in defence as usual so more running about than normal, everything OK until about midday the next day at work started getting chest pains, tried to ignore them but by an hour they were making it difficult to breathe. Thought OK better get this seen to, set off for the medical centre and on the way breathing got even harder and at one point I thought I might collapse on the spot, anyway it all subsided once I booked in of course; they taped me up for an ECG and the GP said look this could be all sorts of things, I told them about football the previous night and he said "Oh, well it's probably this thing where your sternum gets sore where all the gristly bits connect to your ribs, that's all" and do you know he was right, because a couple of days later a bruise came up there, I must have been elbowed in the chest and shrugged it off with my characteristic macho aplomb.

So, yeah. All pretty much OK. But sore gristly bits.

[Small Man Big Horse]

Just been back to my GP to discuss my test results. ECG was perfectly normal, blood tests show my cholesterol is 5.2 mmol/l so 0.2 above normal- nothing to worry about though. Been told that losing a couple of kilos will probably sort it out.

My iron levels are also a bit low. Better eat more red meat then... oh...

AAAARRGHHH

Liver function is normal though, going to have a pint to celebrate...

...and then eat a fuckload of spinach...

Played Tuesday Night Football a couple of weeks ago, played up front instead of in defence as usual so more running about than normal, everything OK until about midday the next day at work started getting chest pains, tried to ignore them but by an hour they were making it difficult to breathe. Thought OK better get this seen to, set off for the medical centre and on the way breathing got even harder and at one point I thought I might collapse on the spot, anyway it all subsided once I booked in of course; they taped me up for an ECG and the GP said look this could be all sorts of things, I told them about football the previous night and he said "Oh, well it's probably this thing where your sternum gets sore where all the gristly bits connect to your ribs, that's all" and do you know he was right, because a couple of days later a bruise came up there, I must have been elbowed in the chest and shrugged it off with my characteristic macho aplomb.

So, yeah. All pretty much OK. But sore gristly bits.

I'm glad to hear that neither of you are dying, on a purely selfish basis it would have ruined my evening if you had been.

[Glebe]

Yes, good health, lads.

[Mr_Simnock]

Good stuff Blue Jam. I got HEART PERFECTLY CLEAR results last week. Cholesterol also well inside ranges.

Im back in uk if you want to come down for a cab snooker mini-meet. Dunno if pancreas knows how to hold cues, mind.

That lad has chalked a few tips in his time I can tell you. He has 'gripped the shaft', 'sunk a tight brown', 'played off three cushions' and 'spread the balls around the baize' more than any of us

[bgmnts]

I had a check 2 years ago and despite being a fat cunt since forever, I had perfectly fine vitals. How the fuck does that work?I feel on the outside, the malaise you know (like your body is used to being shite and broken), and in my lungs and shit but how do you know your ticker is fucked? You'd think thats the one part of your body that would start screaming for help quick.

[Blue Jam]

As part of an attempt to get healthy I got a smoothie maker last year and have been drinking home-made smoothies for breakfast most mornings. They seem pretty healthy as I make them with frozen fruit and vegan plant-based cholesterol-free "milk", with no added sugar and a decent amount of oat bran chucked in for added texture/digestive health. Also a bit of almond butter for added protein and flavour, but just a tiny amount, and it's still plant-based and cholesterol-free.

Went to the dentist this morning: "You've got a bit of acid erosion- do you eat a lot of fruit?"

AAAAAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHHH. WHAT IS POINT, HEALTH?

Been told I can still enjoy my healthy smoothies if I drink them through a straw, so all I have to do to save my teeth and my health is destroy the planet.

[GMTV]

Fuck it, get a few preemptive stents bunged in.

[NoSleep]

As part of an attempt to get healthy I got a smoothie maker last year and have been drinking home-made smoothies for breakfast most mornings. They seem pretty healthy as I make them with frozen fruit and vegan plant-based cholesterol-free "milk", with no added sugar and a decent amount of oat bran chucked in for added texture/digestive health.

Went to the dentist this morning: "You've got a bit of acid erosion- do you eat a lot of fruit?"

AAAAAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHHH. WHAT IS POINT, HEALTH?

Been told I can still enjoy my healthy smoothies if I drink them through a straw, so all I have to do to save my teeth and my health is destroy the planet.

Drink your smoothies through a straw, simple. EDIT: didn't read to the end.

EDIT: There are environmentally friendly reusable straws made from a variety of materials.

[Blue Jam]

I picked up some non-planet-destroying paper straws earlier, though I'd prefer a reusable plastic one, maybe a curly one with some glitter and a little plastic animal perched on it. I shall look for one later.

I also got some expensive Sensodyne Pronamel toothpaste, on my dentist's advice. It is the best-tasting toothpaste, to be fair.

Blood is slightly alkaline, isn't it? If I'd just made my smoothies out of lean red meat I'd have been alright.

[Blue Jam]

Good stuff Blue Jam. I got HEART PERFECTLY CLEAR results last week. Cholesterol also well inside ranges.

Im back in uk if you want to come down for a cab snooker mini-meet. Dunno if pancreas knows how to hold cues, mind.

I am glad to hear you don't have an achey-breaky heart, Blodders. I am also glad you are back where the good ol' NHS can keep an eye on your ticker.

I shall talk to Mr Jam about a snooker meet, we may have an excuse to visit the Toon soon. Like I said, snooker is great exercise so we should probably play more of it.

[Blue Jam]

Fuck it, get a few preemptive stents bunged in.

Bit busy for that right now, how about I just shove one of those paper straws along an artery until it reaches my heart? That should do the trick, right?

I might also get one of these and keep it plugged in in the spare room until I need it:

https://youtu.be/GeLNkeaNM04

WARNING: Don't watch if you're squeamish... and even if you're not, this is really quite creepy.

[Dr Sanchez]

https://youtu.be/GeLNkeaNM04

WARNING: Don't watch if you're squeamish... and even if you're not, this is really quite creepy.

It's only a matter of time until they start transplanting brains.

I have nothing to back that statement up with but I just know it to be true.

[Blue Jam]

It's only a matter of time until they start transplanting brains.

I have nothing to back that statement up with but I just know it to be true.

As well as a heart-in-a-box, Transmedics now also do a lung-in-a-box- again, don't click if you're squeamish:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jC24XEhjuMs

I'll let someone else make the very obvious Andy Samberg/Justin Timberlake joke...