Heart Check Up?

[DogFox123 1,379]

My mum is in hospital after suffering a heart attack, she's only 57 which is a bit young. Her Dad died at 59 with a heart attack, he was as fit as a fiddle and only a few weeks prior to his death he had his leg broke in an accident. My Grandmother always said it was something to do with the broken leg that caused his fatal coronary but now I'm not so sure.

 

I'm 31, although I'm in decent shape I must admit I've abused my body over the years taking illegal substances that are harmful to the heart as well as legal ones that are just as damaging. I've had a few funny spells over the years aswell as chest pain on occasions. I've been told that if there's a chance these heart problems are hereditary I'm in entitled to a heart check up, does anyone know if this is true?

Edited July 7, 2016 by DogFox123

[darbo 4,779]

Just go to your gp with your concerns and ask im sure he/she will sort things for you. im 52 and had chest pain for the first time mon morn went the docs and he sent me for a ecg in the afternoon which took a couple of minutes. Told me i was good to go and the results will be forwarded on in 7-10 days to my gp.Ps i hope your mum is ok.

Edited July 7, 2016 by darbo

[DogFox123 1,379]

Just go to your gp with your concerns and ask im sure he/she will sort things for you. im 52 and had chest pain for the first time mon morn went the docs and he sent me for a ecg in the afternoon which took a couple of minutes. Told me i was good to go and the results will be forwarded on in 7-10 days to my gp.Ps i hope your mum is ok.

That's the thing, I don't think an ECG will detect everything and can be misinterpreted easily. I want the full MOT on the ticker but I doubt I would get one.

[mushroom 14,247]

Get it checked.

 

I've had a holte 3 times, been told I do and I don't need a pacemaker and had god knows how many other tests that beep and shriek... apparently mine is fine but they fuuckers don't half scare you. Still best to check and keep checking periodically

[onion jonny 527]

i had a heart attack in fact i had five heart attacks at 52, was out with the terriers on the sunday on the weds morn was at work and took a crushing pain in the middle of my chest and pain in my shoulders at the top was taken to hospital where over the next four days i had another four attacks was kept in till they did an angiagram what showed i needed a triple by- pass which was done within days of the angigram six days after the op i was out and four months later i was out doing some cubbing work, the only thing i had noticed before the attack was a little bit shortness of breath that i put down to getting older, now ten year later i have angina but its managed by tablets.

[Blackbriar 8,569]

I'll add my voice to the "get it checked" brigade.....

 

I had a heart attack at 45, having ignored chest pains on two or three occasions in the years before. My wife escorted me to the doctor and made me get a referral for tests....of course, being a bloke, I didn't go.

 

Couple of months later, I collapsed in a heap, gripped by a pain that I will never forget as long as I live. The upshot was having stents fitted, narrowly escaping bypass surgery and a handful of tablets for the rest of my life.

 

I'm still here (of course) but the after-effects have got worse, as I've got older.....I get out of breath a lot easier, and I get tired very quickly......I get angina very rarely, but any tiny twinge frightens the bejeezus out of me !

 

Get it checked before its too late, mate......

[Blackbriar 8,569]

 

Just go to your gp with your concerns and ask im sure he/she will sort things for you. im 52 and had chest pain for the first time mon morn went the docs and he sent me for a ecg in the afternoon which took a couple of minutes. Told me i was good to go and the results will be forwarded on in 7-10 days to my gp.Ps i hope your mum is ok.

That's the thing, I don't think an ECG will detect everything and can be misinterpreted easily. I want the full MOT on the ticker but I doubt I would get one.

I think, given your family history, they would send you for cardiac stress tests on an inclined treadmill. They can also take various blood samples for cardiac enzymes and tropinine levels, which give a good indication of any heart damage.

[Jonjon79 13,358]

Yep, definitely get it checked. Whatever the outcome, it's better than being dead.

 

Atb.

[Lid 194]

A treadmill test is very effective to diagnose cardiac problems. I had a significantly blocked LAD (left anterior descending) artery at 44 and I had been walking a round with symptoms for 6 months without realising what it was. The ECG thought I'd already had a heart attack! However 6 months after stent number 1 and it was back to normal, so I was re-diagnosed as severe unstable angina.

Definitely get it done, I had friends who have died at similar ages from heart attacks. Here's a picture of my plaque. (A blockage like that in the LAD is known as the widow maker) :

 

[tb25 4,627]

Great topic to bring my anxiety on brrr

[DogFox123 1,379]

A treadmill test is very effective to diagnose cardiac problems. I had a significantly blocked LAD (left anterior descending) artery at 44 and I had been walking a round with symptoms for 6 months without realising what it was. The ECG thought I'd already had a heart attack! However 6 months after stent number 1 and it was back to normal, so I was re-diagnosed as severe unstable angina.

 

Definitely get it done, I had friends who have died at similar ages from heart attacks. Here's a picture of my plaque. (A blockage like that in the LAD is known as the widow maker) :

 

My mum had a 100% blockage in her left circumflex artery, the scan has shown minor damage to her heart after her attack. They have just discovered she has diabetes which could have contributed massively to her attack which makes me feel a little better about it being hereditary.

 

I think the best bet for me is to go to the doctors complaining of the symptoms of heart trouble and once there telling them about my Mum and Grandad. I want the full works, blood pressure, cholesterol, blood test, stress test, ecg etc.....

 

You are a lucky boy, you were literally a dead man walking. If you'd not detected one day you'd have dropped dead on the spot. She had a stent fitted but I've told her don't think this is a cure. It doesn't stop further clogging of the same artery in the future, drastic changes to her lifestyle are needed asap.

Edited July 7, 2016 by DogFox123

[DogFox123 1,379]

Great topic to bring my anxiety on brrr

Don't worry mate I know how that feels, I've felt all along somethings been wrong with my heart but always been told it's anxiety. I've had massive anxiety attacks and you know how bad they are.

[Lid 194]

 

A treadmill test is very effective to diagnose cardiac problems. I had a significantly blocked LAD (left anterior descending) artery at 44 and I had been walking a round with symptoms for 6 months without realising what it was. The ECG thought I'd already had a heart attack! However 6 months after stent number 1 and it was back to normal, so I was re-diagnosed as severe unstable angina.

 

Definitely get it done, I had friends who have died at similar ages from heart attacks. Here's a picture of my plaque. (A blockage like that in the LAD is known as the widow maker) :

 

My mum had a 100% blockage in her left circumflex artery, the scan has shown minor damage to her heart after her attack. They have just discovered she has diabetes which could have contributed massively to her attack which makes me feel a little better about it being hereditary.

 

I think the best bet for me is to go to the doctors complaining of the symptoms of heart trouble and once there telling them about my Mum and Grandad. I want the full works, blood pressure, cholesterol, blood test, stress test, ecg etc.....

 

You are a lucky boy, you were literally a dead man walking. If you'd not detected one day you'd have dropped dead on the spot. She had a stent fitted but I've told her don't think this is a cure. It doesn't stop further clogging of the same artery in the future, drastic changes to her lifestyle are needed asap.

 

 

Yeah I surely know it now! Funny thing is I didn't have any of the risk factors - bp and heart rate were relatively low, cholesterol was and is not high, no diabetes, no family history, weight OK, non smoker, etc.

 

Good luck and I hope you are OK. I should add another little story. Not long after my repair. my daughter's headmaster mentioned a few minor symptoms. We told him to see his GP, who said he was fine, but he insisted on being referred. He ended up having a quintuple bypass (ie I think they worked on some side branches too).

[tb25 4,627]

 

Great topic to bring my anxiety on brrr

Don't worry mate I know how that feels, I've felt all along somethings been wrong with my heart but always been told it's anxiety. I've had massive anxiety attacks and you know how bad they are.

haven't been to bad tbh since being back in work..good to keep busy.

[DogFox123 1,379]

 

 

A treadmill test is very effective to diagnose cardiac problems. I had a significantly blocked LAD (left anterior descending) artery at 44 and I had been walking a round with symptoms for 6 months without realising what it was. The ECG thought I'd already had a heart attack! However 6 months after stent number 1 and it was back to normal, so I was re-diagnosed as severe unstable angina.

Definitely get it done, I had friends who have died at similar ages from heart attacks. Here's a picture of my plaque. (A blockage like that in the LAD is known as the widow maker) :

 

My mum had a 100% blockage in her left circumflex artery, the scan has shown minor damage to her heart after her attack. They have just discovered she has diabetes which could have contributed massively to her attack which makes me feel a little better about it being hereditary.

I think the best bet for me is to go to the doctors complaining of the symptoms of heart trouble and once there telling them about my Mum and Grandad. I want the full works, blood pressure, cholesterol, blood test, stress test, ecg etc.....

You are a lucky boy, you were literally a dead man walking. If you'd not detected one day you'd have dropped dead on the spot. She had a stent fitted but I've told her don't think this is a cure. It doesn't stop further clogging of the same artery in the future, drastic changes to her lifestyle are needed asap.

Yeah I surely know it now! Funny thing is I didn't have any of the risk factors - bp and heart rate were relatively low, cholesterol was and is not high, no diabetes, no family history, weight OK, non smoker, etc.

Good luck and I hope you are OK. I should add another little story. Not long after my repair. my daughter's headmaster mentioned a few minor symptoms. We told him to see his GP, who said he was fine, but he insisted on being referred. He ended up having a quintuple bypass (ie I think they worked on some side branches too).

What made you go to the doctors then and how did they discover it? With everything reading ok what made them take further action?