question re: cardiac stent

[CA_POPPY]

Night before last, our nephew, age 47, smoker, not overweight, was taken to the hospital with weakness and profound sweating. A cardiac blockage was diagnosed from a scan and yesterday, the procedure was "done." Except that when they got to where the blockage was supposed to be, there was none! What? How could that be? They sent him home last night, telling the nephew that he obviously has to give up smoking. Has anybody heard of such an experience?

[mr__ed]

covetsthesun wrote:
DH had a heart attack in 01 after eating fettucini alfredo for 3 days in a row.

There's a reason food like that is called heart attack on a plate. He had two stents put in and the cardiologist said eat WALNUTS after each meal with lots of fat in it. The walnuts relax the arteries and help escort cholesterol out of the blood system. cts

That's what I do. Every day I munch on a combination of walnuts, almonds and raisins (unsalted, of course). I do a lot of reading on health matters and everyone is in agreement that nuts (particularly walnuts) are high in the beneficial fats and good for the heart. Of course, too much of a good thing is not good and too many nuts can contribute to weight gain. About a handful is supposed to be enough But I sometimes overdo it, just a little bit...:)

[Irover]

I had three stents and an angioplasty done on a smaller artery. Had 95%; two blockages on the Left outside descending artery and 85% on the right coronary artery. I now have no wall motion from the front mid-wall down to the bottom where the ventricles are. I have Congestive heart failure; Ischemia and high lipid count. Caused mostly from cigarettes. Yes the heart attack was the wake-up call and haven't smoked one since March 30th 2012. I smoked since 1963; quit about four times before so I smoked for about 45 yrs.
I am very fortunate to be alive today to even discuss this and i hope your nephew the most success. It was not easy; but it is worth it.

[CA_POPPY]

I am still wayne_tw wrote:

Unless anyone who is responding is a physician, all comments are anecdotal, including mine.
Smoking is a killer. Not only the obvious cancer risk, but the less obvious cardio-vascular risk.
Your nephew continues to smoke and kills himself, or stops smoking and allows his body to start healing.

Understood. DH and I don't smoke and neither have our kids, probably mostly because of allergies, we couldn't tolerate it. The branch of the family tree that lives in the Deep South is another story. Those relatives in our kids' generation eat too much and smoke, many are diabetic, a bunch of them are already gone. Just sad. The 40's ought to be a good time of life.

[Go_Dogs]

Lot's of people associate cigarette smoking with lung disease. While this is true, nicotine causes other deadly diseases. Pancreatic, bladder, oral, esophageal cancers. Heart disease is a biggy, that many people don't think of as being caused by smoking. Nicotine is a powerful vaso-constrictor. It causes the coronary arteries to constrict. That will slow the blood flow, just as if you stepped on a garden hose. If you have atherosclerotic deposits,(very common with a Western Diet)there is more 'stuff' to block the artery. If the blood is stopped from getting to the heart-the tissue dies.
As an RN, and a cancer patient-if someone told me there would have been something that I could have done to prevent this disease- you better believe I would have done it. My cancer was caused by genetic factors, so other than choosing different parents.....
It's kind of a no-brainer to me. Take care of your body, you only get one.

[Turbo_Diesel_Du]

I smoked 3 1/2 packs per day for 37 years and quit cold turkey. Five years later had a massive heart attack where only an angioplasty was performed all they could do. Blood pressure was next to zero and a pulse was 12. Had a smaller about five years ago where a small artery up and in the back of my heart had a small blockage. Treated with Plavix for a year and Metronol (still on)

[I_am_still_wayn]

CA POPPY wrote:
Night before last, our nephew, age 47, smoker, not overweight, was taken to the hospital with weakness and profound sweating. A cardiac blockage was diagnosed from a scan and yesterday, the procedure was "done." Except that when they got to where the blockage was supposed to be, there was none! What? How could that be? They sent him home last night, telling the nephew that he obviously has to give up smoking. Has anybody heard of such an experience?

Unless anyone who is responding is a physician, all comments are anecdotal, including mine.

Smoking is a killer. Not only the obvious cancer risk, but the less obvious cardio-vascular risk.

Your nephew continues to smoke and kills himself, or stops smoking and allows his body to start healing.

[covetsthesun]

DH had a heart attack in 01 after eating fettucini alfredo for 3 days in a row.

There's a reason food like that is called heart attack on a plate. He had two stents put in and the cardiologist said eat WALNUTS after each meal with lots of fat in it. The walnuts relax the arteries and help escort cholesterol out of the blood system.

Better still... lose the high fat meals... and definitely quit smoking.

DH had quit smoking years BEFORE the heart attack. YEARS before! But he continued to eat junk. He was also a jogger. Had he gone out for his run that morning he would not have made it back home.

So...while quitting smoking is mandatory... it is not enough. It is a step in the right direction. And getting checked out thoroughly by a very good cardiologist is a must.

DH got the message loud and clear and has cleaned up his diet and is a poster boy for heart healthy lifestyle. His last visit a few years ago...the cardiologist said "if you didn't have two stents...and If I didn't KNOW you'd had a heart attack... I would say there is no evidence of heart disease".

Hope it all works out for you and yours.

cts

[TucsonJim]

I've had nine heart procedures over the years, including stents. However, one time, I experienced the symptoms of a heart attack, but when they did the angiogram, the blockage went away. I was diagnosed with a "coronary artery spasm". Do a google search on it, and you'll find out how serious they can be, even fatal if not taken care of. Mine was caused by an electrolyte imbalance, but smoking can also cause them. I'm not a doctor, and in no way can you be certain it was a coronary artery spasm, but if it was, it's serious and he needs to take control of his health.

[CA_POPPY]

You people have made a Public Service Announcement today, Thank you! I've never heard this precise explanation in one of those little medical bits they put on the NEWS. Thank you for the vivid mental pictures. They may just save someone.

[emzee]

I sure hope this has given him the will to stop smoking. Glad he is ok.

[USARMYCW]

liveneasy wrote:

wildtoad wrote:

Unfortunately, some of the same symptoms can occur with eating an extra hot plate of Buffalo Wings.

x2
... and it scares the H E double hockey sticks out of you every time..!!

CT scans, stress tests, EKG's, X-rays and Blood tests are all great diagnostic tools but when it comes to actual artery blockages, the heart cath is the definitive word... and it sure beats the heck out of cracking the chest for a look-see.

Good luck to him.

The last part of Feb. I checked into the ER with chest pains. They kept me for three days and did every test except the heart cath and said I had no heart problems and that my pain was most likely the result of a muscle spasm.

I checked with another cardio Doc and he did a heart cath and found 95% blockage on the right side. Put a stent in.

So, the only way to tell if there is blockage is to do the heart cath.

[Cat_Lady]

Have a heart attack...you'd be surprised how quickly you can stop smoking cold turkey. Completely killed my cravings for a cigarette and I had smoked for over 30 years and was up to 4 packs. Yeah, I was a real dummy. Could probably have bought a really nice coach with what I spent over the years. Live and learn...die and forget it all, lol.

[CA_POPPY]

Very interesting! Thanks, all! I never heard of such a thing. It's going to be hard for him to quit smoking, unless his wife does the same, but it's now or never. Thanks for the info, it's amazing what we can learn here.

[Go_Dogs]

Sounds as if he had a 'cardiac spasm'. He's lucky and if he was smart, he would follow-up with a cardiologist. Absolutely stop using nicotine. Get cholesterol under control.
Nicotine is a cardiac constrictor. It makes the vessels squeeze tight. If there are cholesterol plaques inside the vessels, it all gets squished together, and blood flow is slowed/stopped. Nephew was lucky and the vessels opened up, before he had real trouble.
He should take it as a serious wake-up call.