Heart Disease Risk :: Cholesterol - Good Vs Bad Cholesterol

I had a general health check at doctors yesterday. Am a 41 year old male and am taking co-codamol painkillers and amitriptyline on regular basis for back/nerve pain. Try to be physically active when I can but have real issues with my back and legs that limits anything too physical or for any length of time, but in general I manage at least 30 mins of some kind of physical activity each day. My diet isn't brilliant but it isn't terrible either (can be improved I'm sure).

6ft tall, waist measured yesterday at 38" and I'm just under 80 kg in weight.

My health check said my blood pressure was good, and that my pulse was nice and steady but also that my good cholesterol was above average (over 1.5) but that my bad cholesterol was not where it needs to be at 7.2.

The bad reading has freaked me out a bit. I've never had a cholesterol test before so cannot compare reading to a historic level but nurse has requested me to have a further blood test and probably a chat with doctor.

So, question is does having an above average level of good cholesterol and good blood pressure help manage the higher levels of bad cholesterol? My overall risk of having some kind of cardiac issue in next ten years came out at 1.49% which seems fairly low, but I forgot to ask how low you can get this % ie a risk of 0.01%?

I can try to up my physical activity a little bit but how dramatic would you change your diet based on above? I have lost two relatives to heart disease on my father's side of family (his sister and his father) but both parents appear to be fine although not aware they have ever had their own cholesterol tested.

I'm going to try and lose a few kg in weight which I'm sure will help but any advice in how to better manage my bad cholesterol appreciated.

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Osteoporosis Relation To Parathyroid Disease?

I have general query regarding parathyroid disease in the context of women with 50+ years of age. Is osteoporosis a symptom of this kind of disease ? Or, does it need to be both vitamin-D3 & Ca to be high in Blood too ? For example, if x-ray shows osteoporosis & also vitamin-D3 (25 OH) is too low (i.e. < 15), can we simply rule out parathyroid disease here ? Or, to be sure, we need to test serum Ca as well ?

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Heart :: Stress Test - Increased Workload And And Circulation Problem

My doctor's office called and told me I need to see a cardiologist. My doctor not sure what it showed , maybe normal but wants cardiologist to tell us .. Result was " may have problem with circulations with increase workload " not sure what this means,, have appt sept 10.. I had no chest pains with the test, I was just out of shape and winded.. But completed whole treadmill test..

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Heart Disease :: High Blood Pressure / Slow Heart Rate

I have a heart rate most of the time from 42 to 50 BPM , my blood pressure is usually 145 to 160 over 75 to 80.  My cardiologist has me taking  75 mg, of Lopressor, 360 mg, of verapamil, .4 mg nitroglycerin  patch. And now he wants to add 10 mg of Ramipril ( Altace ) a day, my recent cardiograms have have shown sinus bradycardia. That's before starting the Ramipril , I'm just very leary about starting the Ramipril in first of all the highest dose there is, and second of all it could further lower my heart rate and send my heart into an AV Block that could lead to many things not good !

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Depression :: Nortriptyline - Increased Heart Rate, High Blood Pressure

Has anyone taken nortriptyline a period of time and decided to stop taking it due to it's side effects with success? The side effects I'm experiencing are increased heart rate, high blood pressure, hair thinning/loss and muscle twitchings/spasms.

Brief story about me: I was never a headache person or a migraineur. I only got these headaches after a lumbar puncture 7 months ago. Needless to say, it has changed my life as I am having headaches 50-100 times a day. I'm currently taking 10-20 mg nortriptyline to keep the intensity down, but the side effects is giving me a lot of problems (increased heart rate and hair thinning/loss are my biggest problems). I'd like to hear from anyone who has a similar story to mine.

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Menopause :: Anxiety Causing Heart Palpitations And Increased Blood Pressure

My anxiety has been terrible since peri menopause started about 8 years ago.I am 46 now and the heart palpitations and increased blood pressure is getting to me. I had blood work,had a holiter monitor test for 48 hours and the results were normal.My anxiety is horrible which in turn makes everything else go up, can this really be normal?

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Heart Disease :: Amphetamine Addict - Possible Heart Attack?

I'm going to be completely honest and as thorough as possible, I'm an addict, and I've had an addiction to stimulants for the last year and a half (consisting of about 95% amphetamine usage, never used methamphetamine). I usually keep my doses anywhere around 10-60mg cause I never wanted to over do it. Unfortunately, last week I dove in deep to my addiction due to a recent break up, about 4 days ago I did around 130 mg spread out through the day, I felt fine until I took my very last dose (30 mg about), at that point it only increased negative side effects.

After a while of feeling odd and stuff, I began to have trouble breathing and chest pains (I can't remember which started first), it kind of felt like they coincided, but I still would get very minor and infrequent pain without breathing, it felt like I couldn't take a full breath of air, and when I did the chest pain would kick in (more), it felt like a tightening pain. My left arm soon became somewhat numb and tingly, not numb like when you accidentally sleep on it, but just a little numbing that felt like it stretched down my arm through a single vein, the numbness was generally more intense under my armpit and bicep area, and would intensify when I rubbed certain areas. I had a very sore/stiff neck, especially around the area between my shoulder blades and neck, it wasn't on one side, it was mostly in the middle (my neck and back are still sore after this experience, as well as the tingling sensation in my arm but its not at all that bad, and it comes and goes). I had anxiety during this event, and I felt like when people would talk to me I wasn't truly comprehending what they would say, but yet I still was able to reply to them, I just didn't say much or think about what I was saying, I only could pay attention to what was happening to me. I felt like things were kind of slowed down and I was very fatigued and zoned out. I felt as if I was slowly meeting my demise. I believe I got cold sweats a couple times, but not much. I had some heart burn later that night, and the next but its gone.

It came across to me that maybe this was a panic attack but the pain lasted 2-3 hours, after that it wasn't horrible, but it was still somewhat there, and the mental aspect of a panic attack wasn't that intense. I also do think that my left arm may just have "mouse arm" (cant remember medical term), cause I use a computer a lot, a part of my muscle/tendon in my hand has been sore for a while, and it is somewhat acting up now as I type. I really am not sure if a lot of this is me overreacting, or just a placebo effect (I hope so). I've had minor chest pains since I was 13 (I just turned 18), and every time I went in to get my heart checked out, they said I was fine, and that I had a slight irregular heart beat but it was nothing to worry about and a lot of people have it but don't know.

I also have this weird problem with my thought process either that started the night of the incident, or I haven't noticed before. The only way I can explain it is as if my brain buffers for a moment when I go back and forth between two thoughts, it's like I over excite the neurons responsible for those thoughts and I end up overriding my brain for a brief second with confusion, then it's fine. I do have some chest pains now, but it isn't very often, and honestly happens mostly when I think about it or worry about it (same with the left arm), which is why I think I could be conning my self about this entire incident, because I've had panic attacks before but they weren't as bad and were more mental than physical.

It's dumb of me but I never went into the doctors cause 1. I was too paranoid to go in, and 2. I don't want to worry my mom or waste her money just so the doc's (possibly) find nothing. I haven't lately because all I've been doing is researching about this stuff, off and on I think I'm fine and then I don't. So I came here to settle it once and for all, I have a doctors appt. next week anyways so if you guys don't think its serious (I don't, but it could be denial) I'll just wait until then, if it is then I'll go now. I know everybody says "If its your heart then don't risk it", but every time I go in for my heart, it's always nothing.

My family nor myself have a history of heart disease, diabetes, or just flat out obesity. I'm very fit, just oddly muscular for my age, but I don't work out as often as I should now-a-days. I also smoke cigarettes, and my heart pains/arm numbness do come back a bit when I have a cig, but then again it could just be my head. The last time I had any form of a heart test was probably about a year or two ago, it was an EKG and I believe a blood test, but my memory is a bit foggy in that area. My heart rate is normal, I don't know about my blood pressure, but I believe I got a test for it lying somewhere around my house. My last dose of amphetamines was today, yes I know its stupid, but it's literally my last dose (I weaned myself off).

Oh and I did have sex last night, being in the moment I may have over did it (I usually get this feeling just without the numbing), my heart pounded like hell, I got heart burn during it, my left arm and leg became pretty numb, I was kind of tremor-ish, and that's it. Once I orgasmed the numbing went away (except for under my armpit area), and my heart was fine, but beating pretty fast (110bpm).

So do you think I likely had a heart attack? Or do you think it's something else? Or a combination of things? Or simply nothing but a placebo affect or panic attack? And by the way how long does numbing of the left-arm and chest pains last after having a heart attack?

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Cardiovascular :: Trembling Heart - History Of Heart Disease

Recently my heart has been trembling a lot and i find it hard to sleep because i can feel it beating. I used to feel pain in my heart on occasion before, but i have not had that recently. When I drink coffee the tremors are more noticeable and more frequent. 

On my mother's side, she has history of high blood pressure and heart disease, her father died at 50 from a heart attack and my cousin (32 female) has a pacemaker. 

Other symptoms include: 

Redness under my eyes 

Pitted and grooved nails 

Personal profile: 

25 y/o male 

Smoker - 10 a day 

I used to use cocaine infrequently for around 2 years (a heavy session once a month)

I don't drink alot maybe once a week

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Lyme Disease :: Am I At Risk For Anemia?

I have Lyme disease, leaky gut and an unresolved intestinal issue that cause me pain every time I eat. I am also deficient in several vitamins. I take supplements, but I'm not sure if they are enough. I have lost a lot of weight recently and am not getting all the nutrients I need. Should I be tested for anemia?

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Disease That Causes Enlarged Heart?

what are the diseases that cause enlarged heart? and what can I do to help with this problem are I am doomed to die with it without notice? mine was inherited . my older brother has it and my son has it. just here lately found this out . I new about mine , but not of there's. I was told by a doctor twenty years ago after doing a stress test that the heart was slightly enlarged and he also said I had the heartbeat of an Athlete, meaning that when I worked out my heart would raise up and when I stopped it would fall back to normal beat quickly.
                                                                                        

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Heart Disease :: Jaw Pain After Stent Placement

My Dad had a Stent placed after a heart attack one week ago.  He has been having jaw pain all day.  Should we be worried?

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Heart Disease :: Intermittent Vibration In Chest

I've been experiencing an intermittent vibration from the region of my heart for the last 5 months. It can occur at anytime but usually when I am at rest or sleeping. I also get PACs and tachycardia in the afternoons which occurs whenever I am standing or walking (approximately 110 bpm). Sometimes the vibration is triggered by a PAC.

I have done the following tests

- 24 hour ecg (normal)
- Echocardiogram (normal)
- Blood test to check electrolytes and thyroid (normal)

I am 31 years old and Male. I am currently taking medication for hypertension but have been assured this is not a side effect of the med.

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Heart Disease :: Ejection Fraction Is Calculated To Be 56%

I was diagnosed with an mild fixed perfusion at the cardiac apex wall near the apex and a infarct involving the apex and anterior wall near apex and my left ventricular ejection fraction is calculated to be 56%. My question is what does this mean in laymen terms and what medication,  treatments or diet may help this condition?

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Heart Disease :: PACs - Small Flutters Again

I have pacs and they have been gone for a while, but yesterday they started up as small flutters very tiny.   and lots air when i have them i burp a lot. went all day today i can put my hand over my heart and feel it pause a beat/skip   is this my reg pacs or do ya think i should be seen, i have no other problems with this, except so stress lol, i feel them in my throat , not really in my chest unless i put my head on my heart.

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Heart Disease :: Stem Cell Injections - Anyone?

looking for others thats had stem cells injected into there heart.

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Alternative Therapies :: Treating Heart Disease Holistically

We have a Facebook group dedicated to treating heart disease holistically. Search for it " Healing Heart Disease Naturally".

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Heart Disease :: Are Nuclear Stress Tests Truly Safe?

In the past, I have had chest pain walking up hills. So I told my doctor who said "you need a Nuclear Stress Test. We discussed it, it seemed fine to me and  I had one scheduled.

The procedure seemed relaxing enough, I was told to relax in the  Gamma Cam while the radiopharmaceutical they injected me with had a chance to circulate. Then the Gamma Cam did its thing for about 15 minutes and  I was on my way home. Easy? No problems.

But then I had some curiosity about radiation, so I got out my Geiger Counter. I held the probe near various parts of my body and was able to absolutely peg the meter on the highest setting - 50 mr/hr. I called the Nuclear Stress Test technician and cancelled part two of the study, the treadmill test. I then called my doctor, told him about the gamma-ray radiation levels and he convinced me to go ahead with part two of the test.

The next day, the Nuclear Stress Test. technician tried to calm my nerves by saying "Do you see me running away from you after giving you the radio pharmaceutical ?" and "I run when its Cat-scan time..."

Anyway I completed the day two test, went home and again was radiating well over 50 mr/hr. in Gamma radiation.Knowing the radio-pharmaceutical''s half life was 6 hours, I kept a journal and my radiation hit background level in about 48 hours.

But someone has to convince me that injecting me with a radiopharmaceutical which emits positrons which go and cancel themselves with the closest electron in an anti-matter reaction which emanates two gamma rays 180 degrees apart from each other is entirely safe...

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Heart Disease :: Intense Cardio With Tachycardia And PACs?

I've started working out every day pretty intensely, as I'm trying to get very strong. I'm a seventeen year-old girl, and I was recently diagnosed to PACs and tachycardia, much to my surprise. I was completely unaware of these conditions until I went to my annual physical (which was the event my doctor discovered the conditions), two specialists, and had to wear a holter monitor for a day. My heartbeat is usually around 120, but the holter revealed it fluctuates anywhere from 56 to 173 BPM when I am not exercising. I have no idea how fast it goes when I exercise intensely or even at all.

Basically, I want to know if it's safe for me to be doing intensely strenuous exercises and intense cardio. I really want to be super strong and fit, and I know there are certain limits of mine involving cardio. Ex: I can't run a mile in under ten minutes because my heart prevents me from being able to breathe enough. But I use the stairmaster regularly and do intense muscular workouts, and I just wanted to make sure I'm not putting myself in danger.

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Heart Disease :: Treatment Options Stent With Meds Or CABG?

70 year old male in good shape been exercising 6 days a week cardio and weights for the past 5 years or so.Last couple of weeks or started to feel discomfort in my neck and jaw while exercising, it would go away when I stopped. Went to to non interventional cardiologist who ordered up an angiogram which I had 4 days ago. Results were Right artery 99%  blocked, LAD 70 % and two other arteries on the left also 70% blocked. Interventional Cardiologist recommended CABG surgery because of multiple artery involvement and that the left arteries were not good candidates for stenting due to the position of the blockage.

My non interventional cardio after conferring with the interventional cardio said that I had options other than CABG. Both doctors agreed that my angina was most likely coming from the 99% right block.

Option is stenting the 99% blocked right and the OMT for the rest. A surgeon was also called in for consultation and neither he  or the two other Cardios would predict outcomes or give an opinion as to which course of treatment I should follow. Regardless something had to be done sooner rather than later for the  right artery. I sent the pics to  another interventional Cardio  who validated the position of my non interventional cardio that I do have choices other than CABG and that the which ever decision I would make I would probably have a good outcome. So next week I'm going to have the right artery stented and then medically treat the rest of my disease and see where it goes from there.

I also plan to make major changes in my diet to hopefully control the progression of the disease or even possible improve my condition

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