Heart Disease & EECP in Europe
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Update - July 2009
I was recently upbraided for not keeping my blog up to date, a stricture which I accept. However, there has been very little change since December 2008 - a very fortunate circumstance and a reinforcement of the powerful combination of EECP treatment, diet and exercise. My blood pressure is still recorded twice a day and the results stay in the 110-128 region, depending on what excesses I get up to.
Currently I am project manager on a house-build and this can get quite exciting at times and fatigue can play a real part - the more tired you are the more you are affected by adverse events. I have done a couple of foolish things such as carrying 25kg toilet bowls up the stairs 5 times in succession - this caused a minor flare-up of heartburn/angina which dispersed after a couple of hours. Other than that - nothing! I still keep up the drug regime with a change from Tarka to Olmesartan(an ARB) about 3 months ago, the result being a depression in systolic of 3-5mm.
One effect that is definitely becoming worse is that of short term memory. Whether that is the effect of advancing age (I am 69) or of the 20mg of statins (Lipitor) I take daily, is a moot point. Memory impairment is widely reported in the literature so I will have to monitor this. I have always had a good memory so the decay can be quiye upsetting at times. Reminds me once again of the Barry Cryer joke that Stannah (leading European manufacturer) have recently introduced a high speed stair lift to get you upstairs before you forget why you're going there. See www.spacedoc.net/board/viewtopic.php?t=830&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0 for a discussion of memory and other effects. The Spacedoc.net website has some excellent material showing how the conventional frontiers of medicine may not always be tackling medical issues in the right way.
A large scale study recently reports on the positive effects of statin use. The results are summarised very well in a video by Professor Paul Ridker of Harvard University talking about the development of new lipid guidelines leading up to the forthcoming issue of the ATP IV set of guidelines. Check out www.theheart.org/article/961439.do - you may have to sign up to get access. The key point is that you have to not only control lipid levels but also inflammation, the level of C reactive protein (CRP) is very important. Prof Ridker also makes a very powerful case for the importance of regular exercise in the regime for control of cardiovascular disease. So I keep on with the statin treatment and level of exercise until I next see my cardiologist in September for a check-up.
Another factor that is being highlighted these days is the effect of proper levels of Vitamin D3. Most northern dwellers have abysmally low levels of D3 which is really a hormone rather than a vitamin and appears to play a vital role in many essential physiological processes. This has recently been discussed by Dr John Briffa in his excellent medical blog (www.drbriffa.com) and repays some study, especially as it may be a key intermediate in the transport of lipids in the bloodstream. ¶ 8:33 pm
Currently I am project manager on a house-build and this can get quite exciting at times and fatigue can play a real part - the more tired you are the more you are affected by adverse events. I have done a couple of foolish things such as carrying 25kg toilet bowls up the stairs 5 times in succession - this caused a minor flare-up of heartburn/angina which dispersed after a couple of hours. Other than that - nothing! I still keep up the drug regime with a change from Tarka to Olmesartan(an ARB) about 3 months ago, the result being a depression in systolic of 3-5mm.
One effect that is definitely becoming worse is that of short term memory. Whether that is the effect of advancing age (I am 69) or of the 20mg of statins (Lipitor) I take daily, is a moot point. Memory impairment is widely reported in the literature so I will have to monitor this. I have always had a good memory so the decay can be quiye upsetting at times. Reminds me once again of the Barry Cryer joke that Stannah (leading European manufacturer) have recently introduced a high speed stair lift to get you upstairs before you forget why you're going there. See www.spacedoc.net/board/viewtopic.php?t=830&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0 for a discussion of memory and other effects. The Spacedoc.net website has some excellent material showing how the conventional frontiers of medicine may not always be tackling medical issues in the right way.
A large scale study recently reports on the positive effects of statin use. The results are summarised very well in a video by Professor Paul Ridker of Harvard University talking about the development of new lipid guidelines leading up to the forthcoming issue of the ATP IV set of guidelines. Check out www.theheart.org/article/961439.do - you may have to sign up to get access. The key point is that you have to not only control lipid levels but also inflammation, the level of C reactive protein (CRP) is very important. Prof Ridker also makes a very powerful case for the importance of regular exercise in the regime for control of cardiovascular disease. So I keep on with the statin treatment and level of exercise until I next see my cardiologist in September for a check-up.
Another factor that is being highlighted these days is the effect of proper levels of Vitamin D3. Most northern dwellers have abysmally low levels of D3 which is really a hormone rather than a vitamin and appears to play a vital role in many essential physiological processes. This has recently been discussed by Dr John Briffa in his excellent medical blog (www.drbriffa.com) and repays some study, especially as it may be a key intermediate in the transport of lipids in the bloodstream. ¶ 8:33 pm
