Stockbull,
They did studies involving Vietnam KIA autopsies, and found that a large percentage of "healthy" 20 - 30 year olds already have significant coronary artery disease (25-50% stenoses). These are silent pathologies, as it usually takes a higher grade stenosis to
start overt symptoms, such as central chest pain +/- radiating jaw or
left arm pain, shortness of breath, cold sweats, paleness and other
signs and symptoms of ischaemic cardiac disease. People are usually
in the 40 to 60 year old age bracket before their vessels degenerate
to the point where they are symptomatic. Look around any CCU unit, and
I'll bet that 90% of the patients are overweight male smokers,
between the ages of 40 and 55.
Unfortunately, the 1st symptoms are sometimes the last ones, before
sudden unexpected death. We don't always get warning signs and can't
always take "remedial action" to reverse the problem. Far too many
people have the idea that they can get away with abusing their bodies,
and that "later", they'll make up for it, or modern medicine will
develop miracle cures. By the time you get symptomatic, most people
are in the advanced stages of coronary artery atherosclerotic disease.
This also applies to carotid vessel disease and the symptoms of TIA
(transient ischaemic attack), or peripheral vascular disease and having cold, pale or blue/black toes.
Congratulations on being diagnosed early, and I sincerely hope that
the positive changes in lifestyle you are adopting and the medications
you are on will give you substantially more quality and quantity of
life. You only get one shot at life (Buddhist beliefs in reincarnation
aside), so make the most of it.
As they say on Star Trek, "Live Long and Prosper".
Kind Regards,
Durro |
