Questions for Dr. Chung

no spam said:

Dr. Chung, I would like to ask you a few questions in
preparation for my meeting with my Cardiologist next
month.

Background: previously good physical condition, now
overweight 69 year old male, no real family history of
heart problems, rest heart rate low 60's to high 50's,
normal blood pressure, previously slightly high cholesterol
(200 to 250) was taking Pravachol and baby aspirin,

10/03 -- sudden severe shortness of breath,

11/03 blocked LAD artery cleared by Cypher J&J stent, other
arteries clear, ejection fraction 69%, put on 75 mg
Plavix, 20 mg Cestor and full aspirin.

11/03 to now -- reduced fat intake, now exercising 3 to 4
times a week for 45 minutes keeping heart rate of 95 to
110. Losing about 0.5 pounds per week.

12/03 blood test Chol = 175, Trig = 250, HDL = 40, LDL =
69, Homocysteine = 9.7

2/04 blood test Chol = 125, Trig = 164, HDL = 34, LDL = 58

After that long background my questions are:

1. What do you think of my exercise schedule? Should it be
more frequent? Longer? Different heart rate range? (By
the way, I feel great.)

2. Should my Crestor be reduced to 10mg?

3. How about the Plavix? I now bruise more easily. Smaller
dosage? Less often? How long?

4. Any other suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

Look it's none of my business but how can someone online who
you don't know possibly give you the information you are
seeking? You are under the care of a cardiologist who knows
your case has all the files in front of him and probably
knows you. I realize that you want all the informaiton upi
can get prior to your visit, and I know Dr. Chung responds
to many requests like this (although to his credit he is
quite conservative with this type of advice) but don't you
think advice obtained here might be suspect? If you are
concerned after your visit seek a second opinion. If you
have to pay for it yourself it would be money well spent
even if it confirms what your doctor tells you.

I see more and more of this type of request for detailed
advice and I think it's the case where sometimes a little
knowledge is worse than none at all.

Go ahead flame me. Every layman/engineer here thinks he/she
is a doctor anyways.

no spam said:

Dr. Chung, I would like to ask you a few questions in
preparation for my meeting with my Cardiologist next
month.

Background: previously good physical condition, now
overweight 69 year old male, no real family history of
heart problems, rest heart rate low 60's to high 50's,
normal blood pressure, previously slightly high
cholesterol (200 to 250) was taking Pravachol and baby
aspirin,

10/03 -- sudden severe shortness of breath,

11/03 blocked LAD artery cleared by Cypher J&J stent,
other arteries clear, ejection fraction 69%, put on 75
mg Plavix, 20 mg Cestor and full aspirin.

11/03 to now -- reduced fat intake, now exercising 3 to 4
times a week for 45 minutes keeping heart rate of 95 to
110. Losing about 0.5 pounds per week.

Good.

Quoted message said:

12/03 blood test Chol = 175, Trig = 250, HDL = 40, LDL =
69, Homocysteine = 9.7

Don't like the Trigs > 150 and the HDL < 50. Don't like the
highish HCy either.

Quoted message said:

2/04 blood test Chol = 125, Trig = 164, HDL = 34,
LDL = 58

Same concerns.

Quoted message said:

After that long background my questions are:

1. What do you think of my exercise schedule? Should it be
more frequent?

It is likely your cardiologist will say "yes."

Quoted message said:

Longer?

It is likely your cardiologist will like the duration.

Quoted message said:

Different heart rate range? (By the way, I feel great.)

It is likely that your cardiologist will be ok with the
heart rate range.

Quoted message said:

2. Should my Crestor be reduced to 10mg?

You need something to lower Trigs. You also need something
to lower HCy to as low as possible.

Quoted message said:

3. How about the Plavix? I now bruise more easily. Smaller
dosage? Less often? How long?

It is likely that your cardiologist will tell you to
continue the Plavix without change and put up with the
bruising.

Quoted message said:

4. Any other suggestions?

You probably have metabolic syndrome (MetS).

You should ask your cardiologist about adding a small amount
of an ACE inhibitor to your regimen because this would be
good for treating MetS.

You should also get as close to ideal body weight as you can
(BMI=20) with the hope of "curing" your MetS.

This is very hard to do without following the 2PD approach:

heartmdphd.comwtloss.aspOpen ↗

Would suggest you print out the instructions and go over
them with your doctor(s) to have them supervise you.

Quoted message said:

Thanks in advance.

You are welcome.

Servant to the humblest person in the universe,

Andrew

--
Dr. Andrew B. Chung, MD/PhD
Board-Certified Cardiologist
heartmdphd.comheartmdphd.comOpen ↗

**
Who is the humblest person in the universe?
makeashorterlink.commakeashorterlink.comOpen ↗

What is all this about?
makeashorterlink.commakeashorterlink.comOpen ↗

Is this spam?
makeashorterlink.commakeashorterlink.comOpen ↗

Nothing wrong with asking for advice from Dr. Chung. I've
done it before. As long as one keeps it in perspective,
understands that Dr. Chung hasn't examined him, and
understands that it is simply another way to gain input,
insight, another perspective, and a better understanding of
the issues ... I don't see anything wrong with it. There
have been many times that I have sought the advice of
someone on the internet ... taken it back to my own doctor
as input for conversation ... and then ended up validating
it or not with my own doc.

Larry

George said:

no spam said:

Dr. Chung, I would like to ask you a few questions in
preparation for my meeting with my Cardiologist next
month.

Background: previously good physical condition, now
overweight 69 year old male, no real family history of
heart problems, rest heart rate low 60's to high 50's,
normal blood pressure, previously slightly high
cholesterol (200 to 250) was taking Pravachol and baby
aspirin,

10/03 -- sudden severe shortness of breath,

11/03 blocked LAD artery cleared by Cypher J&J stent,
other arteries clear, ejection fraction 69%, put on 75
mg Plavix, 20 mg Cestor and full aspirin.

11/03 to now -- reduced fat intake, now exercising 3 to 4
times a week for 45 minutes keeping heart rate of 95 to
110. Losing about 0.5 pounds per week.

12/03 blood test Chol = 175, Trig = 250, HDL = 40, LDL =
69, Homocysteine = 9.7

2/04 blood test Chol = 125, Trig = 164, HDL = 34,
LDL = 58

After that long background my questions are:

1. What do you think of my exercise schedule? Should it be
more frequent? Longer? Different heart rate range? (By
the way, I feel great.)

2. Should my Crestor be reduced to 10mg?

3. How about the Plavix? I now bruise more easily. Smaller
dosage? Less often? How long?

4. Any other suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

Look it's none of my business but how can someone online
who you don't know possibly give you the information you
are seeking? You are under the care of a cardiologist who
knows your case has all the files in front of him and
probably knows you. I realize that you want all the
informaiton upi can get prior to your visit, and I know
Dr. Chung responds to many requests like this (although to
his credit he is quite conservative with this type of
advice) but don't you think advice obtained here might be
suspect? If you are concerned after your visit seek a
second opinion. If you have to pay for it yourself it
would be money well spent even if it confirms what your
doctor tells you.

I see more and more of this type of request for detailed
advice and I think it's the case where sometimes a little
knowledge is worse than none at all.

Go ahead flame me. Every layman/engineer here thinks
he/she is a doctor anyways.