My grandfather died of it. Pack a day to the bitter end. He moved to Phoenix for the clean desert air. They didn't know in those days that it was a bowl and probably had the worst air in the US next to LA. My folks both smoked but never developed that problem. Thankfully. And thankfully I've never tried that. Good job on quitting, it's probably one of the hardest things to do.
As for the Eliquis, he said I'm on the "cusp" due to some score of "2" because I'm female and over 65, neither of which I can do much about. He said he personally would stay on it (must be made of money ...). I said I was concerned about skiing, etc. End result he is allowing me to stop taking it if I replace it with baby aspirin (which I've actually read is no longer recommended, but hey.) I'll take it until I run out or ski season, whichever comes first.
At my last two physicals I asked about a stress test. Each time I arrived kind of sweaty and in bike clothes. The doc who is very much an aerobic jock, knowing where I’d cycled from, said you just did that a stress test wouldn’t reveal anything the rides didn’t. Meanwhile my father’s side of the family had heart disease, although with significant lifestyle risk factors I don’t have. Maybe twenty years ago I was diagnosed with a slight heart murmur.
This one had me thinking nobody's immune. Word was this guy ran 5+ miles a day 3X a week.. definitely on his feet a lot while working..
I recall in my teens and 20's, getting sports physicals, boot camp physicals, etc - the docs usually mentioned hearing heart murmurs. Like there was an inkling of things to come, or perhaps they heard PVC's and misdiagnosed.
facelake.com
I think every aging athlete should get checked out by a cardiologist. Too many die of sudden cardiac death that could be avoided. Skiers, especially at altitude, are athletes, like it or not.
www.triathlete.com
Thanks…great article, thanks for posting the link. I would not look forward to gagging on a big tube in an echocardiogram but with a hidden condition it sounds as though it could be life-saving.I think every aging athlete should get checked out by a cardiologist. Too many die of sudden cardiac death that could be avoided. Skiers, especially at altitude, are athletes, like it or not.
I'm also in the triathlon world, where the proprietor of the triathlon forum has long been encouraging athletes to get screened. Here's his case and screening recommendations developed with the help of really good docs:
Heart Screening
Pacific Heart Institute in Santa Monica, CA, has opened its doors to triathletes, offering screening for heart problems at a low cost. This pilot program might be a model for the rest of America.www.slowtwitch.com
With your murmur, I'd at least have an echocardiogram to determine if you have a bicuspid aortic valve and ascending aortic aneurysm like I used to have (along with 1-2% of the population). I now have a dacron tube for my ascending aorta and a mechanical aortic valve that ticks to remind me I'm alive.
Many world-class athletes have had the same congenital defect. Many found out incidentally, like me, before it was too late.
From The Heart: A Former Ironman Pro’s Story Of Heart Risks For Athletes
Are there risks to excessive endurance training? A retired pro examines the evidence and shares his story.
Your doc is probably right that a stress test wouldn't add much given your fitness. I knocked mine out of the park, scoring in the 90th percentile for a twenty-year-old (I'm in my 50s) six months before my open heart surgery. I was still at significant risk of something very bad happening. An echo showed my aortic aneurysm and severe aortic regurgitation (leaking) that the stress test didn't indicate with my strong heart.
No gaging tube needed! A standard echo is just an ultrasound of the heart. Easy peasy and cheap. Just like a baby ultrasound.
