Ascending aneurysm and lifestyle

[nate99]

Hello all,

Recent echo showed I have a small-ish ascending aneurysm and I will be getting a CT to verify it. It would be awesome if it was a mistake as happened to one of our members, but I also need to be prepared that it could actually be larger than the echo says. I think there are some studies that CT's are consistently bigger in the aneurysm measurements than echos. There have been several dark days in the last few weeks. But I'm going to try to think about things I can affect in regards to this issue.

Has anyone been able to find any link to aneurysm size and lifestyle? My cardiologist said there is really nothing I can do but monitor it. I'm not claiming to know more than they do, it is just hard not to feel like I can do anything at all. I joined a gym so i can do more cardio when it is hot outside. I'm no longer doing any activities or exercises that could damage the aorta. I've started taking fish oil supplements for inflammation. I read that there are certain inflammation markers that are found more in aneurysmal aortas, I think cysteinyl leukotrines? There are also certain chemicals found in aneurysms not found in normal people and vice versa. One thing I found identified curcumin as a substance that, at least in mice, arrested growth or aortic aneurysms. I think for abdominals it may have actually reversed it. My cardiologist is not going to prescribe me any meds, as my blood pressure is consistently between 100 and 110. I would be willing to make any long term diet changes.

I'm sure there are lots of things I could do to negatively affect its growth, like smoking, drinking, high salt and fat and red meat diet. So I'm choosing to lower those things dramatically (I don't smoke anyways).

Anyway, if you have any thoughts or insights about how to slow it down, please chime in.

 

[pellicle]

Hi

I'm no specialist in aneurysm, when mine was found it was already over 5cm (5.6 or so I thought), so it was surgery quick smart to fix that. So I never even thought about researching how to / if it can be slowed

I was advised to avoid heavy lifting or straining (you know, like pushing my motorbike up a hill or something stupid). I was specifically told (because I specifically asked) that jogging, cycling and even high HR were not a problem ... it was all just good old fashioned "hydraulic pressure".

You don't mention your aneurysm diameter, but here in Australia the surgeons say like this:

http://www.anzsvs.org.au/patient-information/aortic-aneurysm/

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[h=2]Can aortic aneurysms be prevented?[/h]

At present aortic aneurysms cannot be prevented from developing, but their growth may be slowed by some simple measures. If you smoke, this increases the rate of growth of aortic aneurysms and you should stop immediately. Your blood pressure should be checked and if it is persistently raised you should have treatment to reduce your blood pressure. High blood pressure is a risk factor for aneurysm rupture. This does not mean your aortic aneurysm will rupture if you have high blood pressure, but it does place it at slightly higher risk of rupture.

It is important to have your risk factors for hardening of the arteries monitored and treated if necessary as there is a clear increased risk of death even after the aneurysm has been treated due to cardiovascular disease (UK Small aneurysm Trial Participants, 2012). There is some evidence that cholesterol lowering drugs such as simvastatin, decrease the growth rate of aneurysms (Schlosser et al 2008).
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[h=2]When do aortic aneurysms require treatment?[/h]

In healthy people the aorta (the main blood vessel that becomes swollen) is usually about 2.0-2.5 cms (20-25mm) in diameter although this can vary with age and whether you are a man or a woman. We know from two large studies in the USA and UK (Lederle FA et al, 2002) that aneurysms less than 5.5 cms (55mm) across can be safely watched as long as they are monitored on a regular basis. For aneurysms less than 4.4 cms across or less, a yearly ultrasound scan is sufficient to monitor aneurysm growth. For aneurysms between 4.5 and 4.9 cms across, a scan every 6 months is advised. An aneurysm greater than 5.0 cms across requires scans every 3 months although there is some variation in recommendations.

When an aneurysm reaches 5.5 cms most surgeons would consider offering surgical intervention.​

So you'll probably be right for ages yet

 

[nate99]

Hello it came out of nowhere to be 4.2 on the last echo. I have no idea how quickly it is growing as I don’t have a lot of data points. I’m not particularly religious or spiritual but I’ve been praying for a miracle that it was an inaccurate reading. Or that it least wont be bigger than 4.2. Knowing it is there is making day to day living difficult.

anyway, about 3 years ago when I had no signs of aneurysm i was doing a strict paleo type diet and had been for a couple of years. Eating so many fruits and vegetables a day, eating meat, no breads, no soy, but milk kefir every day. Also doing high intensity exercises like sudden sprints and weightlifting. It’s hard not to look back and wonder if I did something to bring this on. I lifted but not as consistently. I did a high elevation hike to the top of mt. Fuji overnight. I readopted a more normal American diet in the last year and a half. Heavy on carbs like bread rice or noodles, more salt, eating out more and drinking more. I’ve almost got a phobia of food now. Not sure if meat will make things worse or carbs will. Some places say low carb is good for heart and one thing I saw said meat excluding fish had the biggest correlation to developing an aneurysm. I can do low carb or even cut out meat but if doing both means there is nothing to eat.

Still no appointment for the ct scan yet as my place here in LA is the only one that does it for the area.

 

[pellicle]

Hi

Hello it came out of nowhere to be 4.2 on the last echo.

echo's are by nature imprecise ...

I have no idea how quickly it is growing as I don’t have a lot of data points.

neither does anyone else, but think years not hours.

I’m not particularly religious or spiritual but I’ve been praying for a miracle that it was an inaccurate reading. Or that it least wont be bigger than 4.2. Knowing it is there is making day to day living difficult.

I consider myself a spiritual person, but believe strongly the following two points:
1) the mind of a human can not understand god anymore than your pet fish understands you.Thus I spend no effort in attempting to delude myself that I (or someone who wants my money) can understand God.
2) Prayer should be aimed at building strength in your self not begging for help. A parent who caved in to every whim of their child would soon raise a total brat, I can only assume that God would know that of the nature of humans. Thus prayers are in my experience never answered by anything more than the likelihood of possible outcomes

In High School I identified the Stoics and find that much wisdom is had in how to actually live well in life. For the Stoics also agree that humans can not know God nor gain evidence with which to make informed decisions, so their philosophy was about how to live with life and be happy.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoicism

So I strongly urge you to read one of the modern re-writes of the works of Marcus Aurelius

Further to that I find that the writings of Frank Herbert contains an interesting bit in the book dune:

anyway, about 3 years ago when I had no signs of aneurysm i was doing a strict paleo type diet and had been for a couple of years. Eating so many fruits and vegetables a day, eating meat, no breads, no soy, but milk kefir every day.

I'm by training a biochemist and by nature a science type. I dismiss fluff pretty fast, and when I see that the evidence to support something is so slim that only "believers" and rigorous analysis reveals only a slim faint thread of connection I dismiss it as fluff.

However for general health I agree with the reduce bread and sugars to almost nothing and nuts, fruits, meat (including fish) and vegetables is the best diet. Its what I eat (although I drink beer and wine too)

Also doing high intensity exercises like sudden sprints and weightlifting.

skip the sudden sprints, keep the weights to something which would be good for endruance training. So like bench about half your weight and squats adding not much more than 30% of your weight >>> DO NOT HOLD BREATH WHEN SQUATING

It’s hard not to look back and wonder if I did something to bring this on.

Thats a natural reaction and I've done the same with even the tumor in the brain which killed my wife. But you learn to see (well if you aren't going to allow anxiety to overwhelm and drown you) that its not logical and has no evidence.

Still no appointment for the ct scan yet as my place here in LA is the only one that does it for the area.

propably (given the numbers) nobody (me included) considers it at a dangerous level. Read the above guidelines one by one and check that.

Best Wishes

 

[pellicle]

I believe we all die ... yep all of us. I also believe it is how you live your life that forms what could possibly persist of you afterwards: the nature of you.

a Marcus Aurelius quote

Be like a rocky promontory against which the restless surf continuously pounds; it stands fast while the churning sea is lulled to sleep at its feet.
I hear you say, "How unlucky that this should happen to me!"
Not at all! Say instead, "How lucky I am that I am not broken by what has happened and am not afraid of what is about to happen. The same blow might have struck any one, but not many would have absorbed it without capitulation and complaint."