Heart Attack survivors

[Guest]

I am a Casting Director from London and we are currently looking for amazing stories from Heart Attack survivors for a Documentary about Heart Health. This spot is a feature length documentary that will tell a story of global experiences of heart heath across all cultures & Time Zones.
Oscar winning Director Cynthia Wade, previous work can be viewed at http://www.cynthiawade.com/
We are looking for a male or female heart attack survivor between the ages of 40 and 60, with a history of high cholesterol, maybe this person is currently on a statin regimen or an alternative medication. The shooting will consist of 1 day that will involve an interview by the Director (Cynthia Wade) and some sequences of meaningful activity that represent the the persons most meaningful aspects of life. We need someone who is appealing,enthusiastic and really wants top share their story.
If you are interested PLEASE email [email protected] for more information.

 

[Agian]

No heart attack, but do you need a gladiator?

 

[Paleowoman]

No heart attack either here, in fact most of us here have not had heart attacks because congenital heart valve problems are nothing to do with heart attack/disease, BUT this is a very thought provoking article by Dr Malcolm Kendrick about heart attack which is the second in a two part blog where he has asked readers to ponder the conundrum of why warfarin, which is an anticoagulant, protects against strokes, but does not protect against heart attacks, whereas aspirin, which is also an anticoagulant, primarily protects against heart disease: http://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2015/01...leeds-part-ii/

 

[Paleowoman]

Duplicate post

 

[Jkm7]

I'm a heart attack survivor as well as two OHS in four years but I'm a bit out of your age range.
Good luck with your project.

 

[DebbyA]

Apparently the Casting Director and Ms. Wade, like most of the rest of the world, are confused by the difference between cardiac and coronary. I also find it a little tiresome that "heart health" is so frequently linked to statins, which do nothing for a valve patient.

 

[Paleowoman]

I also find it a little tiresome that "heart health" is so frequently linked to statins, which do nothing for a valve patient.

100% agre with you Debby.. Mark Summers ,who posted the post asking for heart attack survivors on statins, doesm't realise that valve replacement has zero to do with heart disease, zero to do with stains, and that most of us are here becasue of congenital heart valve defect or radiation damage, neither of which is to do with altherosclerosis which is what heart disease is and which causes heart attack !

Oh, and just to throw in something else - there is a huge debate and controversy among doctors right now that statins do not prevent altherosclerosis and hardly prevent heart attack - they are only useful for people who have ALREADY had a heart attack PLUS their effect in helping prevent heart attack is nothing to do with cholesterol as statins work by reducing inflammation and increasing something else which prevents blood clots breaking off (I can't remember the name or details, but it's something like that), their cholesterol lowering effect has nothing to do with their effect on preventing heart attack - the whole cholesterol thing is a huge red herring and statins are on their way out.

 

[coolcoop36]

Wait, so help me out here, I have tetralogy of fallot, you're saying that congenital heart defects don't have much to do with heart attack risk? I thought there was increased risk, I could be wrong, I am not as well informed as some older fellows here I bet.

 

[Paleowoman]

you're saying that congenital heart defects don't have much to do with heart attack risk? I thought there was increased risk, I could be wrong, I am not as well informed as some older fellows here I bet.

Heart attacks, or myocardial infarcts, are when a blood clot from atheroscloerotic plaque breaks off blocking a coronary artery and so dmaging the heart. Congenital valve defects do not involve atherosclerotic plaque. It's true that you can get sudden death syndromes with congenital valve defects where the heart just stops, but that's not a "heart attack" in the usual medical meaning of the word….particularly when it comes to the film that is being proposed in the original post at the start of this thread !

 

[DebbyA]

Thanks, Paleogirl (Anne?)! You expressed and defended my grumble much better than I could have!

Do you happen to know anything about statins and carotid arteries? I think that's my cardio's next ploy to get me on statins--scan scheduled soon.

 

[Paleowoman]

Hi Debby - afraid I don't know anything about carotid arteries and statins, but I think that when carotid arteries 'block' it could be the same process as atherosclerotic plaque in the coronary arteries ? Hence the doc wanting you to have statins as that is the usual treatment........mind you, they seem to want everyone on statins !

I know a fair bit about statins as I have high cholesterol (total 309) and, of course, docs sometimes want me to take a statin so I have researched this loads. My HDL, so called good cholesterol, is very high at 131 and my triglycerides are very low at 44 which is also very good. My LDL is calculated and skewed by the Friedwald formula used to calculate it. My cholesterol ratio therefore is very protective so I'm happy with it and so are my endo and GP - cardiologist is a bit non-plussed I think ! I have no atherosclerotic plaque - CT angiogram showed my coronary arteries to be clear.

Key in Dr Malcolm Kendrick (wrote a fantastic book 'The Great Cholesterol Con'), Dr Uffe Ravnskov, Thincs: http://www.thincs.org Statin Nation: http://www.statinnation.net Such a lot of controversy !

 

[coolcoop36]

Yeah the whole sudden death thing freaks me out! I am a young guy but yikes sometimes its scary! Would you think thats a pretty common occurrence with heart defects from birth?

 

[coolcoop36]

Yeah the whole sudden death thing freaks me out! I am a young guy but yikes sometimes its scary! Would you think thats a pretty common occurrence with heart defects from birth?.

 

[Paleowoman]

Yeah the whole sudden death thing freaks me out! I am a young guy but yikes sometimes its scary! Would you think thats a pretty common occurrence with heart defects from birth?.

All heart defects are from birth but some aren't discovered till later. I knew about my bicuspid aortic valve when I was 25, some people know from when they are children, some people from when they're middle aged, regardless the defect is there from birth (usually when the heart is being formed in the early embyonic stage of development). I've no idea how common "sudden death" is. Have you spoken to your cardiolgist to find out the risk of that with you ? I was 'threatened' with that by my cardiac surgeon to try and hurry me up for surgery, but both my cardiologist and other doctor who knew me for longer and better said it was not true in my case….caused me huge stress though I can tell you….GP put me on lorazepam to help me cope.