Heart Health

[FoutsFan]

I read he was recently having seizures last night as well.
Anything is possible but a heart attack would be very rare for a 33 year old athlete.

It goes even farther, he was only 33 (very young) but he was also in great physical shape. Its not like he was 33 and obese with no history of physical activity. Strange indeed.

It reminds me of a time about 30 years ago there was a man about 41 having quadruple bypass surgery. One of the nurses commented he should stop eating double cheeseburgers so he would save his heart. When I was talking to the surgeon while we were scrubbing I asked him if eating double cheeseburgers would be the cause of this for someone so young. He laughed and said no way. He said this mans dad died of a heart attack at age 40, his grandfather died at 40 of a heart attack and he was lucky to have lived this long. Genetics are a powerful thing. Most often healthy activity and a perfect diet cannot overcome genetics.

I wonder if there is a family history of heart issues or clots.

[Riverwalk]

Most often healthy activity and a perfect diet cannot overcome genetics.

.

A friends father had a heart attack in his 40’s and Dr.s wanted to do a bypass on his seriously clogged arteries. Instead, the guy went on the Pritikin diet and lived another 40 years.

Certainly genes influence CVD risk, but diet and exercise can mitigate it. Same with all disease. Intermittent fasting has also been proven to extend life by 30% in studies across all species.

[Velo]

I suspect DT's seizures will be connected to his playing career. I've had two coronary thromboses, one in each coronary artery. They are blood clots in the heart, and they are the classic heart attack, myocardial infarction, the leading cause of death for American males. But usually it strikes older men, not someone DT's age and not men who are in good physical condition. But it does happen. Remember the player who died of a heart attack on the field 50 years ago? An autopsy revealed he had advanced coronary artery disease, in his 20s! That was shocking. So it does happen. Neither of my clots were fatal because they didn't create a complete blockage. I had my first at age 59. I have been vegan ever since. My second happened two months ago in September. I underwent a successful angioplasty to dissolve the clot and had a pair of stents inserted in my left coronary artery. The results were immediate, I resumed riding (cycling) in a few days. I have a genetic condition where my liver over-produces cholesterol, which becomes plaque in the arteries. It's killed many members of my family, including my mother when she was about my age. I've been able to manage the condition and stay alive by staying as fit as I can (which is why I cycle) and by not letting any animal product enter my body. Food from plants has zero cholesterol. So while it's possible DT died from a heart attack, I think it's unlikely, unless he had a condition more extreme than mine. The fact he was having seizures before his death, leads me to believe it was another cause, possibly related to his career.

[Riverwalk]

I suspect DT's seizures will be connected to his playing career. I've had two coronary thromboses, one in each coronary artery. They are blood clots in the heart, and they are the classic heart attack, myocardial infarction, the leading cause of death for American males. But usually it strikes older men, not someone DT's age and not men who are in good physical condition. But it does happen. Remember the player who died of a heart attack on the field 50 years ago? An autopsy revealed he had advanced coronary artery disease, in his 20s! That was shocking. So it does happen. Neither of my clots were fatal because they didn't create a complete blockage. I had my first at age 59. I have been vegan ever since. My second happened two months ago in September. I underwent a successful angioplasty to dissolve the clot and had a pair of stents inserted in my left coronary artery. The results were immediate, I resumed riding (cycling) in a few days. I have a genetic condition where my liver over-produces cholesterol, which becomes plaque in the arteries. It's killed many members of my family, including my mother when she was about my age. I've been able to manage the condition and stay alive by staying as fit as I can (which is why I cycle) and by not letting any animal product enter my body. Food from plants has zero cholesterol. So while it's possible DT died from a heart attack, I think it's unlikely, unless he had a condition more extreme than mine. The fact he was having seizures before his death, leads me to believe it was another cause, possibly related to his career.

Glad to hear you recovered from both clots and doing well. Are you on statins?

[Velo]

Glad to hear you recovered from both clots and doing well. Are you on statins?

Yes. I take a statin every morning. I resisted taking them for a long time. But I gave in after the latest angioplasty.

[Panamamike]

A friends father had a heart attack in his 40’s and Dr.s wanted to do a bypass on his seriously clogged arteries. Instead, the guy went on the Pritikin diet and lived another 40 years.

Certainly genes influence CVD risk, but diet and exercise can mitigate it. Same with all disease. Intermittent fasting has also been proven to extend life by 30% in studies across all species.

My father was a doctor. He had his first heart attack at 32 years old when I was only a few months old. He had his second heart attack a year later in January 1972 when I was just over a year old. He passed away at 49 when I was 16 of his third heart attack. My oldest brother passed away 4 years ago after a massive heart attack when visiting me here in Panama when he was 54. Second eldest brother had a double bypass when he was 45. My brother that's a year a month and a day older than I am, had two heart attacks and has five stents... First heart attack at 41.

Unfortunately sometimes it just comes down to genetics.

[FoutsFan]

A friends father had a heart attack in his 40’s and Dr.s wanted to do a bypass on his seriously clogged arteries. Instead, the guy went on the Pritikin diet and lived another 40 years.

Certainly genes influence CVD risk, but diet and exercise can mitigate it. Same with all disease. Intermittent fasting has also been proven to extend life by 30% in studies across all species.

It happens like that. Its rare if its genetics though. If it is caused by bad diet/habits then you can turn it around.

Anyone remember Jim Fixx? Jogging guy who wrote jogging and health fitness books? Died of a heart attack while jogging, super healthy but had bad genetics. It is unfortunate.

[FoutsFan]

My father was a doctor. He had his first heart attack at 32 years old when I was only a few months old. He had his second heart attack a year later in January 1972 when I was just over a year old. He passed away at 49 when I was 16 of his third heart attack. My oldest brother passed away 4 years ago after a massive heart attack when visiting me here in Panama when he was 54. Second eldest brother had a double bypass when he was 45. My brother that's a year a month and a day older than I am, had two heart attacks and has five stents... First heart attack at 41.

Unfortunately sometimes it just comes down to genetics.

Sorry to hear about your family.

[Formula 21]

Yes. I take a statin every morning. I resisted taking them for a long time. But I gave in after the latest angioplasty.

I’ve taken statens since ‘84 so I have zero concerns for my heart.

[Riverwalk]

My father was a doctor. He had his first heart attack at 32 years old when I was only a few months old. He had his second heart attack a year later in January 1972 when I was just over a year old. He passed away at 49 when I was 16 of his third heart attack. My oldest brother passed away 4 years ago after a massive heart attack when visiting me here in Panama when he was 54. Second eldest brother had a double bypass when he was 45. My brother that's a year a month and a day older than I am, had two heart attacks and has five stents... First heart attack at 41.

Unfortunately sometimes it just comes down to genetics.

Wow. Sorry for your losses and thank you for the personal info. No doubt genetics are a serious contributing factor. I’ve read the sooner you start statins the better to mitigate CVD progression.

[Boltjolt]

I’ve taken statens since ‘84 so I have zero concerns for my heart.

What is a staten?

[Velo]

My father was a doctor. He had his first heart attack at 32 years old when I was only a few months old. He had his second heart attack a year later in January 1972 when I was just over a year old. He passed away at 49 when I was 16 of his third heart attack. My oldest brother passed away 4 years ago after a massive heart attack when visiting me here in Panama when he was 54. Second eldest brother had a double bypass when he was 45. My brother that's a year a month and a day older than I am, had two heart attacks and has five stents... First heart attack at 41.

Unfortunately sometimes it just comes down to genetics.

Wow. I am sorry about your father and oldest brother. Your genetics are more severe than mine. My younger brother had a heart attack at age 39, he survived and had two stents inserted. He hasn't had another one since, that I know of, and he's 57 now. I get the genetics from my mother. Heart trouble is not as common in women, but she had a heart-attack a few days after turning 65 30 years ago and died during bypass surgery at Stanford Medical Center a few days later. It has killed multiple male cousins on that side of the family. One of my mother's brothers, who was always an athlete, was always trim and fit, didn't suffer from it, and lived until he was almost 100. He died in 2019 a month short of his 99th birthday. He gives me optimism and inspiration that if I am strict with my diet and I remain fit as I age, that I can live a quality life for many more years to come. What about you, you must take good care of yourself if you haven't had to deal with it yet.