Incredible progress in 6 wks towards reversing heart disease
Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2012 9:09 am
I am 50 yr old, male, 5"7'.
I failed a stress test about 7 weeks back and was advised angiography that was very likely to result in stents in my arteries.
I talked to Dr Esselstyn, read several books and declined the surgery, at the same time starting on Dr Esselstyn/Dr McDougall's life style about 6 weeks ago.
I am on 10mg of lipitor (a statin), 25 mg of metoprolol (a beta blocker) and 75 mcg of synthroid for my under-active thyroid.
I have lost about 23 pounds in 6 weeks (from 180 to 157) and do not have any significant angina. I have started walking 4 miles daily on a path that has several small hills. Everything is going well as far as I can see.
And I just received my blood work. It is simply amazing:
before/after
Total Cholesterol 199/76
LDL 130/25
HDL 38/27
Triglycerides 150?/118
Cardio CRP 3.3/2.3 (higher cardio risk to lower cardio risk)
Glucose 99/84
The total cholesterol of seventy six is not a typo!
Cardio CRP that measures inflammation and is thought to be a good indicator of heart disease risk has become normal (I am still not in the low risk category though). Glucose has gone from high normal to mid (low?) normal.
My blood pressure is 110/70 most of the time. My pulse is less than 60. Sometimes less than 50. (it was just above 60 before the change).
My family doctor is bewildered and has asked to halve the lipitor dose before re-running the tests in a few days. It is a good bet that he would tell me to stop the lipitor, which would be a great relief. He is concerned about the low HDL, but as Dr Esselstyn says: if the LDL is low you do not need high HDL. But I'll see what the doctor says when I see him next.
My new TSH levels are also very low (0.23 ) and the doctor tells me that the synthroid dose will have to be adjusted down.
I cannot believe I have lost all this weight, reversed my angina and produced the excellent blood work in such a short time. I thank Dr Esselstyn for imploring me to try the new life style before succumbing to surgery. And I thank the Star McDougallers and others on this site for giving me the strength to stand up to the interventional cardiologists!
This change has been a rather easy one for me. I was a lacto ovo vegetarian for the first 20 years of my life, so cutting out the meat was easy. Cheese and milk were a bit difficult but not much. Cutting out the oil I thought would be difficult. But it has not been. I have been surprised that most dishes we used to make with oil taste the same without. And many taste better and are easier to cook.
I am glad we are eating out a lot less but when we do eat out, I find that chefs are quite willing to cook something conforming.
I am in it for life!
I failed a stress test about 7 weeks back and was advised angiography that was very likely to result in stents in my arteries.
I talked to Dr Esselstyn, read several books and declined the surgery, at the same time starting on Dr Esselstyn/Dr McDougall's life style about 6 weeks ago.
I am on 10mg of lipitor (a statin), 25 mg of metoprolol (a beta blocker) and 75 mcg of synthroid for my under-active thyroid.
I have lost about 23 pounds in 6 weeks (from 180 to 157) and do not have any significant angina. I have started walking 4 miles daily on a path that has several small hills. Everything is going well as far as I can see.
And I just received my blood work. It is simply amazing:
before/after
Total Cholesterol 199/76
LDL 130/25
HDL 38/27
Triglycerides 150?/118
Cardio CRP 3.3/2.3 (higher cardio risk to lower cardio risk)
Glucose 99/84
The total cholesterol of seventy six is not a typo!
Cardio CRP that measures inflammation and is thought to be a good indicator of heart disease risk has become normal (I am still not in the low risk category though). Glucose has gone from high normal to mid (low?) normal.
My blood pressure is 110/70 most of the time. My pulse is less than 60. Sometimes less than 50. (it was just above 60 before the change).
My family doctor is bewildered and has asked to halve the lipitor dose before re-running the tests in a few days. It is a good bet that he would tell me to stop the lipitor, which would be a great relief. He is concerned about the low HDL, but as Dr Esselstyn says: if the LDL is low you do not need high HDL. But I'll see what the doctor says when I see him next.
My new TSH levels are also very low (0.23 ) and the doctor tells me that the synthroid dose will have to be adjusted down.
I cannot believe I have lost all this weight, reversed my angina and produced the excellent blood work in such a short time. I thank Dr Esselstyn for imploring me to try the new life style before succumbing to surgery. And I thank the Star McDougallers and others on this site for giving me the strength to stand up to the interventional cardiologists!
This change has been a rather easy one for me. I was a lacto ovo vegetarian for the first 20 years of my life, so cutting out the meat was easy. Cheese and milk were a bit difficult but not much. Cutting out the oil I thought would be difficult. But it has not been. I have been surprised that most dishes we used to make with oil taste the same without. And many taste better and are easier to cook.
I am glad we are eating out a lot less but when we do eat out, I find that chefs are quite willing to cook something conforming.
I am in it for life!