Six years on: my success in reversing heart disease

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Six years on: my success in reversing heart disease

Postby pundit999 » Mon Jul 09, 2018 9:27 am

You can search for my posts on this forum to know the details, but I just wanted to post as it has been six years since I started eating a whole food plant based diet with no added fat, in the belief that it will reverse my heart disease.

Six years ago, I was having shortness of breath going up the stairs in my house, and felt a burning pain the middle of the chest while mowing the lawn or while doing the elliptical, among other signs I later found were due to angina. I was having a metallic taste in my mouth and had heaviness at times. Also had abnormal rhythm or erratic heart beats at times.

My GP sent me for a stress test. I was on the treadmill for 9 min but failed the test. They had to give me nitroglycerin tablets at the end because I was complaining of a burning feeling in the chest.

The cardiologist told me I failed the test and that I should immediately get an angiography. I did not know at the time what angiography was and agreed to it. I was minutes away from the operation when the nurse told my wife that I was about get a stent. Yes, before the angiography!

I had the sense to decline the procedure.

I did a lot of research online. Came across Dr Esselstyn book on reversing heart disease. I got convinced within hours that procedures are not the answer. Heart disease is systemic and needs to be addressed at a higher level.

I started eating the diet prescribed in Dr Esselstyn book within hours of starting my research.

I lost 30 lbs to become normal weight. My labs were excellent. And over time my angina went away.

Six year on, I have rejoined the gym I stopped going to after my diagnosis (I was exercising but mostly brisk walks). I can easily take my heart rate to the cardio range (140 or so) and I don't feel any pain or heaviness on the elliptical. I have also started lifting weights again.

I have felt increasingly better as time has progressed. I have climbed mountains in Zion, Bryce and the Smoky Mountains and I am going to Canadian Rockies, the Banff and Jasper national parks and will be doing long hikes there.

Staying on the diet over time has done wonders for me. Time and adherence is the key. And I never got that stent!
pundit999
 
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Re: Six years on: my success in reversing heart disease

Postby Idgie » Mon Jul 09, 2018 9:30 am

Wonderful! Thanks for the inspiration.
Idgie, Southern CA
My recipes (mostly MWL) are at https://www.drmcdougall.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=58361&p=586527#p586527
My new MWL-only recipe site is at http://mwlrecipes.weebly.com
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Re: Six years on: my success in reversing heart disease

Postby debknott » Mon Jul 09, 2018 12:11 pm

Congratulation on your wonderful success! :thumbsup: It is just great to hear from those who have conquered serious health problems by following the MacDougall way of eating. Thanks for reporting!

Deborah
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Re: Six years on: my success in reversing heart disease

Postby Drew_ab » Mon Jul 09, 2018 8:02 pm

It never gets old to hear stories like this. Thanks for sharing yours! I'm curious if you are still followed by a cardiologist and have ever received a repeat angiogram, or an echocardiogram, etc., showing other evidence of disease reversal. Obviously, you only need your experience alone, but it would be neat to hear if you also had that info available.
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Re: Six years on: my success in reversing heart disease

Postby pundit999 » Tue Jul 10, 2018 8:20 am

Drew_ab wrote:It never gets old to hear stories like this. Thanks for sharing yours! I'm curious if you are still followed by a cardiologist and have ever received a repeat angiogram, or an echocardiogram, etc., showing other evidence of disease reversal. Obviously, you only need your experience alone, but it would be neat to hear if you also had that info available.


I was scheduled to do a repeat stress test a year after starting on this path. My cardiologist, a believer in life style changes, eventually decided against it after seeing my progress. I already know I have heart disease. There is not much to gain by repeated tests.

Most tests for heart disease are invasive and/or inconclusive. Stress testing for example only tells you if you have large stable blockages. It misses smaller ones which are more likely to burst. CAT scans expose you to a large amount of radiation and overestimate the disease. A person may pass the stress test with flying colors in the morning and drop dead of a heart attack in the evening!

Carotid Inter Media Thickness (CIMT) test may be the only one that may be useful. It is ultrasound of the arteries in your neck, so non invasive and no exposure to radiation. These arteries have a close correlation with heart arteries: if they are blocked, your heart arteries are also blocked. But I am not sure how accurate is this test and not many doctors are offering it in my area.

I have not seen a cardiologist in 4 years.

Even if they find something, what are they going to offer? An angioplasty? Stronger drugs that make life miserable? I was on these strong drugs for a few months in the beginning and they were awful. ( I continue to take a small dose of a statin (5mg Lipitor) which I may discontinue soon).

I am already on the best treatment for heart disease. I have been a witness to my gradual progress: angina going away slowly over the years. So I am convinced this is the way to go.
pundit999
 
Posts: 1785
Joined: Thu Jun 28, 2012 10:08 am
Location: Raleigh, NC


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