Poll-How many members are Heart Disease Vulnerable

[Lee Kirksey, MD]

Who is a Vulnerable Patient?

Each year close to 1.4 million people in the United States experience a heart attack and in excess of 500,000 die from it. Amazingly, 50 to 70 percent of those individuals who died from a heart attack were not aware of their risk. Worldwide, over 19 million people die from a heart attack each year.

Definition of a vulnerable patient:

Individuals who are at risk of a near future heart attack are called vulnerable patient. One way of characterizing this population is to define those with 5% or more risk of heart attack in one year. In other words, in 10 years one out of two vulnerable patients will definitely experience a heart attack.


Risk factors include:
Family history MI (sister, brother, mother, father)
Stroke
Hypertension
High Cholesterol
Diabetes
Smoking
Sedentary lifestyle
Obesity - greater than 20% of ideal weight
claudication-calf or thigh pain with walking exertion

How may members are high risk ie 2 or more risk factors??

[ireneo]

Are you counting those that aren't at risk as well so you can determine a percentage? From your list I would say I am not. The only item that is a slight risk for me is the hypertension, maybe. I'm fine at home but jump up to the 140's at the doctor. But now I'm on Diltiazem for chest pains and arrhythmias. That helps with the BP too.

I don't see age factored in there, say menopausal women. Is estrogen not that important to heart disease?

[momtofourboys]

I guess I would be that factor. Iam 37 years old
I am obese and my lifestyle mainly, even though I have 4 boys, is non movement. (I have tumors in throughout leg and makes it difficult to get around)
If you are talking about family history also for diabetes, my dad has it got it younger them my grammy.
blood pressure is very good 85/54, non smoker
not sure about cholesterol
Michelle

[Momto3]

Hi Dr. Kirksey!

Thanks for the information and for polling our members....

I believe my current risk of heart disease is low and I'm hoping to keep it that way.  I do have a family history (Dad had CABGx4, Type II diabetic, PAD, ICD...Fortunately, his medications seem to be keeping things in check).

I take Lisinopril for optimal BP control (History of PVC-induced cardiomyopathy and moderate MR).  

Good cholesterol
No diabetes
Non smoker
Walk at least 5 days/week  - I should work on this and add more exercise
Normal weight
No claudication in legs

Thanks again!
Connie

[e.r.boy]

We are all vulnerable. 50% of us will die from it and 80% have it when they die. The technology is coming along very slowly. I have family history and have gone through the old hit and miss tests. EKG and Echo ,stress test then nuclear stress test then invasive angiogram. Even though the angiogram showed no narrowing, it doesn't show how bad my arteries are diseased, if at all .You can pass an angiogram with flying colors and still have bad plaque that has not caused stenosis. The Intra vascular ultrasound apparently shows soft plaque but is not readily available. Its no wonder so many people have the disease and don't know it ! Medicine is very reactive, not proactive. I fear cardiologists are financially hooked on angioplasty and bypass sugery and may be a little concerned their livelyhood will suffer if they actually prevent CAD in society. I hope I'm wrong.

[erijon]

Wow, e.r. boy you sure don't sound too hopeful for the future, I hope you feel better than you sound.

I was told I am low risk, my only real risk factor is that I'm still about 50 pounds overweight. That first 60 came off fast but this last 50 is a bear. I have low and controlled cholesterol levels (TC 151), controlled blood pressure (105/70), no family history of early onset heart disease or stroke, no smoking ever, no diabetes and walk 3 miles every day in 45 mins on a treadmill with no leg pain or symptoms at all. I try to burn 3,000 cals per week. I have had 3 nuclear stress tests and echos over the last three years, all normal and normal blood work as well.

So far so good for a 50 year old man I guess. Someone knock on wood for me!

Jon

[e.r.boy]

Yes, I am better than I sound and that's because I've taken my health into my own hands.  Do you realise that the number of people who die of heart disease is the equivalent of something like 40 jumbo jets crashing to earth every day ? Do you think they would fix the problem if that many jets crashed every day ? When I sat waiting for my angiogram I talked to many people who were on their second bypass, 4th stent, etc and were ill again. With the medication we have available that is unacceptable. All we ask is to have 80 years of good health without suffering from heart attacks and strokes which lower our quality of life considerably. I'm happy to hear your numbers are good!

[fizzixgal]

As I posted in the other thread, my risk should be very, very low.

family history good (both lived into their 90's, no early MI)
no stroke
bp good (should be better though, trying to find a doctor who will rx for it)
lifelong low cholesterol
no diabetes
non smoker
lots of exercise (3x/week, cyclist in summer, walk in winter)
normal weight
no claudication

but I'm here, and even my doctor thinks my chest pains "could be" angina (vasospastic). He won't order further tests because of my "low cardiac risk"!! Even after an equivocal nuclear stress scan!