Heart Attack + 2 years: Blood Profile Update

It's been 6 months since my last blood work. I've been doing pretty good with the meds and exercise, and OK on diet. Here are the updates:

Here are my March 2010 values (first ones after the heart attack):

cholesterol, total 173 mg/dl <200 (GOOD!)
HDL cholesterol 37 mg/dl >39 (CLOSE!)
cholesterol/hdl ratio 4.68 <5.00 (GOOD!)
LDL cholesterol, calculated (can not be calculated when the triglyceride exceeds 400 mg/dl).
triglyceride 712 mg/dl <150 (BAD!)

Here are my September 2010 Values:
cholesterol, total 153 mg/dl <200 (20 pts improvement)
HDL cholesterol 50 mg/dl >39 (13 pts improvement)
cholesterol/hdl ratio 3.06 <5.00 (50% improvement)
LDL cholesterol, calculated 76 <100 (good)
triglyceride 133 mg/dl <150 (nearly 600 pt redux)

Here are mySeptember 2011 Values:
cholesterol, total 143 mg/dl <200 (10 pts improvement)
HDL cholesterol 47 mg/dl >39 (3 pts drop)
cholesterol/hdl ratio 3.04 <5.00 (good)
LDL cholesterol, calculated 49 <100 (good)
triglyceride 234 mg/dl <150 (creeping up!)



My LDL's are continuing to go down, so I assume the Statins are doing their job. The Triglycerides are creeping up! I'm on Tricor for that, but it's not keeping up. I see my PCP this week, and we'll see what he says.

On the fundraising front, we just finished the Heart Walk in Erie, and we had a great turnout and raised quite a bit of money for the American Heart Association.

Have you been to see your doctor lately? Have you had blood work done in the last year? If not, ask yourself why. Also think about what the world would be like if you were to die tomorrow of a heart attack, just because you didn't think it was important enough to get checked out.

Remember, I was running 20 miles a week when I had my heart attack in 2009. Don't confuse feeling good for being well. Get checked out!

Still Ticking - and Walking!

I'm approaching 2 years since my heart attack, and I'm feeling pretty good. I'll have another round of lipid profiles to review soon, but I'm sticking to the medicine regimen and am getting some good exercise.

Walking is a great low impact way to exercise. I am lucky to work in a place that has some great paved walking trails as well as unpaved hiking paths. I get out 3 or more times each week for an hour, and sweat a bit. It feels pretty good!

I'm also coordinating walkers, and walking in the Heart Walk. If you would like to walk with me, or sponsor me, you can click here.  

The details :

Heart Walk – September 17

Location: Liberty Park (Erie bayfront)

Distance: 3 miles

Time: 9AM Register/Photo, 10AM Walk

It's a great way to get healthier, and support the American Heart Association!

Plavix Boy Hates Shaving - And Scores of Interns!

I have concluded that a regimen including Aspirin, fish oil and Plavix is not conducive to shaving with a razor.

It's not like I bleed profusely, but it takes forever to stop. I'm not really complaining. Worse things have happened to me!

One upside to my heart attack story is that I connected with an executive at GE who has asked me to champion the GE Heart Walk team here in Erie. I'm currently working with a group of energized interns who are doing all kinds of things to raise funds for AHA. They are holding their own cookout, canning (hanging out with a donation box/can), doing a restaurant fund raiser, and holding their own mini-walk. I expect around 200 interns for the walk. These young people are really doing an excelent job in pulling together, being creative, and donating their time and money for this great cause!

Incidentally, to join my Heart Walk team, or to sponsor me, click here.

The Lipid Profile - 1 year after meds

I have my lipids tested every 6 months now. Here are the last three together. You can see a marked improvement in all of the key indicators over the 12 months. The HDL is higher, the LDL is lower, the the Triglycerides are way down from the original.  That's the Tricor doing its stuff.

It looks like I still need to work on the Tri's, and my weight is creeping up. Much of that is diet related - I don't watch what I eat and drink as much as I should.

Here are my March 2010 values:

Lipid panel:                         Value                Good:    Comments
   cholesterol, total               173  mg/dl         <200    (GOOD!)
   HDL cholesterol               37  mg/dl            >39    (CLOSE!)
   cholesterol/hdl ratio           4.68                 <5.00 (GOOD!)
   LDL cholesterol, calculated   (can not be calculated when the
triglyceride exceeds 400 mg/dl).
   triglyceride                        712  mg/dl         <150 (BAD!)

Here are my September 2010 Values:

Lipid panel:
   cholesterol, total               153  mg/dl         <200    (20 pts improvement)
   HDL cholesterol                 50  mg/dl            >39    (13 pts improvement)
   cholesterol/hdl ratio           3.06                 <5.00    (50% improvement)
   LDL cholesterol, calculated   76                   <100     (good)

   triglyceride                        133  mg/dl         <150    (nearly 600 pt redux)

Here are my March 2011 Values:
Lipid panel:
   cholesterol, total               132  mg/dl         <200    (21 pts improvement)
   HDL cholesterol                 46  mg/dl            >39    (4 pts drop)
   cholesterol/hdl ratio           2.87                 <5.00    (Still lower)
   LDL cholesterol, calculated   52                   <100     (good)
   triglyceride                        168  mg/dl         <150    (Just over the limit)
 

I think if I had shown the first lipid panel to a PCP, they would have instituted a 

change that may have reduced the risk or prevented my heart attack. 

My sister tells me that her Tri's are also high, so there may be some 

genetic contribution.

So if I were you, I would schedule a PCP visit at least once a year, and insist 

on a lipid panel. It will tell you a lot about your heart health!

New eBook published!

I recently published an eBook version of the story of my heart attack and recovery.  Based on my blog and with some changes, it's now available online, at the low low price of $2.99!

Update: It's now available in Amazon's Kindle Bookstore and Barnes and Noble's Nookstore,

Here is the cover: