Kitano wrote:Lilly & Russ,
Did you ever have a carotid ultrasound to detect plaque by the intima thickness measurement? I agree with serial monitoring and that the calcium is permanent,only to further increase, but I am concerned about the radiation dose with serial CT scans.
Hey, Kit - here I am - keeping my typical vampire hours.
Yeppers...I did. Dr. Trutt's team did it last August as a part of the initial PhysioAge workup. I was completely negative for anything (have to check my reports to see the exact reading) - I did ask the tech, while she was administering the carotid ultrasound, if everything looked okay. I know I'm not supposed to ask and she's not supposed to really reveal until the physician reads it, but I guess she could detect my fear. lol So she said "I don't see a thing bad in there. Looks completely negative. And if I had seen something even a little iffy...I would have told you to wait until Dr. Trutt looks at the pictures and that he'll get back to you." When I did talk to Trutt, he kept reiterating: "Your body just isn't laying down plaque. Wow." Okay, that made me happy, and even though (as I said before) the docs think it's my genetics, I'm not that optimistic. To reiterate: I've been on Simvastatin (Zocor) prophylactically since 2007. So, that's partially why I'm pro-statin. The other reason is a statin's anti-inflammatory benefits.
Susan - yes - my sentiments precisely.
However - and this is a huge however - Russ. I COMPLETELY get it about your dad. My mom took Lipitor for a few months and absolutely, positively could not tolerate it. I know I've posted this before. She had muscle breakdown and the accompanying muscle pain. With her subsequent 23etmoi testing, turns out she has the gene combo that makes one statin intolerant (as does my husband). Oh, and she also had some memory issues with the Lipitor (like your dad), but those resolved when she stopped the drug. Me? Naw. My genes scream "bring on the statins!" Seriously. I'm genetically impervious to a statin's ill effects in terms of muscle destruction and, probably, memory issues.
BUT that doesn't mean it's not eating away at my myelin sheath.
That scares the caca out of me.
Russell, though, sigh. 811. I hope you don't mind - I told my husband - and we talked about it on and off throughout the weekend. I'm really worried, Russ. Anything over 400 is scary shiznit.
What does your family say? If I'm being nosy, tell me to stfu. I can take it. Truly.
I dunno, dude. I'm thinkin' you need to have a serious sit-down with your cardiologist, or even a tippy-top cardiologist and fly to where she/he is if not local. I know many of us here have taken our respective mountains to Mohammed to receive the best medical treatment and advice we deem possible. That's an insane amount of arterial calcium for an asymptomatic (I think we are all assuming you've experienced no related cardiac symptoms) early 50s? Mid-50s? male.
Hey, totally topical: I had PBS on in the background as I was working tonight, and on came Dr. Steven Masley - board-certified, and, I believe, functional physician in St. Petersburg (Jul - why do all the good ones practice in FL? lol). Man, was he interesting? I downloaded his book to my Kindle immediately. If I understand correctly, I believe he's a former chef and is HUGE re proper nutrition. And he's down with every little dietary regime we discuss and advocate (EVOO, fiber, nuts, grass-fed beef, fish, lean meet only, NO refined carbs, NO sugar, get it together if you've metabolic syndrome, exercise, it's more important to be fit v. skinny, etc., etc.). He is completely holistic and believes you can achieve heart health through lifestyle changes. I really dug him.
I'm not adverse to making a trip to FL to see both him and Dr. Perlmutter. Seriously considering it.
http://blog.peertrainer.com/tip_of_the_ ... ey-md.html
https://www.linkedin.com/pub/steven-mas ... 3a/596/a81
President, Medical Director
Masley Optimal Health Center
2007 – Present (7 years)St Petersburg, Florida
Dr. Masley’s Optimal Health Center (OHC) provides a state-of-the-art physical, nutritional, and longevity evaluation. This comprehensive and holistic assessment surpasses the typical disease oriented yearly physical—as we also explore your fitness, physiologic age, mental function, artery plaque growth, nutritional intake, and biochemical needs. With your results in hand, we develop a plan to realistically achieve your unique goals and dreams.
http://hearttuneup.com/
http://www.drmasley.com/drmasley.html
http://www.drmasley.com/drmasley.html
Please keep us abreast of what you're going to do. I know you want to hack this cardiac-brain thing. I empathize completely. But comes a point where (and this is just my strong belief) the self-experimentation is secondary and conventional Western med has to do its primary thang, ya know? Don't want to throw out that fragile baby with that bathwater...
