FOXO3 Gene

Insights and discussion from the cutting edge with reference to journal articles and other research papers.
Sandy57
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Re: FOXO3 Gene

Post by Sandy57 »

Alysson I will post more this weekend about the diet and why they eat, what they eat. As for only real test for calcification, yes an angiogram is the only definitive test. When you look right into the artery you can tell what's going on. If Gundry is too expensive or busy, you will have to find a cardiologist that you trust and takes your insurance. It is an invasive test however, so keep that in mind. In the meantime keep doing what you can to better your health, you are on the right track and appear cognitively sharp.

Frank
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Re: FOXO3 Gene

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Sandy57 wrote:As for only real test for calcification, yes an angiogram is the only definitive test. When you look right into the artery you can tell what's going on. If Gundry is too expensive or busy, you will have to find a cardiologist that you trust and takes your insurance. It is an invasive test however, so keep that in mind. In the meantime keep doing what you can to better your health, you are on the right track and appear cognitively sharp.
Frank, if you were me, would you get an angiogram?

The recommendation from the preventative imaging center was to not see a cardiologist, at least not yet, precisely because they would likely do invasive testing that the folks at the imaging center believed would be premature. Instead, they recommended I do another EBCT scan in a year to determine if progression of the disease is happening. I even had a follow up phone consultation with a MD who works in the same medical practice as the owner of the imaging center. She agreed with that recommendation. I'm taking more EPA, per their other recommendation. I tried the flushing niacin they recommended but gave up on it. They wanted me to slowly work up to 1,000 mg per day, but I had horrible full-body flushing on just 500 mg. It would wake me up in the middle of the night and last upwards of an hour. It would show up at random times, sometimes causing embarrassment in public. I stayed with the niacin for months, but the flushing wasn't improving.

August was one year since my first EBCT scan, but after discussing the matter with some well-informed forum members, I decided to hold off for at least two years. The study on which these recommendations were based used three-year intervals between repeat testing.

My understanding is that Dr. Gundry no longer does angiograms and other types of testing that conventional cardiologists typically do.

Thanks for your comment that I appear cognitively sharp. Considering that per my last tests, my fT3 is below range and my fT4 is scraping the bottom of the range and I'm struggling with insomnia and gut issues, I feel like I'm holding my own. But I'm definitely not where I used to be.
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ru442
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Re: FOXO3 Gene

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Alysson.... My CAC was 1263 (ugh!) and my cardio alluded to doing an angiogram, I said no way in hell! So I did a cardio stress test to see if any of the calcification was impeding blood flow, and it was normal. So that is maybe an option to ease your mind.
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TheBrain
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Re: FOXO3 Gene

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ru442 wrote:Alysson.... My CAC was 1263 (ugh!) and my cardio alluded to doing an angiogram, I said no way in hell! So I did a cardio stress test to see if any of the calcification was impeding blood flow, and it was normal. So that is maybe an option to ease your mind.
I'm sorry to hear your CAC was that high, but it's great news that your cardio stress test was normal. Thanks for the suggestion to do that test myself. I don't like the idea of pushing myself to exhaustion, but that's much easier than undergoing an angiogram. And I hadn't quite acknowledged to myself that my mind is not at ease about this matter, but that is so true.
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Re: FOXO3 Gene

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"I don't like the idea of pushing myself to exhaustion"

It's hardly like that at all... I barely broke a sweat. The target heart rate is generally 220bpm (heart beats per minute) minus you age, so my target was only 170ish. It's more like a very brisk walk, and it is very gradual. Once you hit and sustain your target bpm, they will inject the dye and have you sustain for a few minutes, then off to the scanner. The longest part is the scans, which are done before and after, and take from 30-45 each. They at least had a TV I could watch during the scans, otherwise would have been really boring! (I am not a nap taker!).
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Re: FOXO3 Gene

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ru442 wrote:"I don't like the idea of pushing myself to exhaustion"

It's hardly like that at all... I barely broke a sweat. The target heart rate is generally 220bpm (heart beats per minute) minus you age, so my target was only 170ish. It's more like a very brisk walk, and it is very gradual. Once you hit and sustain your target bpm, they will inject the dye and have you sustain for a few minutes, then off to the scanner. The longest part is the scans, which are done before and after, and take from 30-45 each. They at least had a TV I could watch during the scans, otherwise would have been really boring! (I am not a nap taker!).
Then, WebMD misled me! I did a little reading before replying to you. So that doesn't sound too bad. Thanks for letting me know. So I gather you did the nuclear version of the cardio stress test. I saw that as an option, but the article I read focused just on the more basic treadmill test.

I see my PCP next month and will talk to him about it. I would want a referral from him.
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ru442
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Re: FOXO3 Gene

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I checked the Webmd and its pretty basic... So I found a better reference with this information which is more accurate, cause I now remember my rate was 140ish:

"The maximum predicted heart rate for everyone is 220 minus your age. This is surprisingly accurate across many levels of conditioning & body type. For diagnostic treadmill testing we try to achieve about 85% of predicted maximum. This gives enough stress to adequately test heart without maximizing the stress and potentially producing false positive results. At absolute maximum heart rate, even a normal heart could show strain."

So I would have been 220-54*.85 = 141

And yes it was the nuclear version.
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Stavia
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Re: FOXO3 Gene

Post by Stavia »

Alysson you only need a stress echo. Its very quick. Get your heart rate up then a scan. If there is no focal hypokinesis (part of heart muscle beating less strongly) then there is no significant compromise of blood flow in the coronary circulation.
An angiogram is only necessary if the heart blood supply is compromised.

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Re: FOXO3 Gene

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^^^ This is why you are the Goddess!
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Sandy57
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Re: FOXO3 Gene

Post by Sandy57 »

Alysson
My opinion is that you have to do what will give you peace of mind. The logical sequence might be as simple as starting with a standard EKG. If that would be enough to give you assurance that the calcification is stable (older) if normal, that might be worth doing. If you want to jump right to a stress echo, that is another step up the chain to a clearer picture. If that still would not be enough to convince you , than you might want to do a thallium stress echo. At that point like Doc Stavia said for a regular stress echo (or thallium echo) , if you heart is getting sufficient blood flow it is very indicative that you do not have reduce blood flow from the calcification.

Then and only then if these tests are abnormal would a cardiologist consider doing an angiogram. No good cardiologist is going to say let's start out with an angiogram; unless you have severe chest pain, (debilitating) a heart attack previously, or a few other indicators that you do not have. Very few docs will try to rule out CVD by starting with an angiogram, it is invasive and does carry risks. Also insurance companies will not pay unless other methods are tried first to rule out issues. Rare exception is jumping right to an angiogram without major justification from the doctor to get it covered. So my opinion is start small before you go big. Even maybe with a new Calcification score. If you have very slow or no progression that might be enough to give you some peace of mind.

This is very individualistic however Alysson and I know where you are coming from. I have a very complicated EKG that takes a electrophysiology expert to interpret. Therefore, most of my life I have never had complete peace of mind. I just do my best and take a leap of faith that the docs know more than me about reading my results. I also have a friend and Sandy knows two people that the only way they were convinced was getting an angiogram. Funny one was a pulmonary doc and another a critical care nurse. LOL. But they did have some medical pull to get them done; both had more symptoms than you, that turned out to be benign.

Nobody can give you a definitive answer as to what is best for the psychological part of your score and how it weighs on your mind. Only you know exactly how you feel. My opinion ONLY, and it is only an OPINION, not recommending or giving medical advice, is to start off basic, with non-invasive tests and see where they take you. The easiest is to just get another score to compare your previous result. Then maybe do a routine EKG. At that point let the cardiologist ( that you find and trust) help you determine the next step. In the meantime follow the protocol that you feel is best for overall health along with your heart, exercise if you can, meditate, and tell yourself that you have come a long way my friend, and will continue to improve. Ok I hope that helps along with Doc Stavia's opinion as well.

I will get around to posting more about the Healthy diet the people in the study with and without the FOXO3 G allele ate. Just been crazy busy, but wanted to reply to you. Always had great respect for how hard you work on your health. But remember have some fun too.

Mahalo Frank
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