I am trying to condition my heart after having had a completely blocked right coronary artery opened and stented almost three years ago. THere were "several smaller blockages" seen on angiogram.

I have hit a milestone goal of mine. Yesterday I worked the ELLIPTICAL TRAINER machine for exacly ONE HOUR at a heart rate in excess of 80% of my age mediated maximum. No angina at all...just wobbly legs.

Since an hour is about all that I practically want to bear, I will now gradually push my heart rate gradually to 85 and 90% of maximum.

Upside is the hourlong workout allows me to watch an entire episode of something on the Sci-Fi channel ;). Since each machine has it's own LCD screen, workouts are MUCH easier than just staring at a clock!

Two plus years ago, I thought I'd NEVER get to this level of aerobic exercise.

I really think my heart is cooperating and making all kinds of collateral vessels and even cleaning out the old clogs (I have my LDL at 62.)

<Knocking Wood>

Cangratulatiions!

Yeah, enjoy those endorphins! Congrats

That's awesome, I am curious as to your age?

hoosier,

Well,
Let's just say that I haven't hid Medicare yet...but it's clearly in my sights! :D:D

Lenin - well done, and thanks for the thought-provoking comments. We are all trying to guess your age now.;)

Personally, I would be happier seeing you exercise for shorter times and less strenuously. The age-related maximums are for healthy hearts and I see no reason to push your stented heart to the limits. Assuming you are talking about 220 minus your age, moderate exercise would be about 50-70% of your maximum and vigourous exercise about 70-80%. The higher levels you mention worry me because I can find no evidence suggesting a major benefit would be obtained, and there might even be a chance that you are doing harm rather than good.

(With my exercise I aim at FLEXING the arteries as much as possible, so I jog short distances several times a day. I know the "flexing" works as my angina threshold is raised by the short hard exercise. I also know the rise in angina limit is maintained for a few hours after my run.)

The way I see it there are two views of exercise for CAD - one is that you are dealing with a diseased organ (system) and that it needs to be treated carefully - nurtured if you like. This is the conventional cardioligist's view - take up light exercise such as walking and make lifestyle changes - reduce stress, improve diet, lose weight and stop smoking. This is the cardiologist's way to prolong your life. We certainly need to prolong it because the life expectancy after CAD diagnosis is a mere 5 years. Shorter than for most forms of cancer. This is serious - I mean SERIOUS.:eek: :eek:

The other view, popular here and elsewhere (you might say amongst the better-informed), is that the heart (or cardio system) may be affected by the disease, but with early detection, and dramatic changes in lifestyle, coupled with strong medication (cholesterol-lowering medication) it can be nursed back to a reasonable state of health. By reasonable I mean close to that of someone without CAD. We all live with that dream. How true is it I wonder?
My cardiologist said very clearly that CAD was progressive, and that the changes in the arteries due to cholesterol (and probably a genetic predisposition) were "mechanical" - that was the word he used when I asked about exercise.

Exercise is what we all use to try to counter our condition but I wonder is this simply because we have no other means to fight our disease. To fight it hard we can exercise hard. Does it work - as I see it the jury is still out on this.

Beefsteak :wave:

Beefsteak

Truth be told, an hour at 130-140 BPM is going to be unsustainable at least for the near future except for periodic "personal bests." It is just too much time and effort to manage 4 times a week. But the 40 minutes is doable and less agony for the old knees ...as long as I remember to do the back extension machine afterwards to prevent back spasm <old age sucks.>:dizzy:


Exercise is what we all use to try to counter our condition but I wonder is this simply because we have no other means to fight our disease. To fight it hard we can exercise hard. Does it work - as I see it the jury is still out on this.
My jury has come in on this one. I think that hard exercise DOES fight it. I guess the problem comes from the bell shaped curve of disability and degree, as well as KIND of disease. For example, someone in heart failure might do well for himself just walking a couple feet extra every day until he can walk a slow mile without having to sit. But others with "one stent" might still aspire to running a marathon in good time. I think the secret is to make the body do MORE than it did before...and then MORE than that while always making sure no damage is being done.

On the "no other means" I must disagree. I think that lipid control to <70 LDL over a long period of time is the sine qua non of "recovering" from heart disease...at least of the atherosclerotic artery induced type.

We angina sufferers have a WONDERFUL built in meter...chest discomfort. It can be made to work for ourselves.
At first I though that this might be all this wishful thinking, but I am getting more and more convinced that angina can really be "cured!"

I think many heart conditions are perforce progressive, but I really, really think that atherosclerosis need not be. I think we know enough to BEAT this sucker by diet, medication, and exercise. Our generation is luckier than past ones by having good dietary information, percutaneous procedures, and a bevy of lipid lowering drugs.

<Knocking wood more furiously than usual.>:blob_fire

Lenin, Thanks for the inspiring comments. Will think over what you said.
I think I'm learning that exercise is very much an individual thing. I certainly could not keep up with your solid routine. After I jog for 15 minutes my chest hurts and I have to stop - no choice about it. I then feel really stuffed for a few minutes. :dizzy: :dizzy: (Strangely, some (good) days I am much better than others - I can't work that out - doesn't tie in with anything as far as I can see.)
What you say about angina being a built-in limit is very true - I use it all the time. This is why I have to use such short runs.
I am on 40mg Lipitor and wonder if I should cut to 20mg and start Niacin - either 500mg or 1g. It could raise my HDL to a more useful level (my total chol. is in the 150-160 range. Tell me what you did - you were considering raising your Niacin from 500mg to 1g when we last spoke - did you do it? (I have Inositol Hexanicotinate - have never taken any niacin - is that the best form?)
Thanks mate,
Beefsteak. :wave:

I COULDN'T stop at 40 minutes so I did another hour finishing at 135 BPM. ..one full episode of ANDROMEDA worth (that I've never SEEN ven!:cool: ) and 702 calories.
Only DIFFERENT side effect was that my outer toes went numb the last couple minutes...I guess I need new running shoes.:jester:

Beefsteak,
I took the 1 gram slo-niacin, now time release formulation, for about a week, but I am cursed with a tendency towards seborrheic dermatitits and I am frightened of doing anyting that might cause flushing even in my sleep and a pregression to rosacea, so I'm back to 500 mg./day. I have no personal experience with the hexanixotinoate so I can't speak for it. I'm not sure whether ALL the nicotinic avid is released from the inositol molecule.

If you were to try my system, I'd say go for a week of 16 minutes, then a week at 17 minutes. See if you can push the angina envelope.

How low can you get your LDL?

p.s. I don't mean to sound cavalier about my exercise and I FULLY realize that my heart disease is far less debilitating than others. I am just very grateful that I can do what I can do and I am determined to beat this thing. After all, losing THIS game is losing the only game in town!
But I think everyone should battle at the level of his capability. Heart disease seems to THRIVE on rest.