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I know several people that have died or almost died from Widowmaker heart attacks. Seeing a cardiologist and cardio in general is one of those things that a lot

I know several people that have died or almost died from Widowmaker heart attacks. Seeing a cardiologist and cardio in general is one of those things that a lot of men ignore because they feel healthy but it cannot be stressed enough, once you hit 30/40s, find a good cardiologist especially if you have a history of heart attacks in your family.

sizzle 4y ago
Also get your blood work done annually and cholesterol/ lipid panels checked by a qualified physician as that will be the first line of defense to sound the alarm and prevent heart disease from progressing. I will never forget seeing a family member with their sternum cracked wide-open heart bypass, where they connect your heart to a machine while you are suspended in animation, so they can operate on bypassing your clogged arteries that could have been managed with a healthy lifestyle and drugs.
novok 4y ago
I don't have a history of heart attacks, and lot of doctors seem to discount this form of early checking. What do you do when your bloodwork is good?
- wahern 4y ago
  > What do you do when your bloodwork is good? Yearly blood panels provide time series data against which it might be easier to spot changes even if all metrics are in the "healthy" zone. At Kaiser, which usually has its own lab in every facility, yearly blood panels are completely routine. As an HMO Kaiser has every incentive to minimize costs, and they don't make any such practices routine unless and until they've been demonstrated to provide clear benefit across their patient population. (They also regularly run all sorts of trials--they're vertically integrated from the research lab on up.)
  - novok 4y ago
    Kaisers / HMOs are not that unique in having annual blood work of standard items. I think they have to do it by law at some level, with PPO insurance 'preventive' stuff like that is usually much cheaper or 'free'.
carabiner 4y ago
One thing I've heard is that under 40, people died from trauma (car crash) or suicide. After 40, the body really starts breaking down and people die from anything. Cancer, heart problems, lots of stuff out of the blue much without prior causes like smoking.

sizzle 4y ago

Also get your blood work done annually and cholesterol/ lipid panels checked by a qualified physician as that will be the first line of defense to sound the alarm and prevent heart disease from progressing. I will never forget seeing a family member with their sternum cracked wide-open heart bypass, where they connect your heart to a machine while you are suspended in animation, so they can operate on bypassing your clogged arteries that could have been managed with a healthy lifestyle and drugs.

novok 4y ago

I don't have a history of heart attacks, and lot of doctors seem to discount this form of early checking. What do you do when your bloodwork is good?

wahern 4y ago
> What do you do when your bloodwork is good? Yearly blood panels provide time series data against which it might be easier to spot changes even if all metrics are in the "healthy" zone. At Kaiser, which usually has its own lab in every facility, yearly blood panels are completely routine. As an HMO Kaiser has every incentive to minimize costs, and they don't make any such practices routine unless and until they've been demonstrated to provide clear benefit across their patient population. (They also regularly run all sorts of trials--they're vertically integrated from the research lab on up.)
- novok 4y ago
  Kaisers / HMOs are not that unique in having annual blood work of standard items. I think they have to do it by law at some level, with PPO insurance 'preventive' stuff like that is usually much cheaper or 'free'.

carabiner 4y ago

One thing I've heard is that under 40, people died from trauma (car crash) or suicide. After 40, the body really starts breaking down and people die from anything. Cancer, heart problems, lots of stuff out of the blue much without prior causes like smoking.