Oh, I sss-tt-ut – t-t -t- ter when I acknowledge that I was diagnosed this summer with coronary artery disease – or CAD at my tender calendar age of 71… Note to self: take a deep, mindful breath and consider what the term disease means. It isn’t all gloom and doom :). Dis-ease is a “lack of ease, or a shift from normal conditions.” I have a 7th Day Adventist neighbor who suggested that we are all born with a disease – namely death. I also have a boat club philosopher who asserts that none of us are getting out of this act alive. These philosophical thoughts help with my perspective.
- You may also know the term cardio-vascular disease, or CVD.
- Let me pile on with a third phrase – atherosclerosis CVD (which is abbreviated ASCVD)
After my disease diagnosis, I acquiesced to a starting daily regimen of a statin to stabilize my arterial plaques. I took a harder-line stance for “BLUE ZONE” lifestyle dietary habits. And, yes, I am learning to do just fine with fewer drams of adult beverages. And most importantly from a STRONG TO SAVE perspective, exercise is ALWAYS and I underscore ALWAYS prescribed for denying ASCVD for as long as possible.
Who wants to die earlier and easier?
How did your scribe, with a good strong ticker, and fairly good markers for coronary health develop his dis-ease???
One day at a time, since my “gene pool” handed me my little kryptonite element titled Lipoprotein(a). This tiny, sticky protein, as a minority element of “bad” low density lipoproteins in your and my body, seems to be a root cause for my healthspan paradox of chronic low-grade inflammation of my pumping system. And what a system it is!
- I have measures of cardio-vascular fitness and wellness that suggested I was doing quite well, until I fortuitously found out that I really wasn’t in a complete sense…
- Example: My pulse wave velocity (PWV) is for a male Caucasian who is ~ 7 years younger than me. I like a younger healthspan calendar, and you should as well!
- My blood pressure, body composition, glucose sensitivity, total Cholesterol, VO2 max, and other clinical metrics are darned good. An ultrasound of my Ticker was also tickety-boo, except for slight “age-related” stenosis(hardening) of my aortic valve…
While stuttering about this CAD as a “deviation from the normal condition,” I am quite energized by my dis-ease and mortality in the sense that I have my theme and title for the third experiential fitness manual in my trilogy.
The title of this work, following KABOOMER and STRONG TO SAVE, will likely be something like this:
Your Ticker Tape: Deny the top and preventable killer
Let me share just a few of the amazing factoids about the adult ticker as preludes for that new work of mine:
- Your heart may pulse and relax about 3 billion times in an average lifespan.
- The smooth muscles of your 4-chambered heart and its self-pumping system are regenerated via autophagy every ~ 4 months.
- The average adult heartbeat pumps about 70 milliliters of blood
- Your heart has an average power rating of 0.0015 horsepower
- Your ticker generated billions of joules as it lifetime effort.
Betcha you want to read more about your amazing Ticker – right?
Stay tuned,
DF