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Medical Forum / General / General / April 2007How accurate are routine heath physicals?
Just read about a scientist and author experiencing and later dying of a heart attack after he had had a full physical that pronounced him in "excellent" health: Stephen's Health. http://forums.4aynrandfans.com/index.php?showtopic=5885 Stephen Speicher - 1939 - 2007. http://forums.4aynrandfans.com/index.php?s=&showtopic=5969 I'm reminded of the the proponent of running Jim Fixx dying of a heart attack while jogging. I presume Fixx being a proponent of health living also had regular check ups. Can routine physicals detect heart ailments? Bob Clark > Just read about a scientist and author experiencing and later dying > of a heart attack after he had had a full physical that pronounced him [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > living also had regular check ups. > Can routine physicals detect heart ailments? > Bob Clark Good physicals can detect some heart ailments and alert you to potential other time bombs (diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, cancerous skin lesions, colon, prostrate cancer etc. etc.). Passing even a stress test does not guarantee you will not have a problem. For a stress test to be positive you have to have considerable ischaemic heart disease. To have a heart attack the bar is lower - you just need vulnerable plaque to rupture and trigger a clotting response and the artery closes off rapidly. A combination of genetics and lifestyle dictates how susceptible you are to these ailments. For example a mutation inherited in some families makes plaque very susceptible to rupture and the risk of heart attacks for these individuals is probably 100 times the risk of those with high cholesterol. These individuals are in serious jeopardy. Alternatively, you can lead a lifestyle that promotes accumulation of lesions with plaque (smoke, high amounts of bad fats, high blood pressure, sedentary, obesity, obesity induced diabetes etc.). It makes most sense to adopt the healthiest lifestyle you can and hope for the best. Roland > In article <1176225551.771306.26...@e65g2000hsc.googlegroups.com>, > "rgregorycl...@yahoo.com" <rgregorycl...@yahoo.com> wrote: > > Just read about a scientist and author experiencing and later dying [quoted text clipped - 36 lines] > > Roland- Thanks for that. This web page on Jim Fixx says he declined to take a stress test. Given his family history that would have been a wise precaution to take: The Legacy of Jim Fixx. Living longer. "Jim Fixx may have done just that, given the fact that his father died of a heart attack at age 43, and he survived nine years longer to age 52. He might have lived longer had he listened to Dr. Cooper, who urged him to take a stress test during one visit to the Cooper Clinic in Dallas. Despite having cholesterol levels above 250, Fixx demurred for reasons we can only guess at. In the several months before his death, Fixx ignored what hindsight reveals were the warning signs of advanced coronary artery disease. An autopsy revealed blockage in Fixx's three main arteries of 95 percent, 85 percent and 50 percent." http://www.halhigdon.com/Articles/Fixx.htm Are there for example non-invasive tests such as CAT scans that could detect blockage of the arteries? Bob Clark >> In article <1176225551.771306.26...@e65g2000hsc.googlegroups.com>, > [quoted text clipped - 58 lines] > Are there for example non-invasive tests such as CAT scans that could > detect blockage of the arteries? Yes. See one of the Arthur Agatston books. > Bob Clark > > "rgregorycl...@yahoo.com" <rgregorycl...@yahoo.com> wrote: > [quoted text clipped - 57 lines] > Are there for example non-invasive tests such as CAT scans that could > detect blockage of the arteries? A stress test is a non-invasive test that would detect occlusive coronary disease (blockage of the heart arteries). Prayerfully in Jesus' ever-lasting love, Andrew <>< -- Andrew B. Chung, MD/PhD http://EmoryCardiology.com May HIS immortal brethren pray for our dying mortal friends and neighbors: http://HeartMDPhD.com/Convicts In memory of our dearly departed Bob(this one) Pastorio: http://HeartMDPhD.com/Convicts/Bob As for knowing who are the very elect, these you will know by the unconditional love they have for everyone including their enemies (Matthew 5:44-45, 1 Corinthians 13:3, James 2:14-17). http://HeartMDPhD.com/Love The Official SMC FAQ List: http://HeartMDPhD.com/TheTruth/FAQ rgregoryclark wrote: >Are there for example non-invasive tests such as CAT scans that could >detect blockage of the arteries? Here's a link with some info along those lines. http://www.ptca.org/imaging/index2.html Port > In article <1176225551.771306.26...@e65g2000hsc.googlegroups.com>, > [quoted text clipped - 38 lines] > > Roland Thanks for that. In the case I mentioned I don't know if Stephen Speicher took a stress test during his yearly physical. But are you also saying that even a CAT scan might not show significant blockage; it just the blockage that is there happens to be susceptible to causing heart attacks? In that case it might be difficult to predict who would be susceptible to heart attacks with non-invasive methods. Bob Clark "rgregoryclark@yahoo.com" <rgregoryclark@yahoo.com> wrote in part: >> In article <1176225551.771306.26...@e65g2000hsc.googlegroups.com>, >> [quoted text clipped - 48 lines] > > Bob Clark It's extremely difficult with either invasive or non-invasive methods. It isn't the "blockage" that is the disease. It is fairly subtle changes in the artery wall, inflammation, and clotting tendencies. I think Roland's point is very good. Assume you are at risk and do the best you can to bring down your risks. True, you'd like to know if you should be on something like a statin, but a physical isn't likely to help you decide. -- Jim Chinnis Warrenton, Virginia, USA Arthur Agatston, MD (South Beach diet etc) has a book which discusses some of the things that typical physicals and blood tests don't get into. Interesting and credible info, it's in most libraries. > Just read about a scientist and author experiencing and later dying > of a heart attack after he had had a full physical that pronounced him [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > Bob Clark |
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