How to Prevent & Reverse Heart Disease
Practising what I preach
What do you do, as a doctor, to prevent heart disease?
With this question, people are really asking whether we, as doctors, follow our own advice. Not often, is the honest answer, but here is what I do. First, I have a family history of heart disease, so I’m more concerned with prevention as a result. This is very important.
• I don’t smoke.
• I avoid salt and salty foods.
• I take regular exercise, walking briskly 2 miles a day, four times a week. I avoid lifts and take the stairs.
• I watch my weight. I eat sensibly but am not obsessed about it. I try to keep my cholesterol at 5.0 mmol/litre with a good HDL.
• I enjoy wine.
• I have my blood pressure checked once a year.
• I try to stay calm!
What would you do if you had angina or a heart attack?
First, I would be disappointed that I had not been able to prevent it.
• I’d have my cholesterol checked again.
• I would take aspirin and medications prescribed.
• I would want to know how I did on an exercise test and how my pump performed on an echocardiogram.
What drugs would you take?
I would take aspirin, statin, and ACE inhibitor or AII antagonists. I have mild asthma so I probably could not tolerate a beta-blocker.
I Would you have an angiogram done?
I would not hesitate to have an angiogram or CT angiogram if this was recommended to determine the extent of the problem. I would want to look at it myself!
I Would you have an angioplasty or surgery if recommended?
Again, I would have no hesitation in agreeing to whatever is appropriate. I would select my surgeon, cardiologist or anaesthetist carefully. I realise that I would have better information about this than a layman.
I Would you return to your normal workload afterwards?
I would look carefully at my workload and almost certainly cut back on my commitments. I would try and reduce my hours, avoid committees and cut down on lectures and unnecessary travel.
I would spend more time with my family, recognising that I should have done this much sooner.
I would try to remember that no one on their deathbed wished they had spent more time at the office.
Do you think heart disease would affect you psychologically?
Yes. Like most doctors I have an unhealthy feeling of invincibility regarding my own health and it would shatter the myth! Being positive by nature would help me pick up the pieces, although I would have to recognise that those who ‘told me so’ were right.
