Fifty Plus (50+) - Cycling and sudden death

How many of you, since you're "over 50", feel any additional concern about your cardiovascular health?

Obviously, cycling promotes healthy physical adaptations in most persons -- resulting in a reduced chance of heart attack and stroke. How many of you feel more unlikely to have heart health problems? How many of you feel uncertain about the true nature of your heart's health? What are you doing about it?

It seems that one can never know for sure. More about a very popular St. Louis cyclist below.

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/metroeast/story/D3D546DC7627040486257168006972C3?OpenDocument&highlight=2%2C%22pohlman%22

as you said, no one can know for sure...so why think about it ?

worrying about it is counterproductive and negative
negativity, worry, and mental stress kill more people than riding does


I just prefer to ride and if I die on the bike, whoopee I was doing something I like

I'm 56. About 5 years ago, I was diagnosed with a condition that causes my coronary arteries to spasm. It produces chest pains, similar to a heart attack. I'm on medication to help relieve the spasms. I haven't had a episode of chest pain for a couple of years now. I was told that about 10% of the people who have this condition suffer "sudden death syndrome", and just keel over. I'm not overly concerned about it. I don't push myself to extreme limits, but I haven't been told not to carry on a normal lifestyle.

How many of you, since you're "over 50", feel any additional concern about your cardiovascular health?

Obviously, cycling promotes healthy physical adaptations in most persons -- resulting in a reduced chance of heart attack and stroke. How many of you feel more unlikely to have heart health problems? How many of you feel uncertain about the true nature of your heart's health? What are you doing about it?

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Yesterday I got my quarterly high school newsletter.

One more good friend from high school is dead. Of the 4 couples I went to my senior prom with as a group, I am the only one of the guys still living. This guy was a nationally known, highly acclaimed architect and expert on community housing. I rediscovered him a year ago on the internet and sent him an email. He never responded.

I don't think any of the others "bicycled."

Life has a start, a living and an end. I try to concentrate on the "living" part.

I have absolutely no "uncertain" feelings about my heart's health, having successfully conquered atrial fibrillation this last year, and in the final analysis, after many studies, been told I have an extremely strong heart.

I can't think of a better way to go!

Do you have concerns about your own heart health, Richard Cranium? I would guess that you do, or you wouldn't be asking us. Please share your personal concerns with us. Perhaps we can help.

He probably had a sudden cardiac arrhythmia (a sort of electrical short circuit) that could happen to anyone, anytime. When it happens to athletes, especially professional ones, who are doing their thing, it often makes the news. It would probably have been more likely to happen had they not been in good health and let their "peies" gum up being a couch potato and leading a sedentary life.
Who was the smart person who pointed out that man is the only animal aware of death, and consequently worries about it??
All any of us can do about it is try to stay healthy, excercise, eat well, don't smoke, etc. and enjoy life.
It's awfully hard to go back and pick different parents.
I guess if I drop dead doing something I like, I could go a lot of other tougher ways.

We have no choice about whether we die or not but we do have a choice about how.
Look at the alternatives - 10 years in heart failure bound to the living room chair unable to get up to change the tv channel - then you die.
Or - ride a bike every day, living life to it's fullest and eventually fall off the bike dead.
Looks to me like an easy choice to make.

I don't really worry about it, if it is going to happen not much you can do.
better to compulse about my riding, than my health.

as you said, no one can know for sure...so why think about it ?

worrying about it is counterproductive and negative
negativity, worry, and mental stress kill more people than riding does


I just prefer to ride and if I die on the bike, whoopee I was doing something I like


You said it all.

I think that at my age 50 and 3/4 it is time not to worry, but to maintain a positive attitude towards good cardiovascular health. I've got my vices for sure. So I'm far from an expert in these matters. So here's my 2 cents for what it's worth. I stopped cycling about 10 years ago. I used to ride my Diamondback hybrid regularly and could comfortably ride several times a week for varying mileage. I was a slim 140lbs on my 5'4" self. In June of last year I was up to 194lbs, had a cholesterol level of a whopping 385, chest pains and could not walk 2 blocks without excruciating pain in my feet. Currently, I am down to 150lbs have a cholesterol level below 135 and have discontinued cholesterol meds. All of this was made possible by returning to cycling, maintaining a proper diet and a positive attitude. I do still take a blood thinner. I now ride 30 to 40 mi a week on my new OCR2 and obviously will be increasing on that. So I guess I do feel more confident and certain about my heart health.

I'm 56 and a strong club rider. This thought hit me a couple of years ago when I read some story in a cycing magazine about a guy who was riding in a group, they were racing to the top of a long climb, and he gets there, high fives everyone and promptly keels over and is gone. The author then decided that he didnt need to attack every climb and was happy to let the group get away.

I think I let that story really bother me and found myself backing off in our club rides (races?) when it got hard. That was frustrating because in a little way I was letting the worry of death affect my life. I really wasnt very happy.

Then after a while I just decided 'screw it' and went back to riding as hard as I felt like. Ive gotten much faster, can always give the young guns a run for their money and I'm lovin life. I may be the guy who keels over at the top of a climb someday but like the others have said, we're going out anyway sooner or later. At least I'm happy.

Out on an organized ride this past weekend. Guy about 30 minutes ahead of me was struck by a hit and run driver and thrown 40 feet. He had crossed at a semi-blind country road intersection surrounded by vineyards. He was under a plastic tarp as I rode by.

There are so many things to be anxious about, from bird flu and the Iranian bomb to my son's driving a car that he does his own brake jobs on.......I take reasonable steps to insure my personal safety-- and beyond that leave it to God. No one at BF consciously appreciates life's value probably as much as those of us here at 50+ as we pedal on closer towards Eternity.

Nothing to worry about. You'll die for sure, so live your life in the meantime. If you cycle regularly, you're not likely to die of cardiac failure unless you have heart disease or some kind of health related problem. I just live my life. by the way, sudden death by heart failure strikes me as a good way to go. A second or two of surprise, then you're gone. Better than weeks in a hospital with tubes and needles stuck in you like a voodoo doll.

Yesterday I got my quarterly high school newsletter.



Life has a start, a living and an end. I try to concentrate on the "living" part.

Do you have concerns about your own heart health, Richard Cranium? I would guess that you do, or you wouldn't be asking us. Please share your personal concerns with us. Perhaps we can help.

By the time you've hit decade 5 the concept thatmortality is optional has long since been left to the youngsters. I do try to take decent care of my health. At the same time, I seem to be enjoying the simple pleasures more than ever. Just yesterday I was thinkingthis has been the most beautiful spring ever in Virginia--or maybe a part of me now realizes just how precious each spring day really is.

Man that guy was a strong rider. His normal ride of 40 miles in 90 minutes = 26.6 mph! As for the sudden death thing, I am 54, have good cardiac health and I don't worry about it. If it happens it happens. By the way Cranium - you never did get back to those "enquiring minds" who wanted more info on osteoporosis.

Since what we think about is what we tend to manifest in our lives, I dwell a lot on immortality. It's been working so far. :)

Since what we think about is what we tend to manifest in our lives, I dwell a lot on immortality. It's been working so far. :)
Okay: :D :D :D for that one.

Two years ago I was suffering from chest pains and shortness of breath, had a complete heart checkup no problems found, stopped taking a med for another condition and chest pains stopped. Since then I have stopped all meds and feel great, ride about 25 miles a day. Not recommending quiting meds without doctors approval but my problems were not life threatening.

Since what we think about is what we tend to manifest in our lives, I dwell a lot on immortality. It's been working so far. :)

Great observation for Life in general. Lately I've been thinking about sex a lot but so far not much is happening.

Great observation for Life in general. Lately I've been thinking about sex a lot but so far not much is happening.
Well, I have been reading stuff in Bike Forums for only a few short months, but the 50+ forum is by far the most entertaining.:beer:

If you die doing something you love, then you are going out on a high note!

Big Warning to all of you- Do not get complacent.

I started riding in 90/91. Took a few years before I got fit enough to stay with my New found Friends. On occasions I had done some long hard rides but in 97 I did My big one (Again), In 98 I decided that I was going to do the backup for the rest of the group as we were all getting older on this very hard ride. Then Jan 99 I decided that I was going to do it so started training, Bike ride in April- 65 miler on the road and is from sea level to the highest point in Sussex and back. At the Halfway point you have to stop for 30 minutes to recover from the food they provide. Felt good so me and my mate blasted it, to the highest point which was also the rest point. Lots of climbing and we did it in 2 hrs Not bad for 30 miles uphill. In fact the best I had ever done it in. On the way back my partner had a back problem so we slowed but still a few hills and we did the ride in 4 hrs 4 minutes- (Taking the 30 minute break out of the time) Following week we did a 30 miler offroad taking in the longest steepest hills we have in the area- In torrential rain. 30 miles was enough that day. Following week we did a 65 miler offroad but we started early to enable us to get back and watch the Italian grand prix on TV. In fact we started so early that at the end I said to my partner. "Time for one more hill". All I heard was a groan from him but we did the hill- Boy was I fit. Probably the fittest I had ever been in 30 years.

3 days later and driving into work and had a bit of indigestion. This got worse so it was pull off the road and call for an Ambulance. Yep--- Severe angina attack. Angiogram showed one artery 95%blocked and 2 at 75%. Aorta clear so that saved my life- so thank goodness for riding. 3 Months later and bypass and I have not looked back since-

Don't care how fit you are- Blocked arteries still occur.


P.S While waiting for my prostate op in 01, My riding partner that had dragged me screaming onto a bike when I started- Was out on a ride one evening. He was fit led a healthy lifestyle- That night he felt a bit off- sat on a seat by the trail and had a massive heart attack. He was dead before the ambulance arrived.

I initially got into cycling because of concern over cardiovascular health. After 10+ years of inactivity -- enormous focus on work to the exclusion of everything else but family -- my choesterol was high and my blood pressure very high. Started cycling seriously and both have gone downward markedly, particularly the BP.

Thing about cycling for cardiovascular health, though, is that it's only part of the picture. If you're serious about it, you've got to couple it with a healthy diet, which for me meant major diet changes. Big on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, back off on all the high-cholesterol and salty stuff. Do it all and you reduce -- that's reduce, not eliminate -- the risk of cardivascular problems.

And a big +1 to everyone who has said that you're gonna go sometime anyway, so you might as well spend as much of whatever time you've got left doing something you love. Even though I got into cycling because I wanted it to help bring my BP down, I'm doing it now mostly just because I love doing it. The good health is a beneficial byproduct. Win-win.

I'm surprised by how many have commented so quickly. As some of you suspect, over the years I've had "on-and-off" concerns about my health because of familial risk factors. (parent died of infarction at 56)

I don't quite know what to think of the don't-know-don't-worry-about-it comments. Being blissfully ignorant of your risk regarding heart disease isn't what I'd consider a positive personality trait.

I've recently had a number of cardiovascular diagnostic tests performed and at this time the results are still being evaluated. Suffice to say, my cardiovascular functioning is considerably beyond the values of the normal population for any age. However, the risk factors for particular cardiovascular pathologies do not correlate to the physiological adaptations resulting from "athlete's heart." In other words, you can be in great shape and still have increased risk for sudden death.

I've made a considerable effort to find the necessary medical information about my own condition and any modifyable factors as well as the physiological unknowns that can contribute to my own longevity and health risks.

Having a cycling friend and acquaintance die unexpectedly from what appears to be a cardiovascular event, I thought I'd bring up the topic for discussion. For anyone interested, a starting place for understanding the relationship of exercise and heart disease - you might look here.

http://www.suddendeathathletes.org/about_sdia.asp

I am 65 and have infrequent atrial fibrillation, which sometimes needs meds to correct. Nuclear imaging and echocardiograms of my heart show no blockages, but I used to be concerned about hitting my HRmax. However, my cardiologist says if I feel OK when I hit HRmax, don't worry. I do wonder about the condition of other parts of my "plumbing," however.

My advice would be to regularly measure blood pressure - this is free in many drug stores in the US, but not in darkest Sussex, UK! This measurement should be done while relaxed. If it's consistently high, seek medical advice and get checked out.

I remember reading someplace that good CV fittness does NOT reduce one's chance of 'heart attack' and all those related events, but that it improves one's chance of surviving 'em. Makes sense to me. After all, biking isn't going to keep that little clot-thing from breaking loose and jamming into an Important Artery That Feeds Something You Need To Live.

My advice would be to regularly measure blood pressure - this is free in many drug stores in the US, but not in darkest Sussex, UK! This measurement should be done while relaxed. If it's consistently high, seek medical advice and get checked out.

A couple of years ago I bought a small blood pressure monitor from Costco. It was normally $100 Canadian, but they had it on sale for about C$75 or so. Probably cheaper in the USA. It runs on batteries or you can plug it in. It has a cuff you slip over your upper arm, and a small compressor that pumps it up, so it works just like in the doctor's office. I keep it next to my bed and take blood pressure readings after waking up. It also records pulse, and it stores the last 50 or so readings. So according to the monitor, I've got hardly any blood pressure at all, like 117 over 66 is a typical reading (but then I've been riding regularly for over 30 years). Anyway, I've always thought it was a good investment.

- L.

My experience somewhat correlates with Stapfams. No family hx of cardiac dz, but I was the only one
"without" hypertension when I did a random check about 5yrs ago and found the BP was 200/120. After monitering this for a month with the best about 160/90 I got started on BP meds with good results and no side affects. Cycling was never effected by this and I kept on riding. About 18mo ago I had a strange episode of marked, atypical shortness of breath, weakness and very eratic heart beat on a strenuous ride.
It stopped after 5min rest and I rode home. No further such spells (ever) but palpitations were more frequent. Cardiac synchronized CT showed LAD arterial calcifications but I really wanted to avoid an arteriogram, really... Last summer while doing maximal efforts chasing the young and energetic I had brief chest pain, this happened twice over two weeks, each episode lasting <1minute. Rode other rides and as long as I stayed below 26mph and resp rate of less than 30 I was ok. Cardiologist says arteriogram, I demur, so did cardiac CT/PET. It was abnormal. Arteriogram the following week shows single vessel dz
LAD artery 90%, others all normal, nada. Stented 3d later. Since then I have lost the palpitations, noted that I recover faster going over the tops of hills and can hang with the big dogs (not as big as JPPE though) for awhile longer. Plavix is $$$ and results in long bleeds from shaving cuts, and big hematomas when one bangs oneself.. Lipitor/zocor both result in muscles that are more sore post ride while taking the meds than when off, but the HDL/LDL ratio had to change, ( and did nicely on either drug + zetia).
This year I am about 500mi ahead of last yr and generally feeling good. For the curious my gross hospital bill was in excess of $40k, Blue Cross probably paid about a third of that and the hospital so far has been satisfied with that, even refunded my $50 'copay'. Drug eluting stents cost about what a mid level Litespeed costs. Installation is extra.
Steve
Steve

How about a thread:

Cycling and Sudden Life?

For some of us, this may be correct!

Drug eluting stents cost about what a mid level Litespeed costs

Is it at least made out of titanium? :)

I too have had issues with atrial fib (15 yrs ago) but that is now under control......I avoid caffeine and alcohol and take a daily med. I see my internist every quarter and we closely monitor cholestrol, bp, etc. I've had stress tests, echocardigrams, heart caths, etc and I'm not too concerned about my heart. I am very concerned about the potential for prostate cancer and colon cancer as those seem more in the genes...

A couple of years ago I had slight high blood pressure. Doc said I needed more exercise to bring the blood pressure down. I was in good shape because of hiking. When I started biking I had a body scan Life screen
done looking for abnormalities. I got a clean bill of health and started training on the bike harder.

An interesting fact to look up if possible:
Was his resting heart rate elevated? Do these kind of deaths happen with no increase in resting heart rate?

As sch explained there was some kind of indicator showing a problem.

Friends on this board,

Sorry for my attitude, but . . . "screw it! Just ride hard!"

Tyson
Cushing, Oklahoma

for a kid who never thought he'd see 20 -- the 40 that i've realized over and above my expectations have all been frosting on the cake.

to die riding my bike would be the best possible ending that i could personally hope to expect for this movie.

in the words of my native american ancestors: "today is a good day to die."

For the past six months I've been riding and I have felt better than I can ever remember. I ride hard to try to counter some of the effects of thirty years of smoking and bad diet habits. I look forward to riding for many more years, but I also believe in destiny. I don't know what's going to happen, and I'm not sure I want to know. If it happens on the bike, that's fine with me, I just hope it's not because of some drunk cager, 'cause that would p*** me off.

In Feb. of this year (Valentine's Day to be percise) I suffered a TIA (mini-stroke). During the following two days in the hospital I had every test done that one might want if concerned with cardio issues. The good news for me was that I checked out to be better than OK in that area. The cardiologist said I have the heart and arteries of a healthy man 20 years younger than me. The frustrating news was that they could never isolate the cause of the TIA.

All of this has had a very strange impact on me. I'm very thankful that my cardio system is in good shape, yet I find that the experience of a TIA has let me know first hand just how much I take for granted regarding my everyday life. I feel a bit paranoid about my health right now. I suspect this will lessen over time. At the same time, I find myself thinking, "It's OK if I eat this (typically something I shouldn't eat), because my heart's in good shape." Recognizing the stupidity of this, I've spent some time thinking about my "human condition". I've come to understand that I'm capable of, what Albert Ellis the noted shrink calls, crooked thinking. While my heart may be fine today, it may change in the future, despite what I do or don't do. However, with such a close brush with a possible permanent disability, I'm going to try and do everything I can to keep my body capable of doing the things I love to do... including trying to catch myself when my thinking is off base, and that, my friends, will be one hell of a challenge.

Overall, I pretty much expected this kind of range of comments. Bottom line, trying to determine what your relative chances are with respect to the risk of an unexpected medical event can be time consuming and rather expensive. And for many, if you can't find out for sure, why bother about it, and more importantly why worry?

Still, when you experience the loss of someone completely unexpectedly, even if you are not particularly close, it makes you wonder about such things. I've made an effort to determine my own condition and risks and will pretty much contiunue riding the way I ride without worrying.

However, that doesn't mean I'll quit wondering about whether I'm aging as well as I possibly could.

I'm 61 now, when I was 55 I began to experience tightness in my chest and shortness of breath while doing anything physical such as walking up a set of stairs. For many years, I had been sedantary, ate what and when I wanted and did not worry about cardio health - also about 30 lbs heavier than I am now. When I finally went to the MD, he sent me to have a stress test and they hospitalized me that day and performed bypass surgery the next day. I also had a family history of blockages and cardio problems.
While recovering from the surgery, I decided that I was going to do whatever it took to keep me out of the operating room. I started going to the gym 3 mornings a week and riding an old bike around the neighborhood.
I still go to the gym and the bike riding has progressed to where I hope to ride more than 3,000 miles this year. I ride hard and monitor my heart rate constantly - this past weekend, I rode a MS150 tour and did 80 miles the first day @17.6MPH avg. and 86 miles the second day @ 15.3 MPH avg.
With my history, the thoughts of have a "cardio event" occur a lot, but I also have to think about how I am helping the cardio system (and the entire body) and try to brush off thinking of the "big event".
I am on minimum meds for cholesterol (total of 130), BP is good and resting HR of 60.
What I want is to keep riding as long as I can and hope that when my time comes, I am not a burden to my family and loved ones by having some long term crippling disease or sickness.
So Ride On -

Big Warning to all of you- Do not get complacent.



Stapfam,

You may be pleased to know that your post inspired me to call the doc to schedule my annual physical, which I usually get in January but somehow let slip this year. I know having a checkup doesn't make you bulletproof, but there are some very good diagnostics available. Why not make the most of them if we can?

Please allow a 49 year old whippersnapper to jump in here. If you want to go beyond the standard HDL/LDL tests and really get a better picture of where you stand, check out Berkeley HeartLab at http://www.bhlinc.com/

The Berkeley Test provides proprietary LDL and HDL tests, as well as including 20 other tests associated with cardiovascular disease. Their test can measure and quantify the sizes of HDL/LDL particles, along with percentages of each size. This gives you a much better indication of current and future risks. Not a cheap test, but my insurance covered a good part of it.

I had the test done due to a recent diagnosis of AFib, my cardiologist does the Berkeley test as part of his standard testing regimen along with 2D ultrasound and a nuclear stress test. The good news is that everything looks great from the standpoint of my heart and associated plumbing, and no need for any cholesterol meds. The bad news is the electrophysiologist that the cardio doc referred me to put me on two meds to stop the AFib, along with blood thinners.

A year and a half ago I had high cholesterol and was overweight by about 60 pounds. At that point I made the decision to get back in shape by getting back to the gym and start eating right again. I added cycling into the mix about 9 months ago. I'd forgotten how much I used to love riding, but I fell in love with it again. Today I'm 50 pounds lighter and still going down, feeling good, and just bought the wife a Trek 7300 because she wants to start riding with me:p . Life is good, and I'm happy to be living it every day. But I'm not planning on slowing down....

B'Dog

Anyone who goes like that St. Louis guy could go at any time, regardless of activity.

Awesome thread title, btw.

I only hope that, when it comes, it will be sudden. Death by Diaper would absolutely kill me.

I did have to stop riding for a while because of a tripple bypass a few years ago. Haven't though much about it since.

When it comes to death issues, I worry more about getting clobbered by a cager.

The more I ride, the less I worry - about anything! Cheers!

I prefer to go with statistics. Exercise, eat healthy, see your doctor regularly usually lead to a longer, healthier life. Anyone can have an adverse reaction to a form of exercise and such reactions can be fatal. Does this mean everyone else should stop that form of exercise? Heck no. If we did, we would all become couch potatoes. It is sad, even tragic that a cyclist died while performing their favorite form of excercise, but I look at this as an anomoly, not an indicator.

Classy send-off for a classy guy. A link to a story about the funeral for a great cyclist and good guy.

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stcharles/story/F09CA26C697994EF8625716C00149DBA?OpenDocument

Stapfam,

You may be pleased to know that your post inspired me to call the doc to schedule my annual physical, which I usually get in January but somehow let slip this year. I know having a checkup doesn't make you bulletproof, but there are some very good diagnostics available. Why not make the most of them if we can?

He he; retired military here. Tricare (which is what we get and its a pretty darn good deal in most respects) only allows a "physical" once very five years.
I guess they have studied the actuarial tables pretty closely.:D :eek: :mad:

He he; retired military here. Tricare (which is what we get and its a pretty darn good deal in most respects) only allows a "physical" once very five years.
I guess they have studied the actuarial tables pretty closely.:D :eek: :mad:

Could well be--but with my insurance, I only pay $15 a year and it includes a bunch of tests, so why not? I'd really be annoyed with myself if I found out I was gonna kick the bucket from somethng that could have been sucessfully treated if I had only bothered to visit the doc.

Life has a start, a living and an end. I try to concentrate on the "living" part.


Well put!

Steve