jaws

I'm now 64 years old and had bypass surgery at age 55. Was overweight, out of shape - couldn't walk up stairs without breaking a sweat. Started riding about 6 years ago, did 3,000 miles each of the last two years and have 3405 so far this year with a goal of 4,000. Also, I have ridden a century on each of my last 5 birthdays and am by far the oldest in the groups that I ride with. My Cardioligist said he wished all his patients would do what I do. My BP is 120/60, resting heart rate 60, only Rx is a baby aspirin and half of the prescribed cholesterol medicine. Wish a thousand times I would have started my biking at 30 years old.
One thing that I have found with cardio patients is that every individual has had different symptons and cures. Do what the docs say, eat right, and exercise.

Lonewolf48

In 2000 i weighed 216 at 5'8" and smoked lightly. My identical twin brother came into the ER having a heart attack and had emergency bypass surgery. The cv surgeon, a friend of mine, said, "get a stress test". I did, it was abnormal, had the catheterization which showed 3 vessel disease and had bypass surgery. Today, at 60, I no longer smoke, i weigh 158#s and bike about 120-150 miles/week. I no longer need medicine for hypertension. I eat lots of healthy food and sleep 8 hours/night. My life is in balance. I had a goal of riding 60 miles this year as a birthday present and despite having knee replacement surgery last September not only did this but several other metric centuries and a 100+ miler as well.
As a physician, I believe that the biking life-style combined with a good diet and adequate sleep is essential in maintaining health and can even reverse years or decades of neglect/ abuse. I haven't had a stress test on a treadmill in the cardiologists' office in a while though I have one on my bike almost daily.
Keep riding!
Paul

Timtruro

sounds like a decent hybrid/fitness bike would do you well. Trek or Specialized make many.

Ranger63

Double Bypass 11/02/07 (64yoa)
I vividly remember the nurse and the dead silence followed by a lecture that grew in volumn wiht each word, after I explained I'd walked a full mile 11 days after the surgery.(apparently I was supposed to limit my walks to inside the house)in Buffalo in December weather.
This past season I climbed hills that had me getting off in seasons past. (Not Lance Armstrong climbing mind you)and found myself able to stay with the 18mph crowd (at least untill they hit 22/24)for most rides.
Scary part was: Because I have moderate COPD, I thought the shortness of breath and acid reflux style pain I was getting climbing hills was from the COPD. More like angina attacks was what the cardio surgeon said.
There's a Cardiac Cycling Club (SCOR) with some pretty good info (and a great cycling jersey!)
Stay in touch with your cardio doc on your progress.
Glad to hear from a fellow heart patient!

Hotwheel

An old thread, but close to home. I had a heart attack at age 60 (2005) resulting in two stents. At the time, I was working too much exercising too little and had my event while trying to catch up on exercise. My chlosterol at the time was 180 and bp was a little higher than normal. After the stent event, i was placed on a cocktail of meds (lisinopril, coreg, niaspan, vytoren, and plavix). Wife and tweaked our diet and I started an exercise program on my own and cut back significantly on work (self employed). At 45 I had left knee problems with a near total removal of the meniscus so running was out, but despite that, I progressed to an aggressive walking program and weights. I was plagued with knee problems constantly, but my rationale at the time was living with knee pain is better than not living. With diet changes and meds, my total chloster was routinely less than 100, although the hdl/ldl ratio was less than desirable. Stress tests every six months showed me to be in the top 1% of persons for my age.

This past January, I had a second event, not a total blockage and heart attack, but it was significant and resulted in two additional stents and resteting of one of the originals. My chlesterol at admission was less than 100 and bp normal. I did a slow recovery exercise program and then injured the meniscus in my right knee -- the knee doc advised me to never put my feet on a treadmill again, but cycling was fine. Eventually, I bought a used bike and have about 8 rides under my belt and going 30 miles today with a decent headwind was not too much of a strain. I still have trouble with tiredness from coreg, but I am hoping to build stamina, loose more weight, and do what I can do. The bike seems like the most useful exercise for me at this point and when I reach some personal goals, I will buy another one as a present to myself.

Anyway, we all have a story and some relate to heart stuff andcycling this is mine

Ranger63

Add me to the list
Double bypass back in 2007
The lopressor (which keeps the HR lower)comes with it's own issues sence I also have oxygen transfer issues and the lower the HR the lower the oxygen transfer.
That said: My average speed is up 3mph
I've discovered (enjoyably so) snowshoeing and ridgerunning in 'snowshoes
Hill climbing is do-able (where before bypass I was getting off and walking )..but I'm no lance.
Amazingly, I'd thought the 'heart burn' was caused by the oxygen situation..never immagined the heart.
At 68 I'm heading into my 10th year back in cycling.

apesrunner58

I have stayed in pretty good shape over the years. I have type 1 diabetes. So I eat more protein than carbs. I should have been eating more complex carbs and better protein food. I did 1/2 marathon 5 years ago and have done many 10km runs. Bought a bike in 2009. I put 3200 miles on that bike in 2009. Had a routine stress test done Oct 29th 2009. I failed it. Had a cath done Nov 19th. It showed that I was 100% blocked in my right, 85% in my left and 95% blocked in my circumflex in 2 places. What saved me was my collateral growth because I worked out. So I had quadruple bypass Dec 11th. 2009. I put 4200 miles on my bike in 2010. The key to a better heart is more diet than exercise. If I had been on this diet I would not have had coronary artery disease. I am now on a total vegan diet. Check out this study. https://www.heartattackproof.com/resolving_cade.htm
You will see the change in the coronary artery. My cholesterol was never high. It was 190. But now it is 102. My HDL is 54 and my LDL is 46. It is an easy diet to follow. During the winter I have been spinning hard. Last weekend I did the spinerval Tough Love. A 3 hour spin!!

hikeandbike

I had a heart valve replaced about 6 years ago. Was born with an aortic valve with two instead of three flaps. I didn't realize how much this was impacting me or how serious the effect on thinning the wall of the aorta. At almost 60, I'm pleased with what I am able to do, physically feel great and very grateful to my docs. Good luck everyone.

Motorad

My wife and i moved to a new town in 2008, and we got a new family physician. After my first complete checkup in 2008, and his receiving my biking history, he had concerns about my angina situation. He advised me to keep the bike-mileage down, until I got checked out by a cardiologist.

The cardiology bad news: My circumflex artery is 100 percent blocked and un-stentable. The cardiology good news: After a thorough stress test and angio-fluoroscopy, it's apparent that my body has somewhat created its own natural bypass to compensate for the blocked circumflex.

My family physician initially had reservations about me cycling too much, because of coronary artery disease. However, it is the cardiologist's opinion, that my cycling was probably a very contributing factor for my body generating a natural bypass of sorts. If that's not incentive to stay healthy and ride, I don't know what is.

alanknm

I've had congenital hypertension for about 10 years but it's been under control with a minimal level of medication. Sincey yy weight kept creeping up my wife told me that I'd better start on some sort of exercise program. At the time, they gym wanted an medical all-clear before they would issue me a membership. I'd had to have a full cardiac workup done before I could start exercising and between, stress tests, CT scans, tracer tests, you name it, it was a wonder that I wasn't glowing green. Once I had the all clear it still took me another 18 months to get off my butt. I never used the gym.

The weight started piling on, and my cholesterol levels started rising. Being prescribed Lipitor was the last straw that got me back in the saddle. Heart problems are nonexistant in my family and I certainly wasn't about to be the first.

Started cycling again on a hybrid that previously sat in the garage and being and old roadie, hated it, used it as a training bike and stuck it out. Once I started going on longer riders, I got really sick of the upright riding position because of the constant winds we have around here and really, really wanted to get back on a road bike.

Now that I'm back on what my wife refers to as a real bike, I feel so much better being able to do what I love. With all the funky weather we've been having I've only managed to log in about 300 miles this month over about 3 weeks (I was pretty much bikeless for a week this month and the weather was terrible anyway).

My physical is coming up in a couple of weeks so it will be interesting to see what the results are.

JohnJ80

The safe advice, and smart, would be to consult your physician.

J.

Ibslow

Two heart attacks,one stent, one total blockage, gout, neuropathy, Type II diabetes, I ride and lift weights. I haven't felt better in years. I can't speak for anybody but myself but it has worked for me.

Kragg

I had 5 stents placed in 2005-2006. Actually was riding when the first blockage surfaced, suffered from chest burning and shortness of breath. Took one season off and still ride 1000-1500 miles a season to this day at 58+ years old. I ride for exercise and I enjoy the hell out of it. Just wish I was retired so I could get more miles in. Some day ..... : )

Ranger63

Joined up with SCOR for a season.
These folks CAN ride!
Great Jerseys as well (yeah, I got one and everyone asks 'what does SCOR stand for' when I wear it on rides)

The journey tops the destination every time

joelw

Aortic valve replaced and double bypass 1.5 yrs. ago, and I'm just starting to ride again. I actually stopped riding 6 years ago after a staph infection and abscess in my brain. It's been a long road back, but I just purchased a new comfort bike, and I'm looking forward to getting back into shape.

rraabfaber

Not long after I started this thread, I had to stop riding for a while due to some health things. Now I'm jumping back in. Just shy of my 53rd birthday and 15 years after my first angioplasty, I'm going off on a ride with a buddy. We're riding north from Santa Fe, NM for 50-60 miles. Then I'm turning back (work calls) and he's heading on alone to Colorado.

Should be interesting. I reckon I'll either ace it or have a massive coronary.


Rick