Heart Disease Community

Hi:

"Shouldn't I get angina during physical exertion if I get it otherwise?"

One would tend to think yes, but specific factors, as applicable to the patient, such as coronary artery collateral circulation, may make it otherwise.

It is well-known that in some individuals with known or undiagnosed coronary artery disease (CAD), after a large, full. or heavy meal, can experience symptoms such angina pectoris (classic chest pain or pressure) or even an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia, such as palpitations or fast heartbeat), as some blood flow is diverted to the stomach and intestines to aid in the digestion process.

And, as applicable to the patient taking a beta-blocker, which lowers the heart rate and blood pressure by design, this class of cardiovascular drug tends to hold back or blunt the heart's response to vigorous exercise/physical activity, so no matter how hard the body is pushed so-to-speak, one might never reach the HR that one is trying to achieve.

One might end up overexerting, trying to reach an HR that beta-blockers will simply not allow. Those being on beta-blocker therapy doesn't mean that one can't exercise normally/vigorously (unless contraindicated by a doctor), it just means one can not rely on the HR to judge/gauge how hard one is working out.

"A cardiologist has told me that he can't help the blocked branch of my RCA. He said he can't bypass."

In general-only here, and beyond drug-therapy, if/when common procedures, first time or re-do, such as angioplasty, with or without stents, or coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgey are not deemed feasible, as applicable to the patient, there may/can be other options that includes non-invasive EECP, laser-based TMR or PMR/PMC, and gene therapy/transfer.

FDA approved non-invasive Enhanced External Counterpulsation (EECP) treatments.

Are You a Candidate for EECP Therapy?

http://www.vasomedical.com/patients.php

Surgical-based transmyocardial revascularization (TMR, FDA approved) and catheter-based percutaneous myocardial revascularization or channeling (PMR/PMC, FDA approval still pending), laser therapy.

Holmium:YAG laser

http://www.cardiogenesis.com

Patient education site

http://www.heartofnewlife.com

CO2 Heart Laser

http://www.plcmed.com/Products-For-Patients.asp

Growing your own so-called "bio-bypass" (collateral vessels) around blockages in the heart, and in the legs

It's known as gene therapy/gene transfer, which has been in experimental phases for quite some time now.
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As reported, over the last 20 years, gene therapy has moved from pre-clinical animal investigations (animal models) to human clinical studies for many diseases ranging from single gene disorders, to much more complex, multi-factorial, multi-conditional diseases such as dreaded cancer and cardiovascular disorders.

Readers Digest Online - February 2008

An experimental treatment is giving desperately ill heart patients a new lease on life.

A process called angiogenesis. The experimental procedure had shown great promise in two German studies, and the FDA had approved the launch of the first American clinical trial.

The technique involves injecting the heart with a protein called fibroblast growth factor 1 (FGF-1).

"The protein is like a seed that causes new vessels to sprout, creating a network of capillaries and small arteries."

FGF-1 occurs naturally in the body.

http://www.readersdigest.com.au/heart-hope

Best of luck down the road of life.

Take care,

CardioStar*

WebMD member (since 8/99)

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Be well-informed

Coronary artery anatomy

Starting with the LAD

http://www.heartsite.com/html/lad.html

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Quote!

"Be a questioning patient. TALK to your DOCTOR and ASK QUESTIONS. Studies show that patients who ask the most questions, and are most assertive, get the best results. Be vigilant and speak up!"

- Charles Inlander, People's Medical Society

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It's your future......be there.

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