Fear of coronary artery disease

[sidsuae]

I am male 46 years old having severe health anxiety &mitral valve prolapse since 12 years with lot of palpitation, chest tightness & short of breath most of the time. I did 2 stress test, 4 holter monitor test, 3 echocardiogram, several ekg, I walk daily for 40 minutes. My lipid profile is well under control. I would like to know, i was reading One article how to prevent heart disease or heart attack, as i have severe anxiety, In the article it was mentioned if somebody has 50% of blockage and within matter of hours it can be 100% blocked. How is it possible the plaque which was 50% blocked can be automatically be blocked by 100%. I got very feared after reading this article. I think it can be due to rapture of plaque which can cause blockage. How can the plaque automatically becomes thick (double) all of sudden to increase it by 100%. Can somebody plz help remove my doubt. I will be grateful to you. If it is applicable to high risk patient like diabetic. I just cannot believe somebodies plaque can be automatically be double without anything. if he is controlling his diet & not eating unhealthy food, eating hearth healthy food, brisk walking, exercising, I have heard that, plaque development takes time maybe decades. How within hour your plaque will be double from 50% to 100%. This has confused & created fear in my mind. Any normal person who has 50% blocked in his arteries, how it can become 100% without any risk factor. If someone is smoking or not exercising or eating unhealthy deep fried food, he can developed cad & that also after a long time. Can someone plz help me.

[Fishmanpa]

I have heart disease and I've never heard of that.

Positive thoughts

[sidsuae]

I am male 46 years old having severe health anxiety &mitral valve prolapse since 12 years with lot of palpitation, chest tightness & short of breath most of the time. I did 2 stress test, 4 holter monitor test, 3 echocardiogram, several ekg, I walk daily for 40 minutes since 12 years. I stop smoking before 6 years. I was not chain smoker. My lipid profile is well under control. Total cholestrol 180, Ldl 115, HDl 38. I would like to know, i was reading One article how to prevent heart disease or heart attack, as i have severe anxiety, In the article it was mentioned if somebody has 50% of blockage and within matter of hours it can be 100% blocked. How is it possible the plaque which was 50% blocked can be automatically be blocked by 100%. I got very feared after reading this article. I think it can be due to rapture of plaque which can cause blockage. How can the plaque automatically becomes thick (double) all of sudden to increase it by 100%. Can somebody plz help remove my doubt. I will be grateful to you. If it is applicable to high risk patient like diabetic. I just cannot believe somebodies plaque can be automatically be double without anything. if he is controlling his diet & not eating unhealthy food, eating hearth healthy food, brisk walking, exercising, I have heard that, plaque development takes time maybe decades. How within hour your plaque will be double from 50% to 100%. This has confused & created fear in my mind. Any normal person who has 50% blocked in his arteries, how it can become 100% without any risk factor. If someone is smoking or not exercising or eating unhealthy deep fried food, he can developed cad & that also after a long time. Can someone plz help me. My concern is that, will my arteries will also be blocked 100% within hour, if i am walking daily for 40 minutes, eating healthy food & fruits. avoiding deep fried foods or their are certain risk factor like age or genes. How come anyone arteries will be blocked from 50% to 100%, his cholestrol or ldl cholestrol will suddenly stick on the wall of arteries to make it 100% blocked within hour. It is truly misleading. I cannot believe, but still there is doubt in my mind, as it has created lot of anxiety in me. What if it is true. If anyone is exercising & taking statin drug or asprin, then also his arteries will be blocked within hour by 100%. I have read that, the plaque buildup can be stabilized & even reversed with diet & exercise. Plz help me.

[Spondoolicks]

You need to discuss this with your doctor or cardiologist.

[Fishmanpa]

You need to discuss this with your doctor or cardiologist.

I agree...like I said in a previous post. I have coronary artery disease. I'm fairly well versed on the subject. I've not heard of an artery going from 50% to 100% blocked in an hour. It's not like a stream in the woods where branches and debris get piled up and stop the flow of water in a very short period of time. Arteries are blocked by fatty deposits that typically take years to get to the point of total or close to total blockage.

I would make a quick call or shoot an email off to your doctor/cardiologist for reassurance.

Positive thoughts

[sidsuae]

Get the right tests.

Basic imaging tests, such as electrocardiograms and stress tests, detect only large, old heart attacks or the worst blockages (more than 70 percent narrowed). Only advanced imaging tests, such as coronary artery calcium scans or carotid artery intima-media thickness (CIMT) ultrasounds, find early signs of silent atherosclerosis. I recommend them to high-risk people: those with type 2 diabetes, abnormal cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity, a family history of heart disease, or a personal history of smoking. Though these tests may not always be covered by insurance, you may find them at a lower cost at some centers. In my community in Michigan, several hospitals offer them for between $50 and $125. If a test detects mildly clogged arteries, your doctor may recommend things like daily aspirin or other meds, a cholesterol-lowering plant-based diet, vitamin K², and exercise and stress management to reverse the damage.


Avoid the three D’s: Delay, denial, and death.

An artery that is only 50 percent blocked can become fully obstructed in a matter of hours, leading to a serious heart attack

Fully obstructed means may be he mean rapture of plaque converted to clot or i don't know what does he mean.

[Fishmanpa]

If you have coronary artery disease, you live with the possibility of a heart issues regardless of drugs and treatment. Unfortunately, that's the harsh reality. I've lived it for the last 8 years.

The only thing you can do is as your doctors recommend. Eat right, don't smoke, avoid alcohol (especially if you suffer from anxiety) and take your meds as directed. There's nothing I can say that can quell your fears unfortunately.

Positive thoughts

[Magic]

I have same thing as Fishmanpa. When I had my angiogram they said I had four blocked arteries. One was 90% blocked. have forgotten about the others by percentages. Three were unblocked, but the forth one they left alone. 50/50 I guess.
I have never heard of what you said in your first post.
I waited for two years for my operation and I don't think they had clogged up any
more that what they were in the beginning due to me taking medication.xx