Heart disease/cancer

[Blotzer]

Hello all been lurking these boards for a while now and would like some health advice if possible.



Age 29, not a bodybuilder natural apart from 7 weeks tbol aged 19. I manage to stay around 12.5 stone.



Mother died 65 pancreatic cancer (no known risk factors not overweight etc)



Father recently had stroke 60 (overweight, sedentary, recently disovered afib, plaque buildup in carotid artery, sleep apnea)

4 of 7 of his siblings with definite afib



Grandfather 55 heart attack

Grandmother 67 stroke

Grandmother 90

Grandfather 58 heart attack


@DOGGCRAPP I’ve trawled through your posts and I’d like to lower my risk of what looks like heart issues/stroke and cancer that could be coming, from what I’ve read these look my best shot



Magnesium 400mg to help prevent afib (I do get the odd skipped beat used to put it down to anxiety, not so sure anymore)

Curcumin 1000mg Meriva/BCM95 to prevent heart diseases/plaque/cancer

Apigenin 200mg heart/cancer (should I be using bioperine/Quercetin, to increase availability?)

Vitamin D 4000iu with
SuperK VitaminK2 (reverse plaque)

Maybe ubiquinol/pycnogenol, taurine, melatonin?

I know you recommend curcumin but there’s also gallstones through my mothers side (3 of 5 siblings) is it still recommended?



I’ve trawled through your post history for many many hours is there anything more you’d reccomend? I know you’re big on blood work I think I should maybe be tested but I’m not sure what for exactly these medical professionals are not proactive at all, I’m trying to avoid what’s coming in the future. Thank you for putting all this information out there it shocks me how little our dr’s talk about proactive health, by the time they’re treating people it’s too late from what I’ve seen.

I’d like anyones opinion on this as I’m slightly scared in all honesty.
@Knight9

 

[M@NU]

i guess the most important question here is how is your blood pressure and heart rate?
tested for any clotting issues?

 

[qbkilla]

You listed a bunch of supplements what about the foundation of being preventative?

Training, cardio, heart rate, BP, weight, bf, diet, stress etc

 

[thethinker48]

I would recommend buying Outlive by Peter Attia, he's a pretty well respected evidence based authority on this subject

Some observations:
-Exercise is probably the single most important thing next to sleep for longevity. LBM is like a retirement account, both from a metabolic health and frailty standpoint as you age.
-Fix your sleep quality if it's bad and you have a thick neck (ex. possible OSA)
-Stay lean
-Do cardio
-Get cancer screenings, especially colonoscopies as you get older. Colon cancer is 100% treatable if caught early.
-Modulate your environment to suit your purpose. This includes leaving people who aren't good in your life.

 

[Brock456]

In addition to what everyone else said here, I’d find a cardiologist and get an EKG, echo, and Calcium score to see where heart health is now.

 

[Blotzer]

i guess the most important question here is how is your blood pressure and heart rate?
tested for any clotting issues?

BP is in the normal range, will test tomorrow. Heart rate is around 64 at rest.

Have never been tested for clotting issues and have never heard of it before this board which is something I don’t like.

You listed a bunch of supplements what about the foundation of being preventative?

Training, cardio, heart rate, BP, weight, bf, diet, stress etc

Cardio 2x week 20min incline walk or 20min slow jog.

I’m around 80kg, 10%.
Heart rate around 64 at rest.
BP in normal range last I checked will check tomorrow

Diet I’d guess around 2700cal have never been heavier than 82.5kg. Low protein by muscle building standards, around 100g.

Typical day being,

Almonds, cashews, blueberries with Greek yoghurt

Tinned mackerel/sardines/Salmon, eggs, white rice/white potatoe

Beef/chicken, potatoe, olives, sourkrout,



Stress I’ve recently taken up doing QiGong everyday and see a therapist. Take ashwagandha for 2 months then off for around a month, use ltheanine and lemon balm. Seem ok considering my mother passing quick and now my fathers stroke.

I would recommend buying Outlive by Peter Attia, he's a pretty well respected evidence based authority on this subject

Some observations:
-Exercise is probably the single most important thing next to sleep for longevity. LBM is like a retirement account, both from a metabolic health and frailty standpoint as you age.
-Fix your sleep quality if it's bad and you have a thick neck (ex. possible OSA)
-Stay lean
-Do cardio
-Get cancer screenings, especially colonoscopies as you get older. Colon cancer is 100% treatable if caught early.
-Modulate your environment to suit your purpose. This includes leaving people who aren't good in your life.

Will make sure to read some more on Peter Attia.
I seem to have a reasonably (by normal standards) thick upper chest from years of DC chest stretches I feel like that could play into sleep apnea if I’m sleeping on my side with chest pressed into neck, or am I worrying too much I’m not sure.

Regarding the cancer screenings from what I saw of my mother it’s too late by the time it’s known, although she wasn’t screened. Pancreatic cancer is very deadly. I’d rather not rely on screenings and would prefer the current thinking of keeping Inflammation and CRP low possibly with Curcumin?

 

[bbxtreme]

I would recommend buying Outlive by Peter Attia, he's a pretty well respected evidence based authority on this subject

Some observations:
-Exercise is probably the single most important thing next to sleep for longevity. LBM is like a retirement account, both from a metabolic health and frailty standpoint as you age.
-Fix your sleep quality if it's bad and you have a thick neck (ex. possible OSA)
-Stay lean
-Do cardio
-Get cancer screenings, especially colonoscopies as you get older. Colon cancer is 100% treatable if caught early.
-Modulate your environment to suit your purpose. This includes leaving people who aren't good in your life.

@Blotzer this is the best suggestion you could do.

But my second piece of advice with health is to not fixate on things as our genes do not define us. It’s more so epigenetic factors that get us in most cases.

Your health is much like driving a car- where you look is where you’ll go. Don’t fixate on things that may not be there.

If you want to be certain of that then order testing:

Sequencing

Order whole genome sequencing and DNA test kits or upload DNA data to get free reports. World's largest DNA App Store for Ancestry + Health.

sequencing.com

But either way get ahead of your health as most people make their health a “future self” problem. Make it a lifestyle with diet, exercise and cardio. Then monitor it with quarterly lab work, annual cardiovascular screening and other measures.

Most things are preventable or manageable if you do the above.

 

[danieltx]

You're going to damage your health more by worrying about what might or might not happen then with what your genes have in store for you.

 

[SouthernMuscle]

look into nattokinase

 

[hawkmoon]

I'll tell you this and it's not happy news, but relevant.

I'm almost 55, my brother 50
I have been bodybuilding for 40+, he doesn't exercise
I have always eaten well, not fanatical, but well. He eats like crap and is obese.
I have been on an off gear for many years. On almost 100% since 2008. He of course, not.

My brother has had two heart attacks
He was diagnosed with incurable cancer last month.

Is this all fate? Our random genetic lot?
No one will ever know I suppose, but I wish I could have gotten him to listen to me - at least a little.
I'll be going to visit him in a few days and may never see him again.

Exercise, eat well, try to reduce stress.
Don't worry about it, do the best you can with what you have.

 

[Performance Based]

Cardio 2x week 20min incline walk or 20min slow jog.

I’m around 80kg, 10%.
Heart rate around 64 at rest.
BP in normal range last I checked will check tomorrow

Hope your having a good day mate. I had a hepatocellular carcinoma diagnosis in 2013 and a chronic myeloid leukemia diagnosis in 2015.

With respect, an incline walk is not cardio. I don't know how this fad started but no one is in Z2 walking on an incline on a treadmill while watching youtube videos. Its a cheap low impact way to burn calories but cardio, it is not. It is hard to phrase these things online without sounding overly sharp: if you have a history of heart disease in the family I would strongly suggest the incorporation of HIIT at least 3x per week.

Regarding the cancer concern, full body MRIs are relatively inexpensive now. I highly recommend Ezra. I go annually. Also the Galleri blood test. I do this annually as well.

 

[Chipper Jones78]

I'll tell you this and it's not happy news, but relevant.

I'm almost 55, my brother 50
I have been bodybuilding for 40+, he doesn't exercise
I have always eaten well, not fanatical, but well. He eats like crap and is obese.
I have been on an off gear for many years. On almost 100% since 2008. He of course, not.

My brother has had two heart attacks
He was diagnosed with incurable cancer last month.

Is this all fate? Our random genetic lot?
No one will ever know I suppose, but I wish I could have gotten him to listen to me - at least a little.
I'll be going to visit him in a few days and may never see him again.

Exercise, eat well, try to reduce stress.
Don't worry about it, do the best you can with what you have.

Not to take away from this thread and the OP, however, my post is still relative, I am really sorry to hear this brother.

May I ask the type of cancer?
Was it already to too late once diagnosed?

Again, my prayers are with you and your family.

 

[Performance Based]

I'll tell you this and it's not happy news, but relevant.

I'm almost 55, my brother 50
I have been bodybuilding for 40+, he doesn't exercise
I have always eaten well, not fanatical, but well. He eats like crap and is obese.
I have been on an off gear for many years. On almost 100% since 2008. He of course, not.

My brother has had two heart attacks
He was diagnosed with incurable cancer last month.

Is this all fate? Our random genetic lot?
No one will ever know I suppose, but I wish I could have gotten him to listen to me - at least a little.
I'll be going to visit him in a few days and may never see him again.

Exercise, eat well, try to reduce stress.
Don't worry about it, do the best you can with what you have.

So sorry to hear this man; sincerely hoping for the best and that you are OK going through this as well.

 

[hawkmoon]

Not to take away from this thread and the OP, however, my post is still relative, I am really sorry to hear this brother.

May I ask the type of cancer?
Was it already to too late once diagnosed?

Again, my prayers are with you and your family.

Thanks for the words.
It's multiple myeloma, which has no cure and an average 5 year survival. All they can do is treat and slow the progress.

 

[hawkmoon]

So sorry to hear this man; sincerely hoping for the best and that you are OK going through this as well.

Thank you

 

[Reno911]

Get a Grail Test.

Homepage - GRAIL

grail.com

Then read through this 5x.

https://www.professionalmuscle.com/forums/index.php?threads/the-definitive-health-thread.168881/

 

[bigains]

I found out I have genetically high cholesterol over a decade ago, and have a family history of heart disease/CAD. Keep BP less than 120/80 at rest to prevent microvascular damage and inflammation to the lining of arteries, which allows oxidized plaque to adhere to the endothelial lining of arteries. Keep LDL less than 70, essentially lower is better, as this has shown to prevent plaque formation and potentially slowly reverse fatty plaque deposits in arteries in research studies. I have to take blood pressure medication and rostuvastatin the achieve the above numbers. I also take several antioxidants; trying to prevent the oxidation of ldl. Magnesium, vit d, high dosed vitamin k; all help breakdown the calcification of plaque. Nattokinase, lumbrokinase, serrapeptase (fibrinolytic enzymes) all help break down the fibrin component of plaque.

 

[Golden]

I'll be going to visit him in a few days and may never see him again.

That hits hard. Sorry to hear that

 

[Neuro1234]

In reality 60 min of weight training a week decreases overall mortality risk by 26%, add in one hour of moderate to vigorous cardiovascular exercise a week and the number goes to 46%. It’s been said already, but focus on what you can control. Check what you can, when it’s recommended and live your life to the very fullest every chance you get.

 

[Alzadosghost]

Thanks for the words.
It's multiple myeloma, which has no cure and an average 5 year survival. All they can do is treat and slow the progress.

Sorry to hear about your brother Hawk.