Six months on from my heart attack

Things are looking good, healthwise! [I can't allow myself to be complacent, nor to be boastful.] My recent echocardiogram followed by a visit to the cardiologist were very positive. The sonographer who carried out the echocardiogram said that my recovery was one of the fastest he'd seen in my age group, and said that the cause of my heart attack was purely genetic with no lifestyle contributions. The cardiologist described my recovery as 'dramatic' (as in dramatically good!)

And the basis for my optimistic outlook?

"The heart's function is defined by the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) – the percentage of blood volume pumped from the left ventricle during a single contraction," says Google Gemini. "Normal values ​​range from 55% to 70%. Lower values ​​indicate impaired heart function, and values ​​below 30% indicate severe, life-threatening heart failure." 

My LVEF at admission to hospital on 5 April was 34%; by 17 September it had climbed to 65%. The cardiologist said that normal values for healthy men over 65 rarely exceed 67%. So, while praising my recovery, she stressed the importance of medication (which reminds me – I forgot my midday pill, must take).

Quick update on exercises – since my heart attack, I've completely dropped pull-ups, push-ups and weights, focusing on the plank (quality as well as time), averaging over six and half minutes a day in two goes. The back extensions remain, with daily sets on my ZemBordᵀᴹ (six sets of eight), again, more than last year. Walking – current rate is over 12,600 paces a day walked (that's around 10km). That's every day since the New Year. Now that autumn is setting in, I try to get those walks in during the sunniest time of the day, and here the increasingly accurate weather forecasts available on my phone are a great help.

Diet – a lot less cheese, and when I am eating cheese it is white cheese (Balkan-style) which has 13% saturated fat compared to the 21% you get in vintage Cheddar or Parmesan or Roquefort. No sausages or smoked meats of any kind. Duck breast (minus skin) – two portions a week. One new addition, inspired by a current trend, is the poke bowl (or more accurately, poké bowl). This Hawaiian dish is basically rice and fish (tuna or salmon in my version) with several vegetables and Kikkoman poké sauce. Ah yes, and lots of porridge, with nuts and seeds. My alcohol consumption continues to decline as it has done, systematically, since 2014, and once again I will within the NHS guideline limit of 14 units a week this year.

Cats – you will read all sorts of new-agey-type stuff that a cat's purr resonates at some frequency that has healing powers. I put this to Google Gemini: "The mental and cardiovascular health benefits of cats purring: The calming effects of interacting with and listening to a purring cat are more strongly supported in stress and mental health studies:

• Stress and anxiety reduction: petting a cat and listening to its rhythmic purr can help to lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol and stimulate the release of 'feel-good' hormones like oxytocin (associated with bonding) and serotonin (associated with mood regulation).
• Lowered blood pressure: The calming effect on the nervous system is linked to a reduction in stress, which in turn can lead to lowered blood pressure and heart rate.
• Reduced risk of heart disease: Some large-scale studies have suggested that cat ownership may be associated with a reduced risk of heart attack and other cardiovascular diseases.
• Pain relief: The psychological comfort and hormonal changes (like the release of endorphins) can provide a sense of well-being that helps alleviate chronic pain and discomfort."

Heart disease, eh? Tell me more... "Cat ownership and the Risk of Fatal Cardiovascular Diseases. Results from the Second National Health and Nutrition Examination Study Mortality Follow-up Study", published in the Journal of Vascular and Interventional Neurology (2009)

Researchers followed 4,400 Americans for 20 years and found that participants with a history of cat ownership had a 37% lower risk of dying from a heart attack compared to those who had never owned a cat, even after adjusting for factors like age, smoking, blood pressure and cholesterol. The protective effect was also observed for death from all cardiovascular diseases (including stroke)."

So – there we are. The purring of six cats will keep me healthy!

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