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Photo: Mark Leibowitz |
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Tales of the Heart: A New Chapter
Fall 2004 Fourteen years ago I sat on a hillside, facing the Pacific, and came to grips with the fact that within a week I could be dead. The need to undergo a possibly life-threatening, double-coronary bypass had brought me to this quiet site, where I often sort out the more serious problems of my life. But that was then. This is now. I’m probably in better shape than I’ve ever been. It all began with what I thought was a stomachache after a brisk, after-dinner walk on a nearby hiking trail. I assumed the pain, stabbing through what I thought was my stomach, was caused by too much exertion after a big meal. When the pain went away, I forgot about it. I mentioned it almost casually to my doctor some months later. To him, it was an old story: angina attacks mistaken for indigestion. He ordered a treadmill stress test, which revealed that two arteries were more than 50 percent blocked. An angiogram determined that open-heart surgery was the only solution. It was in October, the autumn leaves were laying carpets of color over the hillsides, and I wanted to be around for Christmas. I said, “Let’s do it.” Heart disease and strokes are the number one killers in the U.S. general population, and also among Hispanics. At least partially responsible for both are bad nutrition and lack of exercise. I was guilty in both categories. A passionate advocate of exercise is Argentina-born cardiologist Jorge Monastersky. A board member of the American Heart Association (AHA) Western Division, he wants everyone to get involved. He’s helping lead the way. At 58, he exercises at a gym five times a week, hikes three times a week, runs on the beach one day a week and is taking up kayaking. He also has a full practice and is active on the AHA’s Latino Task Force.
“Exercise lowers cholesterol, reduces stress, brings your weight down, and controls your blood pressure,” he says with enthusiasm. “The end result is to reduce heart attacks and strokes. A third of all Americans are overweight or obese. We need to change our habits.” The AHA’s goal is to reduce heart disease and strokes 25 percent by 2010. Recovering from bypass surgery, I joined the Pritikin Longevity Center and began a treadmill program coupled with tofu-eating that caused my cholesterol to plunge, my waistline to shrink, and my energy level to achieve that of a 20-year-old Olympic marathon runner. Pritikin shaped me into a new man. But it didn’t last. Eventually, I was back to prime rib and pâté de foie gras, and a tightening in the chest. My cholesterol shot up from a pretty good 200 to 290 and my weight from 160 to 225. More angina pains followed. An artery was closing again from a buildup of plaque, the fibrous material that prevents an even flow of blood. This time, angioplasty—the inflating of a tiny balloon in the problem artery—was used to widen the pathway for the blood. A small mesh tube called a stent was inserted to keep the artery open. Back to exercise and healthy living—more or less—and no more chest pains. I was doing okay with exercise, but eating right was something else. I’m not big on fish and broccoli, which seemed poor replacements for T-bone steaks and baked potatoes, soaked in butter. While he stresses exercise, Monastersky points out that Hispanics need to learn to eat right. Toward that end, the AHA is offering courses nationwide on cooking Hispanic foods in a healthful way. “Good health,” he says, “must start at home.” Registered dietitian Nelda Mercer, a national spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association and an archenemy of overeating, couldn’t agree more. “One pork chop,” she says wryly, “is never enough.” Or one tamale, I’d say. A diet of high-fat foods is also a killer. “There’s nothing wrong with eating the Mexican staples of beans and rice. They’re good heart foods,” she says. “It’s frying them in pork or bacon that’s bad. Olive oil is as tasteful as lard and helps lower cholesterol.” It’s also okay to eat red meat once every couple of weeks, she says, but the rule ought to be moderation. “Eat more at home, where nutrition can be controlled, not at fast-food stands that lay on the fat. Eat lean portions of meat or grilled chicken, and eat them sparingly.” I’m living proof that you can learn to live with broccoli, veggie burgers, and other foods high in fiber. They help fight cholesterol. So do statin drugs like Zocor or Lipitor, but there are side effects a physician can warn you about. Fortunately, my wife is a gourmet cook and can make a meal fit for El Jefe out of low-fat cheese, skinless chicken, and a big salad. Refried beans and chicharrones enter my house at their peril. Since wising up to nutrition and exercise, nuclear stress tests involving the injection of radioactive dye determined that my heart was in great shape. My cholesterol is at a desirable 163, my weight is down to 180 and lowering gradually, and I feel better than I probably deserve. You won’t find me jogging around the streets of L.A. during my lunch break or dining on fish oil and tofu, but you will find me using stairs to reach anything up to three stories, and you’ll also find me eating more fish and less meat. All of this has kept my energy level high for a guy of 74. And while I feel a little patched together sometimes, I realize the patching has kept me alive and, well, ticking. Fourteen years ago I might have died of a heart attack without the good medicine available. I’m grateful for the extra years. Find out more about new heart tests that could save your life, plus scalpel-free heart treatments of the future. |
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