Question Hello thanks in advance for taking time out to offer your services. I'm a 24 yr old male, 6ft, and 205lbs, very inactive person and don't eat the greatest. I also drink beer on a daily basis, avg. 12 per day and somedays maybe alot more, which is not good at all. I know that I need to cut that out. I've been having left side chest pain on and off for a yr now, I've had echo's, holter monitor, and event monitor, all normal besides premature beats, PVC's and PAC's, and also vtach. I sleep way to much, avg. 10-11 hrs a night, I sometimes wake up with left side chest pain. I had my cholesterol checked and it came back Total-245, Triglycyrides-253, HDL-39, and LDL-156. How bad is this and is that enough to cause my chest pain and am I at risk for a heart attack?? If I'm more active could I get this lowered? and does the beer I drink affect cholesterol levels? Thanks so much. could i have significant blockage at my age with those cholesterol numbers? and if i do are the pvc's dangerous as like "SCD"???? why are the triglycyrides so high, what could that indicate???
Today I just had a stress echo done, and the Dr. said that I had a really good baseline and that I had a normal test. Things I do remember seeing was:
Before I started the test my bp was 154/97 and heart rate 96, and then I think I achieved my target heart rate of 196 in the 4th stage, and I saw it go up to like 212bpm(which i think is dangerous??) and my last bp check in stage 4 when I was in the running stage on the treadmill my bp was 206/???, just remember seeing the systalostic and not dialostic. My questions are
1. Should my heart rate have exceeded the target heart rate? Was that dangerous?
2. Does this test eliminate that there is no blockages??
3. Was it normal for my systalostic bp to go up to 206 in the final stage of the test, does that signify that anything could be wrong that it went up that high while exercising??
4. After I left about an hour and half later I started experiencing the same symptoms I have been for awhile now, the localized left side chest pain, in the area right over where my heart is located, and the pain extends down into my left arm and lasts about an hour or so. Could this be heart related???
I also just feel really bad, and when I get the pain i sometimes get cold sweats and just a bad feelings, i just feel that something is wrong and dont feel good at all!!!
Answer Hi Michael,
Your echo certainly pinpoints to one specific problem - how much stimulants did you ingest prior to the echo? Stimulants like coffee, alcohol, tobacco, or caffeinated drinks certainly can induce premature atrial and ventricular beats. When there is 3 or more PVCs in a row, we generally call that ventricular tachycardia. Emotional stress can also induce PVCs. Poor oxygen delivery to the heart, aka ischemic heart disease (IHD), can induce PVC and v-tach. Your major risk factor for possible IHD is your lipid problems - cholesterol, triglycerides, ldl, and hdl.
I hope that these lipid values reflected a fasting state.
total cholesterol - 245 >> high
triglyceride - 253 >> high
hdl - 39 >> increased risk of heart disease
ldl - 156 >> borderline high
Your bp is not great either. 154/97 is high. Your heart rate is normal.
I cannot interpret your echo as I did not perform it nor am I your physician to interpret it. Please have a detail chat with your physician regarding your echo results. Your symptoms of left-sided chest pain which radiates to your left arm should immediately be evaluated by your physician. I definitely recommend that you seek advisory at an emergency room during your next episode. It could be heart related. It could also be induced psychologically as you've correlated with emotions and sweats during a "down" moment.
At 24yo, 6ft 205 pounds with an excessive alcohol use, I definitely recommend that you first seek advisory from your physician regarding your chest pain and also talk to him or her about obtaining counseling for your alcohol problem. Alcohol can cause an increase in lipids and consequently, increases your risks of heart disease. An increase in lipid will increase the risk of atherosclerosis. Second, it is best that you take the courage and start a healthier lifestyle. It is important that you obtain guidance from your physician. Sometimes, it may help to join a local gym. It might even be better to have a workout partner to motivate each other.
Again, I highly recommend that you seek advisory from your physician as soon as possible. If you have another episode of chest pain, call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room. I also believe that you may be depress. A referral to a behavioral specialist, such as a psychologist or psychiatrist, would be beneficial to you. Should you feel very "down" and have thoughts of hurting yourself or others, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.
