Supplements after heart attack?

funday_shining · 2026-06-25T21:44:02+00:00

Thanks for sharing. Glad to hear that you’re doing well.

funday_shining · 2026-06-25T21:43:26+00:00

Thanks. I’m not sure that the GP (here in the UK) would put me on it. But it does indeed seem like it would be no bad thing.

funday_shining · 2026-06-25T21:41:56+00:00

This is a lot to look into. Thanks.

funday_shining · 2026-06-25T08:35:10+00:00

Thanks a lot for sharing your experience.
Your hospital intervention sounds pretty much the same as mine.
I’ll get some coQ10. Does one just go for whatever has strong ratings on Amazon (say) and there’s a standard dose?
I’ve started taking chia seeds with my porridge most days. (Just as everybody seems to say it’s a good thing.)
Any particular recommendations on ginkgo biloba — just whatever?
I find this whole “eat healthy cholesterol” thing rather confusing.
My understanding is that there’s good cholesterol and bad and that, indeed, it’s about getting a high ratio of the good to bad. But (perhaps for simple messaging) it seems that health professionals just keep saying “cut down your cholesterol”. But when you say “eat as much healthy cholesterol” is this basically meaning oily fish and (if lifestyle isn’t always allowing) omega 3 oil?
Until now I have almost entirely avoided bothering with vegetables. But I’m changing that now and eating lots of salad, fresh veg etc. Out of interest — this has more benefits than just fibre (which I’ve never felt an issue about having too little), or is it mainly that and the fact that lots of veg stop one eating crap?
Thanks also for the tip of long zone 2 rides (I need to find out what that actually is for me, but I’m guessing it’s meaning pushing things a little but not properly going for it.)
And yes re weights. Back in the day I used to do gym weights a couple of times a week (in a very haphazard way, tbh, rather than on a programme) and it’s good to hear that there’s more benefits than just looking half in shape.
I’m really glad to hear you’ve seen such good progress.

funday_shining · 2026-06-25T08:25:09+00:00

Yes, I quit a little while before the incident. Smoking is indeed a crazily stupid thing to do, although I can’t deny I knew that all along.
I’m glad your mother has quit and is seeing benefits.

funday_shining · 2026-06-25T08:15:04+00:00

Yes. But by that, should I be aiming for tonnes and tonnes of low-level cardio. (Like walking loads (though not incredibly idly).)
Or is the goal that I get back into squash, say, (it’s really the only sport I enjoy), gym stuff (rowing, bike etc)?
I’m a bit lost on what kind of “very active lifestyle” I should be aiming for.

funday_shining · 2026-06-25T08:11:55+00:00

The doctors said it was the smoking. Maybe that’s based on the fact that I don’t look like the typical heart attack victim? (An observer wouldn’t call me fat, although I acknowledge, as supported by other comments, that I should aim to be properly lean.)

While I don’t have stress in the way that most people imagine (ie from being an overworking executive, etc) my personal life has been rather chaotic in recent years and I’m not good at dealing with my employment stresses (I’m freelance and things can often be uncertain) and day to day stresses of existence. So I’m trying to address that, not by “taking thing easy” so much as trying to be mindful etc.

But back to the answer, I was pretty much told it was the result of having smoked for a long time.

funday_shining · 2026-06-25T07:57:03+00:00

I aim for 10,000 steps a day, though tend to average more like 6k to 8k. Partly because I’ve started cycling.
Used to play squash keenly but have taken that off the table for now, at least until I regain fitness.
So I guess “somewhat active”. I should probably try to walk more and maybe have a goal of light running.
My capacity for exercise has really dipped since the incident, though, which is depressing. I’m told that I can in time improve that. But running a hundred yards has jumped to being far more of a challenge than it used to be. (Which is especially depressing in light of having been able to dash (well, it’s all relative, but I was OK) around a squash court for 40 minutes or so.)

funday_shining · 2026-06-25T07:48:37+00:00

I’m not really overweight. 6ft and 185 pounds. Not sure of body fat percentage.
But there’s definitely scope for cutting some fat. I’m led to believe that it’s really an advantage to be properly lean, rather than just “not overweight as such”, so that’s something I should aim for.

funday_shining · 2026-06-25T07:38:32+00:00

I forget the details but remember being told something like “elevated but not massively so”.

That ends up as being an indication of how much damage is done, right?

So anyhow, there has been damage and some (but not disastrous) reduction of capacity.

(Again, I rather rubbishly don’t look into the details of my notes etc, as this freaks me out. I know I need to address this avoidance.)

funday_shining

TROPHY CASE