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Heart Health, VO2 Max, Blood TesT for Heart, etc

Posted on 6/4/23 at 7:07 am
Posted by I Love Bama
Alabama
Member since Nov 2007
37692 posts
Posted on 6/4/23 at 7:07 am
I'm approaching the big 40 and slightly concerned about my heart.

5' 10
170-175 pounds
13%-15% body fat
gym/walking/cardio daily
8,000 - 10,000 steps daily
Almost perfect diet (meat, eggs, cheese, real milk, fruits and veggies)

I can run 2-3 miles at a time but I would not say my cardio fitness is amazing.

Last December I got an I watch and it keeps telling me my VO2max is way too low and routinely get "low fitness" notifications.

I want to do a deep dive into my heart health but not sure where to start.

What blood tests should I get? What sort of testing should I be asking the doctor for?

ETA: No family history of serious heart problems.

This post was edited on 6/4/23 at 7:08 am
Posted by Wiseguy
Member since Mar 2020
3365 posts
Posted on 6/4/23 at 7:39 am to
If you got an Apple Watch, ignore those notifications. The watch doesn’t have the capacity to calculate those things because it can’t measure your respiratory volume, etc. It guesses based on your heart rate and pace.

I mostly walk due to my knees not liking me very much when I run much. But I will throw in a few intervals sometimes of joggining to get my heart rate up. The watch is tracking my activity as a walk, so it gets confused with the elevated heart rates, etc. I always get those alerts and have learned that they are pretty much meaningless for me.
Posted by OysterPoBoy
City of St. George
Member since Jul 2013
34904 posts
Posted on 6/4/23 at 10:36 am to
Huberman Lab

I don’t know if this link will work but it’s Peter Attia on Andrew Huberman’s podcast. Lots of good stuff on the heart and overall health for longevity.
Posted by Yeti_Chaser
Member since Nov 2017
7437 posts
Posted on 6/4/23 at 10:37 am to
quote:

I got an I watch and it keeps telling me my VO2max is way too low and routinely get "low fitness" notifications.

How does it measure this?
Posted by Aubie Spr96
lolwut?
Member since Dec 2009
41045 posts
Posted on 6/4/23 at 12:47 pm to
Go get a VO2 max test. You can get one just about anywhere. Ideally, you’d get a VO2 max score, a MET score, and heart rate exercise zones. Your VO2 or MET score is directly correlated to longevity and quality of life.

Korr is a leading manufacturer of that testing gear. LINK is for a testing partner.

Once you get your HR zones, you can start training for your cardiovascular health which is what I do. You’ll need a HR strap as the watches are unreliable by 5-10%.

My dad had his first heart attack at 31. He managed to live into his 70’s, but his quality of life was far less than what I’d consider ideal. I promised myself that I wouldn’t end up like that.
Posted by StringedInstruments
Member since Oct 2013
18311 posts
Posted on 6/4/23 at 2:37 pm to
You can also get some good testing at local athletic facilities. If you’re ever in the Birmingham area, Samford offers affordable ones for body fat and VO2 max. Their specialists will also give you good advice on improving your measurables.

LINK
Posted by Rust Cohle
Baton rouge
Member since Mar 2014
1937 posts
Posted on 6/4/23 at 3:24 pm to
You’re only 40, I imagined you 50 with a real estate empire. I heard Peter attia this week making the rounds for his new book. Saying that people with a VO2max in the top 2% were 500% less likely to die than those in the bottom 25% in any given year, a hazard reduction of 5. Diabetes, smoking and hypertension were 1.2 to 1.5. Some measurement of strength was 3.

I think this may be sensationalized a bit as he is known to do. I don’t think these measurements were meant to be compared to one another, I don’t know I’ll let someone smarter than me figure it out.

Anyone know if Pennington biomedical offers of these to the public, I know they have them for their trials?
Posted by idontyield
Tunnel Trash
Member since Jun 2022
324 posts
Posted on 6/4/23 at 10:37 pm to
Your heart will likely be what kills you as cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death by far.

What watch do you have? I have a Garmin and while it does give me VOmax I have to look for it. It does show me resting heart rate that I put more stock in.

My grandfather died of heart disease so this is what I believe will ultimately be my demise. I’m curious to see what info is given here. I have low blood pressure and a low resting heart rate. I’m always told at my annual I will live forever like this, my grandfather was told the same until he had a heart attack.

Other than annual bloodwork and pressure check, is there really anything I should be getting checked by a Dr? I run and bike vigorously over 15 hrs a week and lift 3 days a week.
Posted by Aubie Spr96
lolwut?
Member since Dec 2009
41045 posts
Posted on 6/5/23 at 6:38 am to
quote:

Other than annual bloodwork and pressure check, is there really anything I should be getting checked by a Dr? I run and bike vigorously over 15 hrs a week and lift 3 days a week.


Calcium score if you’ve never had one done.

You can also train to increase your VO2 max. The 80/20 training does that: build an aerobic base then increase VO2 through high intensity.
Posted by TigeRoots
Member since Oct 2008
8505 posts
Posted on 6/5/23 at 7:52 am to
You need to watch some of Peter Attia's videos. He gives great info on this. Also check out his new book "Outlive".

VO2 Max

Most MD's won't run these blood tests for cardiovascular risk on routine panels, but I will be requesting them from now on.

APO(b)
Posted by oleyeller
Vols, Bitch
Member since Oct 2012
32015 posts
Posted on 6/5/23 at 8:33 am to
quote:

Calcium score if you’ve never had one done.


Turnee 40 in march.. had this done. Mine came back 435

5'7 155lbs, work out 3-4 days a week, eat a good diet and active.

We proceeded to do ekgs, bloodwork, heart monitor, echocardiogram, and finally a nuclear stress test. Passed all with flying colors outside of my LDL a tad high. It was about 100 and he wanted it around 75. Blood pressure and all was perfect.

Basically dr said keep doin what i was doing. The downside of calcium score is that it doesnt show if it is creating an actual blockage, or if it is inside the walls. If its inside the walls its basically harmless. Doc told me he has seen people with 1500 calcium score, take them in for a heart catch, and arteries perfectly clear. And he has had people with calcium of 0 leave and have heart attack 2 months later from blockage.
Posted by Aubie Spr96
lolwut?
Member since Dec 2009
41045 posts
Posted on 6/5/23 at 9:53 am to
quote:

Doc told me he has seen people with 1500 calcium score, take them in for a heart catch, and arteries perfectly clear. And he has had people with calcium of 0 leave and have heart attack 2 months later from blockage.



Well..... That's disturbing. My score was zero.
Posted by oleyeller
Vols, Bitch
Member since Oct 2012
32015 posts
Posted on 6/5/23 at 10:24 am to
quote:

Well..... That's disturbing. My score was zero


Lol i would rather that than 435.. basically what he was saying was unless you do an actual heart catch, they have no clue whats going on. Anyone can have soft plaque break loose and cause heart attack. He was just letting me know the 435 didnt mean i 100% had clogged arteries, while telln me i still could fall over tomo
Posted by TigeRoots
Member since Oct 2008
8505 posts
Posted on 6/5/23 at 11:30 am to
My score was zero.

Mine was also. 42 years old.
Posted by Rust Cohle
Baton rouge
Member since Mar 2014
1937 posts
Posted on 6/5/23 at 11:57 am to
He’s right about a CAC of 0 and still having a heart attack, that’s usually my statement when people tout a low score, out of the woods card. But the occurrence of heart attack is many times lower than higher scores.

The soft plaque ruptures, and when healing it creates calcified lesions. So it’s not like you have one or the other, if you have calcified, you also have soft. Sometimes the ruptures are larger, some people might deposit more calcium and stabilize that plaque better.
Posted by TigeRoots
Member since Oct 2008
8505 posts
Posted on 6/5/23 at 12:01 pm to
Yep, Attia mentions in the Outlive book that Calcium score isn't really a good indicator for those reasons.
Posted by Dreaux99
Member since Feb 2018
3 posts
Posted on 6/8/23 at 9:44 pm to
I believe Dr. David Moll (cardiologist) performs VO2 max test locally. Heard he's done it for a group of Navy Seals
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