← Return to Medication vs. Stent treatment for coronary artery disease

Discussion

Medication vs. Stent treatment for coronary artery disease

Heart & Blood Health | Last Active: 4 days ago | Replies (15)
Comment receiving replies
@rochelle369

I always had high cholesterol and ate poorly. I started a plant based diet with very low fat (per Dr. Dean Ornish or Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn's protocol which showed you can halt or reverse heart disease eating this way) cholesterol went from 275 to 145 in 4 months. LDL 176 to 80. I had a calcium score of 312. Didn't want to do statins (I bad side effects in the past). Had cleerly test (which will be the gold standard soon) which showed 80 percent blockage in LAD and 70 percent on right side. I went on Repatha. Dr. wants to just watch. I just watched a webinar from cleerly which dr. recommended stenting. I don't want stents. My eating is very good.

Jump to this post

Replies to "I always had high cholesterol and ate poorly. I started a plant based diet with very..."
Sue, Volunteer Mentor | @sueinmn | 5 days ago

You don't mention your age, family risk or other conditions you might have, these can all be factors in deciding between stents and medications.

I went through exactly this scenario over the past 2 years - failed several statins, cholesterol continued to rise, but no one ever suggested further exploration. Then in September I got Covid, went to Urgent Care, and instead of Paxlovid I got a trip to the ER for a weird ECG. No heart attack or stroke, but they put me on track to see a cardiologist. I had the equivalent of the cleerly test - a CCTA with contrast that found blockages.

My family (nurses and EMT) were sure they would do stents, which I did not want. But the doctor really listened to me, put me on 3 meds, including Repatha (and no statin) and said we would watch for a year.

First test result last week - Cholesterol down 110 HDL down 40 LDL down 80 from a year ago. All solidly in acceptable range. Color me happy. The cardiologist is too! And the angina pain that I thought was shortness of breath from my asthma is gone.

Maybe you can give the medication a 6 month trial?

VIEW AND REPLY