Exercise, Lifestyle and Life Experience with Dilated Aorta?

@vita831 Sure, here it is:

@houston13 could you please resend the link to the video?

@sharron11 have you watched the video I posted earlier in this thread? Dr Prakash has done a lot of his research in the subject

@dew88 just a comment, it is known that while exerting your BP spikes significantly especially if your holding your breath, and starts coming down immediately after the exercise/rep from its peak so if you measured 170/79 right after, the peak was actually higher.

I asked Dr Prakash once about ways to measure BP while exercising, and he told me there is absolutely no way for someone to do that, the current methods are just too sensitive to movement.

@beebo That is a great video. Is really learned a lot from it.

Here’s a related question: Is there a difference between an aortic aneurysm and a dilated aorta? Thanks!

@houston13 That’s a really informative video.

@hsminc

Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit multispeciality academic center. The invented the Bentall procedure. I ended up having an emergent Bentall procedure during my open heart surgery Sep 10, 2024. I was having three major procedures done. We planned to not do it that day since surgery was already going to be about 8 hours. It was 4.7 at the mid ascending aorta and 4.8 at the root. However, the root ruptured and aorta tore so the Bentall was done. We had discussed 3 scenarios and options depending which is good because the surgeon had the materials ready just in case. I was in surgery between 10 and 11 hours and lost 3.5 liters of blood. I wouldn't blow of monitoring a 4.8 to 4.9 ascending aorta or root for "a couple of years" and would fire that surgeon. I still have a 4.6 cm ascending aneurysm on the native aorta on the distal end that we are monitoring with CT contrast and echos no more than a year apart. I have been getting care through Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville. Something we take for granted is that the aneurysm may not be the only issue going on. I was 60 when that went down. The aneurysm was found 2 years ago and 9 months later I was in open heart surgery and that wasn't really on the radar 2 years ago.

My husband had a similar diagnosis back in 2007, i.e., an aneurysm was 4.3 cm. He was told it was okay for his height and weight. He did nothing to change his lifestyle, listing heavy stuff, etc. It was unfortunate but we had "no clue" - I am not even sure that we knew the significance of the ascending aortic aneurysm. I sure don't remember it. We seriously woke up when his first cousin, who is one month older and a "fitness nut" was found dead on the bedroom floor with a ruptured aortic aneurysm in the same place as my husband's. His daughter, an EMT saved his life. He was airlifted to a large hospital (Abbott Northwestern) in Mpls where they did a fabulous job of repairing him. He is alive now with some deficits but he is alive.
Fast forward to 2021 and my husband was assigned to a new cardiologist cause the old one accepted a different type of job elsewhere. This new cardiologist ran an echo and then an angiogram with contrast. By now, his aneurysm had grown to 4.8-4.9. It has remained stable (last measured May 2024). He will have yearly tests although his potential cardiac surgeon said he could skip a few years. We have decided not to do that and will do it yearly.
A lot depends on whether you have vasculitis or any other risk factors. Find a cardiologist that specializes in ascending aortic aneurysms and also a surgeon. Community hospitals don't have the experience with this type of medical condition. Go to an academic center or a private center that does a whole lot of them. (For example: I don't know if the Cleveland Clinic is an academic center or a private entity.)
Good luck,.

Hsminc: I have exactly what you have. ATAA: 4.2, Root 4.5. That was a year & 1/2 ago. Same reactions: depressed. Have weights & downhill skiing. Go to gym 3-4 times/week. 200 lb male and just turned 89. I know, everyone thinks I'm 70's. But this disease does not care about your age, just doctors do. I think they are vague due to our litigious society. Yesterday I was curling with a 40 lb cable and took blood pressure right after. 170/79 pulse 78. No clue that would go that high. Researched & found 180/95 = an immediate medical attention if it does not drop. New target = 160/75. Don't want to depress you further, but knowledge is power. Researched in medical library disclosed that doctor's have relied on aortic diameter to determine disease severity & risk of rupture & acute dissection. Blood pressure control is done with medications. However, AWS (Aortic wall stress) has generally not been measured. This could account for younger patients with controlled blood pressure still experiencing acute Aortic Aneurysm problems.
AWS = systolic B.P. X Aorta Radius divided by Aorta Wall thickness.
So, why don't they measure stress on aorta's walls? It's difficult, no way to do that yet except on cadavers. So, like the song says, "don't worry; be happy" because even with aneurysm's open heart surgery, the success rate is 98%. You will be there for your daughter and by then, the success rate should be 100%. Good Luck!