Thank God.. DH had a procedure today due to his heart pains.

So glad he is doing ok... May he recover quickly!

Hopefully that will be the worst of it. Sending good thoughts.

Good thing he went & got the procedure done! Prayers to him. Which meds is he on? DH is on a few heart meds (for a-fib, CHF, and a few other heart issues). He's on Xarelto (blood thinner) daily too. He hasn't had an issue with his heart since I met him, 13 years ago. The right meds, testing, etc., can keep them in good shape. Diet REALLY helps too.

Hugs to you and prayers to your hubby!! xo

I'm glad he had it checked out!

This applies to women, too. GO TO THE ER with any type of chest pain. They will not laugh at you if it's nothing, like heartburn.

DH's symptom was not chest pain, but shortness of breath that came and went pretty quickly. The triage nurse at his doctor's office probably saved his life by sending him to the ER. He had 4 blockages.

workingclassdog I am happy to hear your DH will be ok.

I am so happy that it was caught early. Sending prayers and positive thoughts for your family. 

Wow, that is scary! So glad he's getting it taken care of with meds.

Phew!👍

Bridget in MD workingclassdog @bergdorfblonde   There is a simple blood test - bnp that can detect CHF very easily.

www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/bnp-an-important-new-cardiac-test

B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) belongs to a family of protein hormones called natriuretic peptides. Each member of the group is produced by a different part of the circulatory system. ANP is produced by the muscle cells in the upper pumping chambers of the heart (the atria); BNP is produced in the larger and more powerful lower chambers (the ventricles); CNP is produced mainly in blood vessels; and DNP is found in the blood plasma but probably originates in the heart itself.

These natriuretic peptides have an important role in regulating the circulation. Scientists have learned the most about ANP and BNP. Both act on blood vessels, causing them to dilate, or widen. They also work on the kidneys, causing them to excrete more salt and water. In addition, the natriuretic peptides reduce the production of various hormones that narrow blood vessels, boost the heart rate, or affect fluid retention; examples include adrenaline, angiotensin, and aldosterone.

The net effect of natriuretic peptides is to promote urine excretion, relax blood vessels, lower blood pressure, and reduce the heart's workload. They are part of the body's natural defense mechanisms designed to protect the heart from stress. And they surge into action when they are needed most, when the heart itself is under siege.

Doctors can usually diagnose advanced CHF on clinical grounds, confirmed by simple studies like chest x-rays, EKGs, and routine blood tests. But milder CHF can be tricky to recognize, and various lung diseases, liver diseases, and kidney diseases can mimic CHF. So, when doctors suspect CHF, they usually order an echocardiogram to confirm the diagnosis and assess its severity. While the BNP test will never replace echocardiography, it has already helped doctors reserve the test for patients who really need it.

In congestive heart failure, the heart chambers are dilated, or enlarged. Heart muscle cells are stretched as the chambers swell with extra blood that can't be pumped out efficiently. The stretched muscle cells produce extra BNP, which pours into the bloodstream. And doctors now have simple, accurate, inexpensive tests to measure BNP in blood samples. A bedside test can even yield diagnostic information right in the Emergency Department.

BNP is very helpful in diagnosing CHF. A normal BNP level is about 98% accurate in ruling out the diagnosis, freeing doctors to hunt for other conditions that may be causing shortness of breath or fluid retention. In general, levels below 100 picograms per milliliter (pg/ml) rule out CHF (the cutoff is 200 pg/ml for patients with kidney failure). High BNP levels are less conclusive, but in patients with suspected CHF, levels of about 900 pg/ml in 50- to 75-year-olds or above 1,200 pg/ml in older patients support the diagnosis up to 90% of the time; most of the patients who do not have true CHF have elevated BNPs due to severe lung or kidney disease. The table below lists some of the conditions that can raise or lower BNP levels.

I’m glad all went well!

In congestive heart failure, the heart chambers are dilated, or enlarged. Heart muscle cells are stretched as the chambers swell with extra blood that can't be pumped out efficiently. The stretched muscle cells produce extra BNP, which pours into the bloodstream. And doctors now have simple, accurate, inexpensive tests to measure BNP in blood samples. A bedside test can even yield diagnostic information right in the Emergency Department. quiltz : I became very well versed in all things related to CHF right after DH and I got serious. He also has A-Fib. Half of his heart is barely functioning. He has an Interventional Cardiologist and he's pretty good. This was one huge consideration about DH's chemo and cancer surgery. (He's also type 2 diabetic, he's got high cholesterol, high blood pressure, emphysema, etc.) He did try to reverse the A-fib. They stopped and started his heart 6 times, which was nuts! It didn't work because he's had his heart issues for 40 years now........

He was stable throughout his 3 bouts of sepsis. His heart function remained stable throughout his chemo and surgery, thank God. We get a thorough check with his Cardiologist before any surgery. One thing we didn't know was that in the past few years he apparently had a heart attack. We had no idea! No one told us. It very well could have been during any one of his traumas, but we thought that his heart was stable. These days we're more worried about his kidney disease progressing quickly, and his cancer possibly metastasizing to his liver. Also worried because he had to get off of his diabetes Rx because it affects the kidney function.

Glad your husbands are okay workingclassdog @bridget in MD. Any heart symptoms or issues should be checked on right away. We take it seriously. Whenever DH feels the need to take a nitroglycerin, I have the phone in my hand, ready to call an ambulance in case it's serious. Ugh.

It’s always nice to hear a story of someone who caught a symptom in time and got the treatment necessary to go on and live a long life. How wonderful for your family.

So glad to hear everything was caught in time, hugs to you and your family