[ RadSafe ] Acute heart attack patients receiving high ionizingradiation dose

[HOWARD.LONG at comcast.net]

I generally support Syd's preference for medical prevention and treatment of heart problems 

before resorting to invasive procedures. But I warn against "running like hell" 

if an interventionalist cardiologist advises catheterization. Radiation is not the important risk then. 

It is often done without first doing adequate adrenalin blockage (in all cases), 

exercise (depending on symptoms) and diet (individually tailored). 

But if enzymes are up, don't wait! 
- 

 50 years ago, my special interest in preventive cardiology had me hosting Francisco Grande 

(of Ancel Keyes lab) at the Am Academy of Family Practice meeting in SF in 1960, where 

I took him to lunch with Laurence Kinsell, also a pioneer in cholesterol and unsaturated fats and 

with the UCBPH head of Epidemiology, Stoney Stallones. Since then, I have done thousands of 

exercise cardiographs (cheap 2 step) and cholesterols and hopefully saved many myocardial infarcts 

(dead spots in the heart) and deaths. Meyer Friedman (author of Type A Behavior and Your Heart) 

had heart clinics in my office for several years. 



If you feel frequent anger or fear (fight or flight, the stress reaction) take metoprolol (or carvedilol if diabetes)! These or other beta blocker are always  prescribed after an infarct.  Why wait? They also reduce coronary artery cholesterol deposits vs placebo. 



Howard Long MD MPH 



---- Original Message ----- 
From: "Syd H. Levine" <syd.levine at mindspring.com> 
To: "ROY HERREN" <royherren2005 at yahoo.com>, radsafe at radlab.nl 
Sent: Wednesday, November 18, 2009 3:32:12 PM GMT -08:00 Tijuana / Baja California 
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] Acute heart attack patients receiving high ionizingradiation dose 

Needless to say the dose of ionizing radiation involved in medical imaging 
is unlikely to really hurt anybody.  My concern about the dose from 
angiographic procedures is nothing compared to my concern about the efficacy 
of the procedure itself.  Far too many unnecessary angiograms are performed 
in the US, and a number of folks lose their lives because of this 
unfortunate fact (not to mention allergic reactions to the radio opaquing 
dyes, kidney damage, etc.). 

Aside from the general overuse of this high-profit procedure, no heart 
attack patient should be subjected to the stress of an angiogram or a bypass 
procedure with the exception of those in acute cardiac shock. 

We know that medical (drug) treatment is as good as or better than stenting 
from the  COURAGE trial, yet invasive cardiologists have largely ignored 
this.  I would add that the medical treatment is typically inadequate, with 
what amounts to pediatric doses of ACE Inhibitors, Beta Blockers, etc.  So 
for it to look as good as or better than stenting when medical treatment is 
usually half-assed is a real indictment of stenting. 

Ten years ago I was told I was a walking dead man by an invasive 
cardiologist.  Fortunately, I found a non-invasive guy who put me on drugs. 
I have yet to have that angiogram that was scheduled as an emergency 
procedure for the next day. 

I urge any of you who land in the grips of a cardiologist to read Dr. Howard 
Wayne's books on the subject.  And if you hear a cardiologist say "we caught 
this just in nick of time", run like hell. 

Syd H. Levine 
AnaLog Services, Inc. 
Phone:  (270) 276-5671 
Telefax:  (270) 276-5588 
E-mail:  analog at logwell.com 
Web URL:  www.logwell.com 

_______________________________________________ 
You are currently subscribed to the RadSafe mailing list 

Before posting a message to RadSafe be sure to have read and understood the RadSafe rules. These can be found at: http://radlab.nl/radsafe/radsaferules.html 

For information on how to subscribe or unsubscribe and other settings visit: http://radlab.nl/radsafe/