I am 46 years old and I had a heart attack when I was 42. I am anesthetized and have one stent. According to my cardiologist, my infarction was a ‘mistake’ and I have fully recovered. I am quite sporty, have always been (I have run several marathons in the past), am not really overweight, but I still take medicines: acetylsalicylic acid, lisinopril and simvastatin.
Now I would really like to get off the meds. I do notice that I do suffer from some side effects. In addition, I have the idea that I mainly take the medicines preventively. I never had high cholesterol and my coronary arteries were not clogged (at least not more than you would expect for my age). The cardiologist who has angioplasty said he doesn’t expect to see me again.
How do you view this? is it possible to taper off the medicines (under supervision)?
Jurre
It is very unfortunate that you are already suffering from a heart attack at such a young age. From your message, it seems that the heart has suffered virtually no damage. It is true that medication to prevent a second stroke is essential. The statin and acetylsalicylic acid are recommended anyway; the lisinopril depends on the blood pressure and whether there was any damage to the heart.
This may be somewhat disappointing to you. However, with a statin and acetylsalicylic acid, the chance of having a second infarction is considerably less.
You are of course always welcome in our center to see if the medication can still be lowered, if we succeed in initiating a very healthy lifestyle.
Do you also have a question? Then ask one of our experts. Always go to your doctor with urgent questions, the experts are not the right person for that. They also do not diagnose. You can find the other conditions here.
dr. Leonard Hofstra works as a cardiologist at Cardiology Centers Netherlands in the Utrecht branch. Here he sees thousands of patients a year, who are usually referred by their GP. He is also very interested in the impact of lifestyle on cardiovascular disease.
