Monday, July 17, 2006

Health update

Had a good conversation with a cardiologist. He resolved the apparent contradiction between the two tests I’ve taken, one of which said my heart was in great shape and the other which suggested I was in grave danger. The “grave danger” one said I have too much plaque accumulated on my arteries. The other one, the treadmill exercise test, said there was nothing wrong at all.

Clarification. He said “Of course you have plaque on your heart. You’re sixty years old.” Are there any obstructions in my circulatory system? Probably. Are there any significant ones that obstruct blood flow? No. That would have shown up on the stress test.

He thinks I need to lower my cholesterol to slow the accumulation of plaque, but otherwise, I’m a healthy guy. This is an explanation I like. I’m sticking with it.