Went for my yearly M.O.T. yesterday. Doc did an ECG heart check and has said I may have furred arteries.............. Yikes.........no mention of any further tests though which suprises me somewhat.
When I spoke with a male relative last night he tells me an ECG can't tell if your arteries are furred or blocked, anyone know if this is true? My relative has had a couple of heart attacks and a triple bypass, reason for calling him and picking his brains....
How else do you check for blocked arteries? I've googled this and have come up with some horrific angiogram test, I think that's what it was will need to search again. Sounds painful and bloody expensive, has anyone had this done here in Thailand?

I am no expert by any means but they do have some at the Khon Kean Heart Institute. Don't know if they still do but have a cardilogist on staff at AEK.

Good luck on what you do.

The test you refer to is a screening test only. I failed mine three weeks ago but did do the followup and no problem at all.

Maybe you are just charged up a bit and sending out false signals

However I think I would followup.

2 years ago i did a mri scan on my heart at bangkok hospital.... Brillant test, they put dye into my blood and scanned my heart, it showed every artery all the blood vessels in 3d..

it cost i think about 20,000 baht, but if you need a proper looking at its worth it i reckon..

I think ECG only measure electrical activity of the heart, unless you have "electrically charged fur" then probably after some more tests fromyou and some more money!!!

About 20 years ago, they could use ultrasound to have a look around at blood vessels near the surface and see blood flow and some blockages. With advances over the last couple of decades, I would imagine that they can see a quite a bit further in and more clearly now.

I had to do a web search for "furred arteries." Not a term I heard in the U.S. If it means having fatty deposits on the inside, then yes, we all have that, but to what extent?

This is definately one for our resident 'Paramedic' Wazza....you out there..?

Yes sorry 'furred' is my interpretation of what the doctor explained. He meant 'possible' partially blocked arteries, blocked with fatty deposits. I do read on various websites that, as mentioned above, most people have this but it depends upon the amount of blockage if there is to be any heart problems. My relative told me he had 90% blockage in 3 arteries and extremely high cholesterol.
I go back o the doc next week for my results so I should learn more then.

An EKG can show indications of decreased blood flow to the heart.

An angiogram can show where any blockages or decreased flows are.

If your EKG was a resting one, the next step is probably a cardiac stress test. You get wired up for the EKG and then take a turn on the treadmill. This gives a better idea of how your heart works when it needs greater supplies of blood.

I had one a little over 3 months ago. As I was walking the doctor asked me if I had any angina. It started very shortly after he asked. He could see it before I felt it.

A few weeks later I had a triple bypass after an angiogram showed blockages and serious flow problems that could not be remedied with stints.

Lots of arteriosclerosis in my family so it wasn't a big surprise to me. I'd had high cholesterol for many years and didn't exercise.

Good luck!

UE,Did you have this done in Thailand?

UdonExpat, I (along with others in here) would also be interested in finding out if your tests and bypass operation were performed in Thailand but do understand if you don't wish to post any further personal information about it.

I had to have a stent emplaced in a coronary artery back in 1997 with no further problems since then. My cardiologists have had me undergo thallium stress tests (placing dye in the veins followed by treadmill exercise) every year before I moved here two years ago and will be going through it (or a similar procedure) again at Aek Udon soon. If they ever find a blockage when doing an angiogram I suppose I would make an effort to travel back to the states for treatment but interested in learning how others handled it.

Good luck with your continued recovery and health.

Confirm cardiac stress test is the next step.
Any cardiologist is able to check you out.

Bumrungrad was specialised in bypass operation in 2001.
I know because I was in cardiology intensive care for 10 days after a myocardial infarct.
For your info cost was 200K, that included angioplasty to check the arteries (50K on the bill), not a funny process that was.

I was flown over to home country where my university hospital, with world renowned cardio dept implemented 2 stents, thus angioplasty again. One was a medical coated one part of a world wide study on coated stents. Thus I got two further (free) angioplasty checks.

A cardio stress test does not guarantee showing blocked arteries however, I had some done before my myocardial infact which did not show any dangers. But in many cases it does alert.

Had the initial EKG and stress test at AEK Udon by the internist I've been seeing there for the past year and a half. After the stress test he recommended an angiogram and started me on a number of drugs to minimize my chances of a heart attack in the meantime. He recommended that I go to Bangkok rather than the heart center in Khon Kaen, and offered three possibilities there.

I did some research on the Internet about the current state of treatment for heart problems and the 3 hospitals he had mentioned. One's name I no longer remember. The other two were Bangkok Hospital and Bumrungrad. Corresponded with both of them by email and decided on Bumrungrad. Made an appointment on the Internet and reserved a room at their residence hotel.

I had a triple bypass at Bumrungrad Hospital on 12 September. The total cost of angiogram, surgery, and hospital stay in CCU and a private room came to about 835,000 baht. My recovery was without any costly complications. I had some additional outpatient costs for care before and after the hospitalization, but they weren't significant.

The cardiologist (trained and practiced in US for 20 years before returning the Thailand) wanted to do emergency surgery, but relented to wait a couple of days for blood thinners to clear from my system. 3 days of hospitalization before the thoracic surgeon (trained in UK and practiced there) had a go at me. 3 days in CCU and then 3 more in a private room before being discharged.

The doctors were fluent in English as were some of the nurses. There were a few communication problems with non and semi professional staff, but nothing serious. Except for the CCU my stay was like being in a hotel with good room service. Pretty girls to wash me. Lots of TV choices. Good food, but boring because of low fat and low salt diet.

The surgery and recovery process was state of the art according to my reading on the internet. Sitting up the morning after surgery. Standing that afternoon. Walking the next morning. Each day longer walks. All the time being forced to do breathing exercises to minimize pneumonia chances. GREAT care. I don't think I'd have had better care in the US, and probably not as good.

This surgery kicks butt, but I've survived it, walk 2 miles at least once a day and sometimes twice, and have cut down on beer, fat and salt. I'm still overweight, but feel better than before the surgery. Have a follow up with the cardiologist in mid December so the wife gets a shopping trip and we'll visit family and friends in Bangkok and Pattaya. Will get to stock up on some American food at Villa Market.

Hope this answers most of your questions.

Answers a lot Udon Expat, thanks. what if any symptoms did you have to start the ball rolling and you have the EKG and stress test?
Personally I don't feel ill, or have any problems apart from my asthma in cold weather, like now......
I've been on hypertension meds for the last 5 years and there's never been a problem with blood pressure since I started on them.....
Guess I'll just have to wait til Thursday wqhen I get my results to see if I ned further tests..... I will mention the stress test though..

Thanks for the response, UdonExpat. It eases and answers most of my questions. Allowing my internist at AEK Udon (Dr. Aram) to monitor my stress test now makes more sense to me since he did make his recommendation for you to seek further testing in Bangkok. It would have been easy for him to just send you to their cardiologist but he gave you some good alternative options.

Exercise. I'm finding it so much easier to push myself into getting on our treadmill for 30 minutes or so now that the cool, cool weather is here. It also helps to have good music DVDs or CDs to make the time go by.

Kudjap, only my opinion but if I were taking hypertension meds for five years I would ask for the stress testing.

Thanks again, Thalenoi and UdonExpat. This is the kind of information exchanging that makes this forum so great.

The symptoms that sent me to the doctor were chest pains on my morning walks. After about 700 meters I'd have pain in the center of my chest, sometimes radiating down my arms. It would subside after a minute or so of rest, and then I could continue my walk without further pain. Initially thought it was indigestion, but it slowly became more severe. So, to the doc. Glad I did. The cardiologist was quite surprised I'd not had any heart attacks. Guess a mostly sedentary life has some advantages.

One artery was totally blocked, but my heart had provided its own bypass that was allowing about 30% flow.
The other 2 arteries were 90% blocked.

This must have been coming on for years. I was lucky to find it without a serious event.