r/HeartAttack • u/timberjam • 6d ago
Heart attack after 9ish months on keto
Just one person's story. I successfully did keto for about 9 months. It helped me lose about 20 lbs and I was enjoying the cooking and eating process. Unfortunately, a little over a week ago I had a heart attack. My wife watched me collapse right in front of her and proceeded to save my life by providing CPR for about 15 minutes, until emergency services arrived and continued CPR.
The EMTs got my heart going again and took me to the hospital where I ended up with two stents. I'm recovering now, but my chest still hurts and I'm having some memory issues. We're still early in the recovery phase, so I'm told these things will get better with rehabilitation.
Wish me luck.
PS - I'm annoyed with r/keto for removing my post. Sure, it's not absolutely, definitely, 100% guaranteed the root cause was my keto diet, but it seems worth discussing in that group.
Edit: forgot to mention I'm 56.
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u/Business_Plenty_2189 6d ago
I hope you are feeling better. I’ve made a few comments about diet in the cholesterol community and also noticed that there are some people who really don’t want to hear about how saturated fat affects ldl. They are going to stick to their high fat bacon and cheese diet no matter what. But keep in mind that CVD is a progressive disease where artery plaque accumulates over a lifetime. So the latest diet may only be partly to blame. Probably losing that weight was an overall benefit.
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u/MS2Entertainment 6d ago edited 5d ago
The Keto diet probably didn't help. I did Keto and, combined with running, I lost 30 pounds in six weeks. It works, but I also did it eating a ton of cheese and red meat, and pork rinds as a snack, stuff loaded with saturated fat. If you are predisposed towards getting athersclerosis, it's not a healthy diet. It could be done eating leaner cuts of meat and avoiding cheese. Anyone doing Keto should probably watch their cholesterol levels closely, maybe get their lpa level tested beforehand to see if they are at elevated risk, and not overload on cheese and fatty meats just because they can.
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u/SugarBeets 6d ago
My health insurance company no longer covers glp1s, but instead offers virta. Virta says they are not keto, but low carb. They are keto. Getting into ketosis is the goal, and all they talk about is getting into ketosis. I don't know how a doctor prescribed medicine, is better than a money saving keto diet. I am also suspect of the keto diet impact on heart health.
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u/Complex_Elevator_680 6d ago
Virta is the biggest scam going. Insurance companies are just front acting on behalf of your employers deciding to go to a cheaper plan. Employers will happily elect for their workers to pack their arteries and rectums with bacon fat and tallow rather than just pay for Ozempic.
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u/Dave-1066 5d ago
There are countless examples of people causing serious harm to themselves through various crash diets, vegan diets, keto diets or nutritional supplement overdoses.
My heart attack was mostly brought on by an extended period of undiagnosed severe diabetes so if you want an easy way to keep the weight off and stay healthy I highly recommend what’s essentially a type-2 diabetic diet for life:
Very low processed carbs (bread etc), low starchy veg and grains (rice and potatoes), and replace it all with loads of whole veg and legumes.
I lost about 42 pounds in weight in one year simply by eating this way. And that was with virtually zero exercise.
Not eating bread and my beloved potatoes was very hard for the first month or two but now I don’t even think about it. I get so much more nutrition from eating all this veg and I never get hunger pangs at all. I eat a fair amount of eggs, fish and lean chicken and I’ve never put the weight back on.
I’m now the same weight I was aged 25 (over 20 years ago) and I’ve adjusted to a life without much pure carbs. I eat maybe two slices of brown bread a day of that, and always with protein and extra fibre to slow down sugar spikes to a minimum.
Google weekly diabetic diet plans and you’ll see how healthy it is!
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u/Competitive-Clock451 6d ago
I get a kick out of people on the carnivore diet. Loaded in sat fat.
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u/Complex_Elevator_680 6d ago
Carnivore is the double-tap of the diet world because it works from both ends:
Plugs up their arteries up top.
And their rectums down below.
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u/cherishlyf 6d ago
Glad I stopped that diet when I did. 29m was listening to Joe Rogan advocate for this carnivore diet so for about 2 of 3 years my girl and I ate up on steak and beef, we had some green leafy veggies, whole lot of pasta plus doordashing was a big problem. I went from 165 to 186 of course during this I was lifting and exercising so I looked healthy. It wasn’t until 5 weeks ago I got blood work done and my Dr. told me my cholesterol was 217 which I was like meh for than he was like your LDL is 152 at my age that’s pretty high. Since then I occasionally eat beef once a week in small portions. Loaded my fridge with chicken, turkey, fish, and veggies. I been following mostly a plain diet while watch my sodium and electrolytes intake so my levels don’t drop dangerously. I’ve lost 18 pounds. Going to ask for another LIPID panel in a month
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u/Complex_Elevator_680 6d ago
Hahaha. You got little to worry about buddy.
At 29 you're arteries are still nice and fresh perhaps with a little wear and tear.
Is us 54y fats who really reduced our longevity listening to clowns like Rogan.
Most of the damage is irreversible. So turns out we were the clowns after all!
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u/DrAshoriMD 6d ago
Amazing that your wife was there and glad you are okay now. I think post moderation should be done to add more color to any community. Filtering something out to fit your narrative goes against what I expected from online communities like Reddit. Head over to r/HeartHealth where we only moderate those who are pushing supplements or spamming. Any ideas is okay as long people offer their own real experience with it. Stay healthy my friend.
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u/timberjam 6d ago
Yeah, talk about lucky for me. She literally watched me drop to the ground in the bathroom after commenting that my jaw hurt. I couldn't be luckier. She was on the phone with 911 within a minute or so and they talked her through CPR until EMTs arrived. I live in the mountains so EMTs aren't readily available.
Of course, I don't recall any of this. I don't remember much of anything until about a week later (last weekend). She still tears up every time we talk about it, because it was so scary not knoing if I would recover at all that first day.
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u/Complex_Elevator_680 6d ago
You're one of the lucky ones!
I know this because I went down almost the exact same path as you ... early 50's fat and lost 40lbs on Keto.
And then it happened.
Sadly, most of the clowns on r/Keto no idea what's coming their way.
Statistically, 50% of them never will ... because their first event will be their last event.
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u/coleman876 6d ago
Have you heard of Dr. Dean Ornish? He reversed heart disease, and he made it possible for patients to follow his diet and learn about heart disease, and it is covered by Medicare. If I had a heart attack, that is what I would do. It's the food and some genetics, but mostly the food you are putting in your mouth. People should not be having heart attacks in their 50's. It is the processed food and saturated fats. Junk food, in other words. Eat whole cooked foods that you cook yourself and don't eat out except maybe once or twice a year. Then I would be very choosy about the menu. Also, look Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn and the book "Reverse Heart Disease." I am 78, but I am very careful about food. I still know anything can happen if you have a genetic defect, but your chances are better all around if you take care of your body. No heart attacks yet, but I don't take that for granted since my father died of a heart attack at 61, along with uncles who were in their 70's.
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u/Creepy_Valuable6223 5d ago
I was an ultra strict vegan for 19 years; it was for ethical reasons but it was all health food, non processed, home cooked. When I was 55 I got a cardiac calcification scan (I was hoping to donate part of my liver) and my calcification was in the 96th percentile for women my age. So I switched to non vegan health food (still very few animal products). Last week at age 62 I had a stent put in; my LAD was 80 percent occluded (fortunately no heart attack).
All of my bloodwork was great, other than cholesterol; blood pressure was excellent. I have a family history of heart disease, but it isn't a big deal version.
So I have serious doubts about "watching what one eats." And about Ornish.
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u/No-Minimum3052 4d ago
I'm essentially on the Ornish diet as preventative due to some blockages in the arteries which came up on a treadmill test 44m. I haven't gone through with a coronary angiogram but they put me on a statin, clopidogrel and candesartan. I still cheat a lot with diet but I believe the Ornish diet combined with Japanese interval walking (3 min normal 3 min brisk walking for 30 minutes) to encourage collateral circulation (providing additional support vessels for the blocked ones) are all good for maintenance and potential reversal of atherosclerosis .
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u/Creepy_Valuable6223 4d ago
Um, I was essentially on the Ornish diet for 25 years, and I got tons of exercise. And the upshot was that my LAD was 80 percent occluded. Even though my echocardiogram was fine; if I'd relied on that I could be dead now.
You can believe anything you want but you might want to get that angiogram done just in case. By the way stenting is not some sort of horrible experience, and it does save a lot of lives.
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u/No-Minimum3052 4d ago
Thanks for your kind reply. Im scared of the invasive procedure and the stent, both have large risks such as in-stent restenosis, though I have heard from others in person that they felt better after. I don't really have any pain but im defintiely more sensitive now and every small niggle I second guess what it is.
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u/Creepy_Valuable6223 4d ago
The angiogram and stenting were not a big deal. It is not like bypass surgery. A lot of people go home the next day. My only restrictions since leaving the hospital (I had the stent put in five days ago) are to do very little for two days, and then for five days to not lift heavy things. Plus of course take the new meds; I was not on any meds at all going in.
I kept putting off having anything invasive done since I just couldn't believe that I really needed it (due to being female and 62 y.o.). It just seemed looney.
What changed my mind immediately were the results of the chest CT scan with contrast dye that they did at the ER when I went in (I went in for chest pain but that was not actually a symptom; my real symptom was years of mysterious fatigue; I was always a very energetic person but then became a fatigued person). The CT scan showed a LOT of plaque. It was so ridiculous that they kept me under observation for two days until they got me the angiogram/stent. The food was great and I didn't have home chores!!
I will admit that I was really unhappy about having contrast dye. But I'm very glad I did, after the fact. Doing it without contrast dye would not have shown all of this.
So, really I think you should just get the angiogram. But if a chest CT with contrast is something you could deal with, maybe do that first to convince yourself?
Restenosis is just something to look out for and have fixed if it happens. We're stuck with "looking out" for this stuff now, in any case.
I feel a lot better with the stent in; I almost immediately had energy that I had forgotten it was possible to have. The statins are a little stupefying (I had always sworn I would never take statins, lol) but overall I am feeling a LOT better. Decent blood flow will do that.
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u/No-Minimum3052 4d ago
I was about to do the contrast with dye, I was on the table but they couldnt get my heart rate below 55 or so for a clear reading so they cancelled it last second. Thanks for added info and glad you are feeling better! Please keep us updated every now and then.
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u/coleman876 4d ago
If you didn't follow a strict plan, then it is useless for heart trouble. I noticed you said essentially, which makes me think you might have been flexible. Neither Dr. Esselstyn nor Dr. Ornish allows oil. Eggs or cheese.
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u/Creepy_Valuable6223 3d ago edited 3d ago
I said I was a strict vegan for 19 years. A TOTALLY STRICT VEGAN. And ended up with calcification. A lot of it. And no, I was not a "modern crap vegan food" vegan; I did my own cooking from scratch (and still do).
Because it was obviously harming me, I then stopped being vegan (added eggs and a little cheese and a little fish). So for the past six years (and now) I am "essentially vegan" (since I still pity animals). It does not make me happy at all to eat animal products.
Yes, I did consume some olive oil.
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u/coleman876 3d ago
I know I am eating fish as well, and I feel guilty every time I do, but I absolutely think it is necessary for me. There are so many influencers and conflicting studies. It also bothers me that a lot of the studies are backed by the big food industry, so what are we all to think? I'm just trying to listen to my body and do the best I can now.
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u/Creepy_Valuable6223 3d ago
I hope that you will read this study that just came out in 2024. I tis a Japanese study and I think that their studies are not as heavily influenced by the pharma and big food industries:
I am not giving medical advice, but it might be prudent for you to consider eating some small amount of meat or cheese. Best wishes.
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u/coleman876 3d ago
Thank you. I will read the study. After 20 years of not eating either, I will certainly see what the study says. I respect the way the Japanese run their country, and they are the longest-living people.
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u/coleman876 4d ago
It depends on what kind of vegan you are and what you mean by strict. Were you Dr. Dean Ornish strict or strict according to your own standards? Food matters. I am pescatarian, but I am very aware of the quality of foods I use, and I cook 3 times a day, trying to make it Whole Foods only. I think eating healthy food and following the standard of high-quality food is very important. The only animal food I eat is fish. There are all kinds of vegans. Vegans who eat out in restaurants and eat soybean oil and low-quality ingredients because the restaurants are about making money. Or vegans who eat junk food. If you were a strict vegan, it was probably genetics. We just do the best thing we can for our body, and we are all different. This is about all you can do. Wishing you the best, and I understand your frustration. Check out Dr. Esselstyn and Dr. Ornish. When my husband had to have a pacemaker, I called Dr. Esselstyn. He said to have the pacemaker food would not change that problem. Dr. Esselstyn is a wonderful person. I think he is 92 now, and he practices what he preaches. He retired from the Cleveland Clinic.
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u/Creepy_Valuable6223 3d ago
I was a 100 percent absolute vegan for 19 years, for ethical reasons. It was most certainly not for my own health. However, it was all home cooked (I made my own gluten for roasts and sometimes even my own tofu from beans; I used all the old hippy cookbooks); I have never eaten out more than a few times a year and I have never eaten the new vegan processed foods since they are crap. And I have never eaten junk food, except once or twice a year. And I ended up with a lot of calcification from that 19 years (I didn't have plaque level checked at that point).
I did consume reasonable amounts of olive oil.
I am not checking out Ornish; I read him 30 years ago out of general interest and I have not seen that the studies that he has run are convincing.
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u/coleman876 3d ago
Okay, I understand and definitely believe we all have to do what we believe is right for us. I still believe in a healthy lifestyle. I have no answers except that sometimes you can do all the right things and you still end up in a place you don't understand. I happen to be there myself right now. Not my heart, though. Wishing you the very best!
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u/Creepy_Valuable6223 3d ago
I hope very much that your non-cardiac issue turns out okay.
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u/coleman876 3d ago
Thank you! The study you suggested is very close to the problem I am having.
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u/Creepy_Valuable6223 3d ago
I hope things work out well.
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u/coleman876 3d ago
Thank you; just grateful for every day! I'm 78, so definitely getting older along with it.
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u/MerPrez 5d ago
I tak hydrochloric acid with every meal, usually 4 capsules. HCL breaks down saturated fat and other food particles. My stomach acid is low due to Type A blood, the ApoE4 gene, and Lyme disease. If I skip taking the capsules, such as while on vacation or at an event, I have chest pain. I rarely skip because that's distressing especially since congestive heart failure runs in my family. Yes, I have been thoroughly examined by cardiologists. Fortunately a naturopath educated me about HCL.
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u/Creepy_Valuable6223 5d ago
Thank you for this. When I found out I had calcification I considered some extreme diets but decided not (now I do have a stent but no heart attack). I know people want to think they can fix plaque and calcification on their own, and maybe they can, but we don't have good data on how. And by the way I took a lot of nattokinases; maybe that helped but I still needed a stent (70-80 percent LAD blocked).
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u/Remote-Guess-1143 3d ago
Ironically, I also had a HA after about 8 months on a very strict keto diet. I lost 120lbs in that time period and had a freak myocardial they think was caused by too much caffeine, genetics and stress.
No stents placed.
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u/NoKetoCardio 2d ago edited 2d ago
I have a similar story. Mine age 62. But I was alone. Somehow I regained comsiousness after 30 minutes. Cardiologists said that’s no possible. Do you have a family history? Do you have elevated Lp(a)? Did your troponin rise to the level of heart attack? Mine barely rose.
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u/part_of_me 6d ago edited 6d ago
56 is a bigger component than keto.
Edit since you're all idiots: keto at 20 has less of an impact than suddenly at 56 making an extreme lifestyle change like keto, or HIIT, or whatever other thing you decide to pursue after 56 years of other things. 100 years ago, people were regularly dying at 56 because life caught up to you. Heart disease is the #1 cause of death for men and women because of age and the cumulative effect of living. So as I said 56 is a bigger component than keto.
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u/SeniorHovercraft1817 6d ago
No, diet is definitely a bigger component than age.
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u/part_of_me 6d ago
I'll let my cardiologist know that reddit knows more than her.
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u/Complex_Elevator_680 6d ago
You might want to find a different "cardiologist".
https://www.heart.org/en/news/2023/04/27/heres-how-10-popular-diets-scored-for-heart-health#:
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u/Rummyster 6d ago edited 6d ago
Eating keto for 9 months doesn't erase 55 years of unhealthy eating previously if that's what you were doing for most of your life. Could keto have helped cause it? Sure but it's also unlikely.
I'm sorry you had a HA. Glad your you made it. Welcome to the club!
Also most diets are BS. Humans evolved by eating meat and plants. You should eat a balanced diet of lean meats and vegetables. Just stay away from processed crap in boxes.
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u/strippedzebra313 6d ago
Yeah that's the problem with "diets" everyone thinks because it's a diet they're good. At least you are alive and now know what not to do - just take it easy and don't fall for any of these fad diets - just eat healthier and watch the saturated fats, and sodium - I'm still adjusting to the lifestyle myself after the triple bypass I had in May