Cardiac Discussion split from Diver missing from Vandenberg Wreck in Key West

[TravelGas]

A coronary CT scan including calcium score will do that for arteries. Veins are less of a concern.

The Heart Test You May Need—but Likely Haven’t Heard Of

Meet the coronary calcium scan, an accurate test that can help determine your future risk of heart attack or cardiovascular disease.

www.hopkinsmedicine.org

This is a fairly complex and expensive test so it isn't typically done for routine screening, but patients with risk factors should discuss it with their doctor.

I did discuss the Coronary CT scan with my Dr. today. I have never had this test before and now have a script for it. It is not covered by my health insurance.

What is your Medical background?

 

[Nick_Radov]

All I have to say about diving in Key West is that is really not that good there. I dove the Vandenberg years go and the current was awful and vis was not great either. After a couple days of Key West diving I was done with it for good. Diving in the keys is best in the upper keys but there can be current there on the wrecks also. The Duane which is my favorite wreck in FL is only available to dive 10% of the time due to current. The Speigel can also have strong currents. FL Keys wreck diving can be unpleasant. This poor guy probably got swept away by the current. What a tragedy.

I have not dived on those specific sites, but in general diving in strong currents need not be unpleasant or dangerous as long as you use the right equipment and procedures. The boat needs to be live (not anchored or tied in). The divers need to have scooters, and either tow floats throughout the dive or launch SMBs before leaving the site. Dive plans must be synchronized so that everyone starts their ascent at approximately the same time. And divers need to carry appropriate surface signaling devices including radios just in case they surface out of sight from the boat.

 

[The Chairman]

For fitness to dive we should look at actual cardiovascular system output as measured on something like a VO2 Max test,

Meh. Knowing HOW to dive allows you to avoid all the hard work that many divers put themselves through. Mother, mother ocean is a strong bitch. Anything I can do, she can obliterate! Ergo, you have to outwit her, not outswim her...

 

[kensuf]

Target Heart Rate by Age

Age	Moderate Intensity Target HR Zone 64% - 76%	Vigorous Intensity Target HR Zone 77% - 93%	Average Maximum Heart Rate
20 years	128-152 beats per minute (bpm)	154-186 bpm	200 bpm
25 years	125-148 bpm	150-181 bpm	195 bpm
30 years	122-144 bpm	146-177 bpm	190 bpm
35 years	118-141 bpm	142-172 bpm	185 bpm
40 years	115-137 bpm	139-167 bpm	180 bpm
45 years	112-133 bpm	135-163 bpm	175 bpm
50 years	109-129 bpm	131-158 bpm	170 bpm
55 years	106-125 bpm	127-153 bpm	165 bpm
60 years	102-122 bpm	123-149 bpm	160 bpm
65 years	99-118 bpm	119-144 bpm	155 bpm
70 years	96-114 bpm	116-140 bpm	150 bpm
75 years	93-110 bpm	112-135 bpm	145 bpm

As you can see from the chart, the heart does deteriorate with age. Cholesterol and plaque also build up from the age of 19 on, from the reading I have done. I don't see any 30 year olds getting a Cath done, but of course common in older people. I hope you are healthy and have a long diving career.

This chart is horse crap and the 220-AGE thing doesn't hold true, there is a ton of variability in max HR and HR zones. When I was 37 I "broke" the computrainer at the UF Exercise Sports Physiology Lab by going way above 200bpm on my HR.

 

[PfcAJ]

Meh. Knowing HOW to dive allows you to avoid all the hard work that many divers put themselves through. Mother, mother ocean is a strong bitch. Anything I can do, she can obliterate! Ergo, you have to outwit her, not outswim her...

View attachment 798871​

Rationalization for lack of fitness.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Target Heart Rate by Age

Age	Moderate Intensity Target HR Zone 64% - 76%	Vigorous Intensity Target HR Zone 77% - 93%	Average Maximum Heart Rate
20 years	128-152 beats per minute (bpm)	154-186 bpm	200 bpm
25 years	125-148 bpm	150-181 bpm	195 bpm
30 years	122-144 bpm	146-177 bpm	190 bpm
35 years	118-141 bpm	142-172 bpm	185 bpm
40 years	115-137 bpm	139-167 bpm	180 bpm
45 years	112-133 bpm	135-163 bpm	175 bpm
50 years	109-129 bpm	131-158 bpm	170 bpm
55 years	106-125 bpm	127-153 bpm	165 bpm
60 years	102-122 bpm	123-149 bpm	160 bpm
65 years	99-118 bpm	119-144 bpm	155 bpm
70 years	96-114 bpm	116-140 bpm	150 bpm
75 years	93-110 bpm	112-135 bpm	145 bpm

As you can see from the chart, the heart does deteriorate with age. Cholesterol and plaque also build up from the age of 19 on, from the reading I have done. I don't see any 30 year olds getting a Cath done, but of course common in older people. I hope you are healthy and have a long diving career.

I'm going on 64 and this chart is FOS. At age 60 I started riding a bike. First ride I thought I was going to die after 4 miles.
Sunday I pushed it a little and did 40 miles the fastest I've ever done to this point and while my rate was definitely up, I wasn't done by any stretch.
1/3 of the ride was probably in zone 2 because I could still talk in complete sentences, but I didn't want to.
According to my doc, after riding for 3 years where my short rides are 20 miles in about an hour and a half and 62 miles takes me a little under 5, my heart is probably in better shape than it has been for decades when I wasn't exercising regularly.
For me that's 3-4 days a week on the bike with light weight workouts for upper body on the off bike days. I may throw in a 4-5 mile walk as well just to change it up.

 

[Hiszpan]

A coronary CT scan including calcium score will do that for arteries. Veins are less of a concern.

The Heart Test You May Need—but Likely Haven’t Heard Of

Meet the coronary calcium scan, an accurate test that can help determine your future risk of heart attack or cardiovascular disease.

www.hopkinsmedicine.org

This is a fairly complex and expensive test so it isn't typically done for routine screening, but patients with risk factors should discuss it with their doctor.

Do you want to bet your money that they don’t give you a guarantee you won’t have a heart attack even if that coronary CT scan shows little plaque? (there plaque is there always, the extent of it varies)

 

[Nick_Radov]

Do you want to bet your money that they don’t give you a guarantee you won’t have a heart attack even if that coronary CT scan shows little plaque? (there plaque is there always, the extent of it varies)

As I stated above, a calcium score is just one factor in your overall risk of a major adverse cardiovascular event. There are no guarantees in medicine.

 

[The Chairman]

Do you want to bet your money that they don’t give you a guarantee you won’t have a heart attack even if that coronary CT scan shows little plaque? (there plaque is there always, the extent of it varies)

Heart attacks have many causes, young and old. I have a slight murmur and tingles in my feet. They did bubble studies on my legs, on my heart and since nothing was found there, they did a heart cath. My doctor found absolutely no issues with my heart, other than some slight plaque. His words were "you have a heart of a 30 YO". Then he proclaimed that I would die of something, but probably not a heart attack.

If I could get my back issues resolved, I would have a lot more fun diving the caves here.