It Would Appear That Rigid AAA-Stent Grafts Can Induce Life-Threatening Hypertension Which Is Correctable

  Hi folks, This is a follow-up to previous posts on my stent-induced hypertension, as new data have come in - another case. This is a potentially critical aspect of AAA-stent graft placement, which can be life saving, but a BP of 220/120 could also be life threatening. In my case, the hypertension was corrected by a combination of an ACE inhibitor (10 mg Lisinopril) and exercise. Several cardiologists ... Read more

Useful Links For Health Challenged Athletes

Hi! Folks, Whilst building my business website, 'Old Dogs in Training,' it became apparent that a list of links, including books and websites that address specific health challenges for older male athletes, might be of value to my potential clients (older guys who want to get in shape safely). As I couldn't work out how to make a sub-page link in my GoDaddy Website Tonight site, I thought 'why not link it to my ... Read more

Genetic Testing For Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm? Becoming Promising!

Hi Folks! If you have AAA in your family should you carry out genetic testing to assess such a risk for your children? This is an interesting and complex issue. There are testing programs available. For instance, the Berkeley HeartLab provides information on screening for "sequence variants within the 9p21 locus of chromosome 9," along with information on its relevance to AAA. There is clearly a need for continued ... Read more

Sleep Is Really Important, But I Still Love My Dog. Plus Some More AAA-Stent-Induced Hypertension Data!

Hi! Folks, I haven't been able to think straight for a week or two due to my old dog Nickel. She is about 18 years old, blind and deaf, and she now has the lovely habit of barking off and on all night. I had about four hours sleep in the last four days. This makes writing my posts almost impossible, as my mind is all of a fuzz! Some friends say 'put the dog down.' Some say you have to do something, but they don't ... Read more

AAA And Blood Pressure, The Plot Thickens, And Don’t Forget To Use Your Butt

Hi! Folks, My son Nick just sent me a link to an excellent article by Susan McClure concerning abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) and hypertension, published at the LiveStrong.com blog site. This report, which is very well written, interested me a great deal as I have dangerously high post-stent hypertension. I showed no signs of high blood pressure before I received my life-saving Cook, Zenith stent. There is good ... Read more

Intra-Abdominal Pressure, Anti-Shock Garments (and exercises?), Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm, And Arterial Blood Pressure Regulation

Hi! Folks, I woke up yesterday thinking about intra-abdominal pressure, and how little I knew about it. When it comes to abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA), pressure is really what it is all about. If the blood pressure in the abdomen was the same as the pressure in the distal aorta, then AAAs would probably never form, or at least they would burst less frequently or later in their life span. But if this were the ... Read more

AAA-Stent And Hypertension: Some More Personal Data

Hi Folks! (especially Pauline), Here are the results of a slightly more thorough experiment that I carried out today to further clarify the impact of exercise on my post-AAA-stent hypertension. I rode my CompuTrainer for an hour, using a wattage ramp in 10-minute steps of 10 watts from 80 to 130 watts, at a 90-95 cadence and three blood pressure measurements at each time point with my trusty Omron Device. Here are ... Read more

Does An Endovascular AAA-Stent Graft Induce Hypertension? We Need More Data!

Hi! Folks, The purpose of this post is to encourage you to gather data if you are dealing with an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), with or without an endovascular stent graft, or any other life-threatening condition for that matter. You never know, it might help. Remember my early posts about how I discovered my abdominal aortic aneurysm? Much like Pauline [see comments], I noticed an abdominal pulse combined ... Read more

Disclaimer: As a veterinarian, I do not provide medical advice for human animals. If you undertake or modify an exercise program, consult your medical advisors before doing so. Undertaking activities pursued by the author does not mean that he endorses your undertaking such activities, which is clearly your decision and responsibility. Be careful and sensible, please.