Tim Lanier  

WAAAAAAAAAAYYY TOO MUCH PRESSURE!!

Arnold, a 27 year old black male who works at a local fast food fried chicken restaurant, came into the clinic for a routine visit.  He admitted that he hadn't visited a doctor's office in years and had been pressed by his mom for a long while to change that.  He wasn't experiencing any pain and there was nothing in particular that gave him concern which is the biggest reason why he hadn't made maintaining a routine annual wellness visit with his primary care provider (PCP) a priority.  Arnold was in GREAT shape- he said that he's never felt better.  Just as with every patient that comes into the office, we took Arnold's vital signs and immediately went into HIGH ALERT.  Arnold's blood pressure was high (178/92).  All of his other vital signs were stable.  I advised him that he needed a complete change beginning with his diet.  We discussed the foods that he needed to avoid and, although he claimed that he's never felt better, I told him that he had to start exercising to improve his cardiovascular health.  I started Arnold on a low dose blood pressure medication to find out how his body would respond to the new medication.  I gave him homework to take his blood pressure twice each day and maintain a log of his blood pressures.  I set him up to have an ECHO done in our office to determine if Arnold had any functional deficiencies or structural damage to his heart. 

When Arnold returned to the office for his ECHO and to for us to review his blood pressures over the one week period, Arnold's blood pressure was an astounding (233/112)!   The preliminary word from his ECHO was that there was a very high possibility that Arnold had a serious blockage in one of the major blood vessels of his heart.  I immediately had him to rush to the emergency room from the office.  He asked if he could go home first to get things situated with his family in case they decided to keep him.  I told him that if he didn't go straight to the emergency room for further testing and possible treatment, it was a chance that he wouldn't make it home.  He heeded my words and went straight to the ED where he was found to have a major blockage and told by the doctors that it was a miracle that he hadn't had a stroke and was even alive.  Thankfully Arnold was able to get the treatment that he desperately needed before it was too late!

TAKE AWAY
1.  Just because you're young and just because you don't feel that something is wrong doesn't mean you don't need to see a doctor regularly.  Arnold felt perfect and yet he was very sick- in fact, he had miraculously beaten the odds. 
2.  Cardiac disease is the SILENT KILLER because many people are like Arnold, they don't feel anything until its too late.  Again, this goes back to the need for frequent testing and regular wellness visits with your PCP.
3.  This can happen to anyone not matter how old or young you are, fit or unfit you are, or what your gender is... make sure that you make an appointment with your PCP today if you haven't been on top of your health the way that you should.  Remember...you only have 1 life.  Don't gamble with it because the stakes are waaaaaaaaayyy too high!!!