David Collings
Great Britain- The Man Whose Christmas Feast Almost Killed Him
- Heart Attack Diagnosis
- Impact of High Cholesterol
- Family Diagnosis
- Lifestyle Changes
- FH Symptoms
The Man Whose Christmas Feast Almost Killed Him
Sudden Cardiac Arrest ScaresDavid Collings, a 48-year-old civil servant, enjoyed brisk weekend walks and cycled up to 30 miles midweek. Despite being 6'3" and 16 stone, he felt reasonably fit. So, when he felt a sharp pain in his chest while walking on Boxing Day and his legs turned to jelly, he dismissed it as a virus.
"I told my wife Jillian it was probably a tummy bug and we should turn back," recalls David. Back home, his condition worsened. Any attempt to move brought on the pain. "My chest felt like it was in a bear hug whenever I walked," he says. "I wasn't particularly concerned, but Jillian seemed panicked. She told me I was gray."
Two days later, father-of-two David, whose children are now 19-year-old Kieran and 17-year-old Bethan, was examined by his GP, who immediately sent him to A&E. Blood tests were taken before David was hooked up to a heart monitor and given an electrocardiogram (ECG) to measure the electrical activity traveling through his heart.
Heart Attack Diagnosis
At 2 am, the doctor called to reveal the results of the tests. David had suffered a heart attack during his Boxing Day walk. He broke the news to his wife the following morning, and Jillian was shocked.
"I remember trying to explain to my wife what had happened, but I just burst into tears," says David. "I'm not an emotional person, but it hit me hard. I'm a fit bloke who had convinced himself he had a virus and just needed to walk it off."
According to statistics, more people die from heart attacks between December and March than at any other time of year. Scientists are still researching the reasons, but Dr. Sandpip Patel, consultant cardiologist at the London Bridge Hospital, believes one of them is overindulging in food during the festive period.
"After a big meal, the blood is diverted away from the heart to the stomach to aid digestion," he explains. "If you already have arteries that are narrowed – meaning blood flow to the heart is partially blocked anyway – then a big meal could be the last straw and trigger a heart attack."
For some, this can manifest as angina – a painful, or uncomfortable, sensation in the chest. When it's triggered by a heavy meal, doctors call it postprandial (after-meal) angina.
For anyone who knows they are at risk of heart problems, it's vital to avoid overeating. And if they do indulge, venturing outside into the cold afterwards puts them at even greater risk. Exposure to the cold makes blood more likely to clot, which can block the flow of blood to the heart. Restricted blood flow is more likely to cause a heart attack.
Impact of High Cholesterol
Although it was a mild day when David went for his Boxing Day walk with his wife, he admits that he'd sampled everything on his Christmas dinner plate – even more so than usual. He had no idea that this 'harmless' gluttony would have such serious repercussions.
Surgeons discovered that David's heart attack had been caused by a 99 percent blockage in one of the major arteries supplying blood to the heart. But why had the arteries of a fit man who didn't smoke, drank only moderately, and normally ate healthily become blocked at such a relatively young age?
A blood test revealed David had familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) – a potentially life-threatening inherited condition that causes high levels of 'bad' (LDL) cholesterol to build up in the arteries and significantly increases the risk of heart attacks.
Family Diagnosis
Once David was diagnosed, his relatives were tested – his wife, brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts, uncles, and children. Eight out of the 12 close family members had FH, including Bethan, who was 13 at the time.
"It was a body blow," recalls David. However, without David's heart attack over Christmas, his family's potentially lethal secret could have remained undiscovered.
Lifestyle Changes
Four years on, David and his daughter Bethan still take statins, cholesterol-lowering drugs, to control their condition. David, whose arteries were more badly damaged and whose cholesterol level was higher, also takes ezetimibe (10 mg), aspirin, and ramipril.
"I've had to cut down on my Chinese takeaways because they are too high in saturated fat," he says. "And when I stay in hotels on business trips, I can no longer have a fried breakfast. But otherwise, my life is pretty normal!"
David has also increased his fitness levels. He can now cycle 110-120 miles a day and aims to go to the gym twice a week. Meanwhile, Bethan, who is on track to be a lawyer, plays hockey to a high standard.
"My heart attack has been a blessing in disguise," admits David. "There was a time bomb ticking away in my family, but now we can take the necessary precautions to stay healthy."
FH Symptoms
The symptoms of FH can include angina and xanthomas – soft, yellow, fatty deposits that appear as flat or slightly raised patches on the elbows, buttocks, knees, and tendons. There may also be cholesterol deposits on the skin around the eyes and around the cornea.
