I was shocked too to learn of his sudden death. It really struck home as I experienced a cardiac arrest last
September. And, have seen several people since suffer death for the same, in their mid 50's. It is not as uncommon as you may think! One thing I learned of this experience is that many people have very minor symptoms and they ignore them, then suffer the big attack. Symptoms like being tired often, light headded when they stand up from sitting too long, getting winded going up a flight of stairs, and getting dizzy and even passing out. It was said that Tim had a heart attack which is such a general term. Usually, these attacks are recoverable if treated promptly. In my case it was a level of heart rhythm that was too slow to sustain consciousness. Only when the paramedics moved me did I go into cardiac arrest but their quick action "shocked" me back to life. Good health and exercise with good diet is said to have made my recovery speedy but heredity is now being blamed for my root cause of the problem. I wonder if Tim had any history of minor symptoms or family history of heart trouble. I have known very fit people who simply collapse and die, especially runners of marathons. The doctors say that once you eat right and exercise regularly, your chances of having a heart attack are only reduced. Some people say it eliminates heart attack which is not true. Tim was a bit over weight but I have known several people thin as a rail and runners who have collapsed and died from heart attack.
A good plan is to have an annual physical with proper blood and stress testing to see if you are at high medium or low risk. Then adjust your lifestyle accordingly. If you are shown to have some blockage, it may be wise to have bypass surgery at a younger age optionally, than wait until it results in an attack. Hard to consider bypass surgery as a preventative measure but when the alternative is death it needs to be a serious consideration.
Sometimes the tests don't always tell. I had the stress tests and was shown to be extremely fit but the heart cath, a procedure where they put a video camera into your arteries and actually measure your blockage aroujnd the heart, is what made the decision for me to have bypass surgery. My cardiac arrest necessitated the install of a pace maker to prevent too slow of a heart rate, something my father developed in his 60's and my grandfather had too. Today I feel much better than I have felt in 5 years. My BP is very stable at 105/68 and I eat healthy and exercise lightly but regularly as per my doctor's suggestions.
I will miss Tim's reporting style as he was one of the most neutral interviewers and reporters I have seen in a long while. I am most curious as to what the root cause of his death is finally decided. Was it heart attack, stroke, or a combination?
I just heard about Tim Russert and I was so saddened, what a great guy, I watch Meet The Press Feeds every week and he always came accross as a great guy.Right now I am watching the program, Remembering Tim Russert on NBC. Lots of Happy Memory's but very very sad.
