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48-Year-Old Man with Heart Issues: Should He Stop Medications?

Dr Karthiyayini

Dr Karthiyayini Mahadevan  | Answer  |Ask -

General Physician - Answered on Jul 09, 2024

Dr Karthiyayini Mahadevan has been practising for 30 years.
She specialises in general medicine, child development and senior citizen care.
A graduate from Madurai Medical College, she has DNB training in paediatrics and a postgraduate degree in developmental neurology.
She has trained in Tai chi, eurythmy, Bothmer gymnastics, spacial dynamics and yoga.
She works with children with development difficulties at Sparrc Institute and is the head of wellness for senior citizens at Columbia Pacific Communities.... more
Nazir Question by Nazir on Jun 27, 2024Hindi
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Sir, i am 48 years old and working in gulf country since 1997, almost 27 years, 2 years before i had heart issue, and doctor did the heart catrization procedure and they put the one stent, i continue taken the BP, calostrol and sugar mediation. i have hi potential, other than no issue, i need to stop the other medicine but doctor told me i have to continue, every day i am taken 5 medicine. please advise

Ans: To get out of the supportive medication, you need to strictly follow certain disciplines in yourlifestyle
1.Timely meals-Atleast early dinner by 6 pm
2.Periodic fasting(varies with your ability and will) , maybe once a fortnight
3.Regular exercise according to your ability, safest-walks 30 mts five days a week
DISCLAIMER: The answer provided by rediffGURUS is for informational and general awareness purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical diagnosis or treatment.
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Dr Ashit

Dr Ashit Hegde  | Answer  |Ask -

Consultant Physician, Internal Medicine and Critical Care Expert - Answered on May 30, 2023

Asked by Anonymous - May 27, 2023Hindi
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Hello Doctor, I am 44. I was suffering from gastric issues Somewhere in Oct 2021, i started feeling anxious and all negative thoughts. As a nature, i take good care of self. But due to this anxiouness, i was unable to sleep well or even concentrate well. I thought to consult a MD and he took my BP reading, which was in range of 142/90. He avoided started any medications and advised for lifestyle changes to alter this situation, to which i stared with certain life-style changes like, - sun-bath in morning. - walking - morning & evening - meditation - in evening. i continued this till Dec 2021 and again revisited the MD in Jan 2022, to which he advised to continued with the same routine. By March 2022, i was feeling better. Again, the same story repeated in Sep2022 and this time, with lot of gastric issues, sleep troubel and feeling of fear and anxiety and again i visited him in Nov 2022, was getting more anxious. Looking at my condition he started with beta-blocker. The condition was not very much improving and i took the blood tests on my own in Nov 2022 end, to which, Lipid profile was bit out of range, HaB1c - in pre-diabetic zone and in liver tests - SGPT was 62. I visited to the MD with report and he advised me to continue with beta- blocker and to start with the statins daily 10 mg, after dinner. I continued this for Dec 2022 with life style change with yoga and meditation routines along with walks. In Jan 2023, the tests were repeated and it was all NORMAL. The doctor advised to stop the medicines wef Jan 2023 and again advised to repeated tests in Feb 2023. In Feb 2023, all parametere were normal , but Lipid profile was again out of range. The MD again started with the same medicines from March 2023 onwards ie 1 beta - blocker in morning after break-fast and 10 mg statin after dinner. I repeated the tests in April 2023 and it was again all NORMAL. Now, the MD reduced the statin drug to 5 mg from 10 mg and continued with beta - blocker. I am leading a healthy life with yoga, meditation, diets with more fibres and less oily or say no oil deits to the extent possible. I have stopped eating any outside food and fully on home made food only now. benefits till now, - Sleep paterrn improved - Gastric issues has gone - IBS gone, - better mood My questions to you sir, - The MD is again planning to stop the medications in next visit, since all reports are normal and i feel normal. is that okay? - Again, i may develop the symptoms? - I am following a better life style - yoga, meditation, walkings, proper diets, are there chances that i would remain off medicine always? - What are the benefits and disadvantages of station and beta -blockers, if at all, i have to take it? thanks.
Ans: Beta blockers have probably been prescribed for your symptoms of anxiety but they can increase the levels of the lipids. You need to consult a psychiatrist about the best treatment for anxiety.
Ideally statins need to be taken for long because the lipid levels are bound to go up once you stop the statin. We need to decide however whether you really need a statin at your age. Do you have a family history of premature heart disease. If you do not have a family history of premature heart disease, you can probably stop statins for a few years . Can consider doing a CT Coronary calcium score

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Dr Hemalata

Dr Hemalata Arora  | Answer  |Ask -

General Physician - Answered on Jun 07, 2023

Asked by Anonymous - Jun 01, 2023Hindi
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Hello Doctor, I am 44. I prefer healthy life and all nice in terms of health, except that I was suffering from gastric issues, IBS and related issues. I had covid also in April 2021 and somewhere in Oct 2021, i started feeling anxious and all negative thoughts. In about Aug 2021, i noticed that my heartbeats is high than normal, which initially i tried to control with routine meditation. But somehow, was not feeling that well from within and mind was like getting anxious, as if , something is happening which i could not understand, what. I visited to MD - Medicine, in Oct 2021. As a process, the vitals were taken and BP reading was taken which was 145/90. The concern MD, which after going through the reading, did not tagged me as BP patient and advised me to have changes in lifestyle with yoga, walking, meditation and dietary changes. I throughly followed the advised and started feeling better from Jan 2022 onwards and it was all nice. Again from Sep 2022 onwards, i started feeling the same issues. And i visited the MD in Oct 2022. From Nov 2022, he put me on 25mg dose of beta-blocker , daily in the morning after breakfast. While, i was on beta-blocker, i was still not feeling that nice from within and i unilaterly took the decision to go for complete blood tests in Nov 2022 end. The results were, - Lipid profile - was disturbed. - Sugar : I was in pre-diabetic range. - Uric Acid : I was on borderline high. I visited the MD with the report and he add another dose of 10 mg of Statins from Dec 2022 onwards. I followed the medication along with dietary changes, yoga & meditation routine and took the tests in Jan 2023, which shows the results as under, - Lipid : Normal - Sugar: I was back to Non-Diabtic range from pre-diabetic. - uric acid - normal. And all other parameters improved too like Hemoglobin - 15 and all other paramters of cbc was normal, thyroid - normal , Liver function - normal - when certain times SGPT was bit on higher sides, but normal in this report. With this report the MD stopped the statin drug from Feb 2022 onwards and advised me to continue with beta-blocker of 12.50 mg instead of 25 mg. I followed the same routine for full Feb 2022 and again took the test in March 2023, and results were as under, - Sugar : non-diabetic - all other paramters - normal - Lipid - Not normal. So again from March 2023, the MD started with the same statin dose of 10 mg and beta- blocker of 25 mg. I took the test in April 2023 and again the reports were normal, so now, again he reduce the statin dose to half ie 5 mg and continued with the same dose of beta-blocker 25mg. My questions: 1. AT present, i follow proper diet schedule as prescribed by dietcian , have been doing meditation and yoga on regular basis. 2. Stress level is minimum. 3. I am feeling overall better. 4. BP levels are always normal 5. Gastric issues, IBS seems to have gone. 6. Sleep patern is improved. My question: a. I feel, in the next visit the MD may stop the statin. Can the lipid profile remain in normal range , when i am follwing all diet patterms , with yoga and exercise. Why the lipid profile became abnormal, previously even when i was following all routine very property ? b. Is it okay to consume beta - blocker 25mg regularly, even after doctor told me to stop statin or may stop my statin in next visit? c. Is there any way to know, to find, if i am feeling better normally or due to medicine? as i am feeling normal and unable to check, what after i stopped beta-blocker? Any other care which i should take and lead a healthy life.
Ans: Hello. These are good questions and a lot of people go through the same stages. Cholesterol levels are generally genetically determined and don't change much from dietary or lifestyle changes. It can be reduced by medications. However if it is the only risk factor for heart disease/stroke, then it need not be corrected unless it is very high, LDL> 160. On the other hand the B blocker, if it was taken only for BP, may be stopped if BP comes down and remains normal. A closer monitoring may be required for that. If BP stays normal or low on taking the medicine, reduce the medicine and recheck, if it still stays low or normal, stop and see. Take it slow.

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Ramalingam

Ramalingam Kalirajan  |11456 Answers  |Ask -

Mutual Funds, Financial Planning Expert - Answered on Sep 10, 2026

Asked by Anonymous - Sep 10, 2026
Money
I have 15 lacs to Lumsum investment for my daughters higher education.I want to invest in STP in 3 funds .One hybrid Fund which has 15l value and from that STP to two fund Any multicap or Large and Midcap Fund .Please suggest ? Any other Idea will also appriciate.Thanks
Ans: Your approach of using STP for your daughters higher education goal is a good way to move a lump sum into equity gradually. The main point is to match the asset allocation with the time left for the education goal.

» Suggested structure

Keep the Rs.15 lakh initially in a suitable hybrid fund.
Use STP from the hybrid fund into two diversified equity categories.
A combination of Multi Cap and Large & Mid Cap can work well.
You need not use too many funds. Three funds are enough for this goal.

For example:

Hybrid Fund – Rs.15 lakh initially
Multi Cap Fund – STP destination
Large & Mid Cap Fund – STP destination

» How to use STP

I would prefer a systematic STP over a very short period.

If the education goal is more than 5 years away, equity allocation can be meaningful.
The Rs.15 lakh can be shifted gradually over around 12 months.
You can divide the STP between the two equity categories.
Avoid changing funds frequently based on short-term market movements.

STP is mainly useful for managing entry risk. It does not remove market risk.

» Do not ignore the education timeline

This is the most important part.

If higher education is:

More than 10 years away – higher equity allocation can be considered.
Around 5–10 years away – balanced equity and hybrid allocation may be better.
Less than 5 years away – avoid taking high equity risk with the entire corpus.

As the education date comes closer, gradually move the required amount towards safer investments. This protects the money already created.

» Multi Cap vs Large & Mid Cap

Both categories can complement each other.

Multi Cap gives exposure across large, mid and small companies.
Large & Mid Cap gives a relatively stronger focus on large and mid-sized companies.
Combining both can create some overlap, so the portfolio should be reviewed periodically.

I would not select funds only based on the latest 1-year or 3-year returns. Fund quality, portfolio consistency, risk management and long-term performance matter more.

» One alternative idea

Instead of keeping the complete Rs.15 lakh in one hybrid fund, you can also consider a two-stage approach.

Keep the amount in a suitable hybrid/debt-oriented allocation initially.
Start STP into diversified equity funds.
Once the required equity allocation is reached, stop the STP.
Continue monitoring the overall portfolio rather than continuously adding new funds.

This keeps the portfolio simple and easier to manage.

» 360-degree education planning

The Rs.15 lakh should not be viewed separately.

Also consider:

Current age of your daughter.
Expected year of higher education.
India or overseas education.
Present education cost and future cost.
Other investments already available for this goal.
Your monthly SIP capacity.
Emergency fund and adequate insurance.
A separate safe corpus as the education date gets closer.

If the goal is 8–12 years away, this Rs.15 lakh can become a strong foundation. Regular SIPs along with it can make the education corpus much stronger.

» Final Insights

Your basic STP idea is sensible. I would prefer a simple 3-fund structure rather than holding many schemes.

The exact equity allocation and STP period should depend mainly on your daughters age and when the higher education money will actually be required.

As an AMFI-Registered MFD, I would also suggest reviewing this goal at least once a year and reducing equity exposure as the goal approaches.

Best Regards,

K. Ramalingam, MBA, CFP,

AMFI-Registered MFD – ARN 4188

www.holisticinvestment.in

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ramalingamcfp/

...Read more

Anu

Anu Krishna  |1813 Answers  |Ask -

Relationships Expert, Mind Coach - Answered on Sep 08, 2026

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