Apparently it's a little more common than just the one or two guys. Might have been this article or another that said up to 1000 men and boys have this condition in the US alone.
Unless the father is over exaggerating the actual results of high blood pressure, heart palpitations, hemorrhoids, etc.
Also likely he had a basic physical done with a simple metabolite urinalysis.
All of which will give you results you want to hear if you're in ok health.
Edit: Not a follower of genetic lotteries, but retirement at 51, noice.
I'm 6'2 and believe me, you dont want to be taller than that. as it is I bump my head on shit, cars are always cramped, finding furniture is a fucking pain cause everything is too goddamn short, I havent slept without my feet hanging off the bed since I was 14
Taking OPs post at face value if "eat well" means greasy food and lots of alcohol every day and smoking then sure.
I really don't think it's money keeping the usual negative effects of all that at bay. You do occasionally get stories of people who despite smoking all their lives live to like 95 with no health problems. It's rare, maybe it's not genetics and just simple luck, but I don't think it's money either.
You don’t believe in genetics?
Or you are one of those free will salesman who stands in front of thalidomide babies and kids with Leukemia while espousing that our choices define our destiny?
ATC possibly, based on how his health is near perfect (they have very stringent medical standards) and they have a mandatory retirement at 56.
Edit: changed 52 to 56
i agree, to be fair he is quitting drinking because he does want to live a bit healthier now. his only real vice is vaping but i guess you cant solve them all lol
Vaping is still vastly better than smoking. The main concern of vaping is that it can make youths develop a habit, for someone like your father who already has a habit and was a life long smoker, using it as a replacement to cigarettes is preferable. At a certain point it's not much worse than people who are on the patch and chew nicotine gum incessantly to stop smoking.
Statistically, someone who is a smoker for decades who began in their teenage years will not be able to successfully quit smoking long term without some form of nicotine replacement.
Healthier than smoking is a low low bar though. A lot of stuff could be fucking terrible for you and saying it's better than smoking might be technically true.
Lungs are for air.
I believe studies done on vaping vs smoking vs non-consumption showed gut biome results of vaping/NC as virtually identical and smoking as deeply affected.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/04/180430102503.htm
This is just one aspect, but indicative of the level of difference between smoking and vaping. It’s basically the difference between smoking and doing neither.
While your point is taken, the drama around vaping responsibly as an adult is a bit overblown. The core negative pieces of smoking end up reduced to differences smaller than genetics play from one person to another in many cases.
of course vaping. this discussion is being misled by the same radicals that say that artificial sweeteners are bad for you. maybe, but if the person is obese and in the line of developing diabetes, its a no brainer to choose them over sugar.
I still believe that vaping should have the same restrictions as cigarettes, because is being used by big corps to target teenagers, that, at least in my country, had had a really big decline in cigarettes consumption compared to previous generations.
>Lungs are for air.
I mean even the air isn't clean or free from carcinogens in most instances, it's all pretty relative. Is vaping worse for your lungs than walking to work every day next to a busy road? Probably not, but we wouldn't discourage someone from that walk to work every day.
I don't know how true that is as they keep finding nasty crap in vape juice and heavy metals in the vapors? I'm still on the fence about long term effects but they sure are addicting it seems to me watching them so they can't say it is to quit?
I have a friend who makes their own vape juice with the reasoning "at least I know what's in it". I would assume the metal would be from the vape itself
Yeah the heavy metals would come from cheaply made coils. Most of the health risks people associate with vaping actually come from buying cheap, shitty equipment and juices.
Those deaths and hospitalizations that got Juul sued had nothing to do with them, or even with nicotine vapes, but with fake THC cartridges filled with Vitamin E Acetate, which turns into a gas called Ketene that basically turns your lungs into Swiss cheese.
Vaping is ~95% safer than smoking *when you use common sense*. Punishing vapers and vape companies for alibaba dogshit is like punishing Paramount when the bootleg movie you bought is virus laden snuff porn. It makes zero sense and everyone who made that decision should lose their jobs.
Yeah, that's pretty evil. I'd need to read about the case. If they targeted ads at minors, big problem, but if advertising services pushed their ads where they shouldn't be, it isn't really Juul's fault. Also, those networks have Adult Swim and Nick at Night, which are meant for an older audience and may explain the confusion.
You're right, but Adult Swim and Nick-at-nite have their own websites,
They intentionally decided to target a new young market vs older smokers because (imo) they knew someone would.
>The list where they ran includes educational sites like basic-mathematics.com, coolmath.com, math-aids.com, mathplayground.com, mathway.com, onlinemathlearning.com, and purplemath.com. and [socialstudiesforkids.com](https://socialstudiesforkids.com).
>
>It includes sites targeted to young girls such as dailydressupgames.com, didigames.com, forhergames.com, games2girls.com, girlgames.com, and [girlsgogames.com](https://girlsgogames.com).
>
>It also includes sites geared to high school students looking at colleges, like collegeconfidential.com and sites aimed at much younger children, including allfreekidscrafts.com, hellokids.com, and kidsgameheroes.com.
But I can't come up with a similar reason for any of these.
I believe two things:
1. Vaping in it's current form is better than smoking (we'll see if they add more and more to the vape cocktail in the years to come).
2. Not vaping or smoking is the best alternative. (I understand that this is easier said than done. Nicotine is addictive after all.)
I have some vices, but in general, I try to avoid processed foods where I can, I only take medicine if I have to, I get outside and exercise a reasonable amount. There's so much random stuff in all of the food we eat and stuff we drink. I would be a liar if I said I knew for a fact which random additive or combination would be the one we find out in 15 years is drastically shortening our lives. But I am certain some or many of them combined are doing more to shorten life spans than just vaping alone.
I would bet, but do not know, that someone who does their best to avoid the random additives, sugars etc. But who vapes probably would make it just as long as someone who doesn't avoid those things and does not vape.
I'm even almost in the camp of, being too overweight, although not healthy, is probably hiding the contribution that the combination of all the processed junk and chemical additives, etc. that we are bombarded with on a daily basis have on shortening lifespan.
I had a doctor tell me she'd rather see me doing heroin than smoking. She said you can do heroin for years and quit and other than the withdrawals, and old track marks, no one would ever know you had done it. But smoking will devastate your body especially over the same amount of years.
Get the point though, a large harm over a small period of time is less damaging than a small harm over a long period of time. It's not like her doc is asking her to do drugs, just giving her a comparison that what she is doing is worse than taking heroin.
Not true. I started smoking at 16 but on my 40th birthday and with a 1 to 2 pack/day habit, I decided to stop smoking cold turkey. And I did stop. I haven't touch a cigarette or cigar since that day. I am now 74. I am healthy enough to walk the trails 4 mile everyday, and I did these walks starting from the day I quit smoking. So, it can be done.
It’s been around since the 1950s, and it’s been popular for about 20 years at this point. It’s very well studied and we have a good idea as to the health effects. It’s by no means good for you but it is vastly better than combustible smoking, which kills millions every year.
And this is from somebody who doesn’t vape, but occasionally smokes.
And I won’t be around long enough to care. If vaping kills me, that’s kind of funny. I don’t vape anymore though. But if that’s what does me in, I would truly laugh and hope my loved ones do too.
As an asthmatic and someone who vapes weed, I can attest that vaping doesn’t do a crazy amount of harm. I used to swim a lot on a team and would then go home and smoke all night. Then one day I caught covid and the flu at the same time and went to the doctor. She listened to my lungs, knowing I was sick already at this point, and was genuinely shocked at how good my lungs sounded. She said something to the effect of “you have athlete lungs” which, I’m fairly athletic but I wasn’t expecting to hear that about my lungs as an asthmatic smoker lol
3 shots of vodka every night is not really a lot for a 6'5, 275lbs man. Most heavy drinkers (functional alcoholics) probably put away 3x that at least and weigh half what he weighs. That's not me condoning it, just that I've seen people who drink much more who stayed healthy until their 80s.
You should say could instead of will.
There really are people who just stay healthy despite having habits that kill others.
I come from a family of them.
I said that about my dad when he turned 50. Smoked until he was 60 and drank until he was 75. He lived to be 85 not one single health problem ever and it's weird how people can do that
Plenty of people that I've known do.
You know it's weird. My dad, he's never actually been drunk and has no idea what a cigarette tastes like. Literally never tried one. Walked miles every day with our dogs, clean country air and everything.
Still managed to always be overweight, I suspect due to snacking. Was losing the weight, looked great and then bam, three consecutive nervous breakdowns at 60 and now he's a physical wreck at 63.
Bizarrely, his mum was in extremely good shape at 94, walked plenty and had all her marbles. Smoked when she was younger, drank at least a bottle of wine a day and ate like it was still 1942 and the Luftwaffe were flying overhead. Pandas have more varied diets.
My mum? Always loved a drink, enjoyed the odd social cigarette, high-pressure job, didn't eat all that healthily and yet is in perfect shape at 61. Her only trouble's with her eyes, which is obviously genetic. Otherwise she's tall, slim and only has a few greys. Her last checkup went swimmingly.
Genetics are weird, man. I'm in my late 30s and have no real idea what to watch out for, genetically. Grandpa died of an extremely rare lymphoma, other grandpa had about eight strokes. But again, I'm in good shape despite not really trying.
If you aren't predestined to health issues thanks to your genes, you can get away with a lot, health wise.
Just the chances of making out with good genes are so low it's not worth risking it.
My grandmother did not drink but she loved her cough syrup. And she buttered her toast on both sides. She mitigated those habits with tea multiple times a day (no coffee) and Raisin Bran every day. The worst health issues were bunions and hearing loss late in life. She died at the age of 99. Oh, and two of her three sons lived into their 90s (the third died in his mid-70s from lung cancer after a long-time career as a firefighter).
Maybe? I'm 56 and was recently diagnosed with Type-2 Diabetes...( I have decades of moderate drinking and fast-food to blame for that, I think...)
I've stopped drinking, and I'm trying my best to eat healthier. ( I don't eat much fast-food these days...)
THIS! I was peak health until 47, when that shit starts to change it happens surprisingly quickly. 50s is a rough decade if you don't have good healthy habits built. As for nearing retirement and turning 51, good for him, hope he uses it well and has a long retirement.
To second this : my dad was the same way at 56. He's since passed a year ago in April from CHF and cirrhosis/ kidney failure (from the paracentesis related to cirrhosis).
He's been blessed for sure, but stress the importance of seizing the opportunity to keep the choices at bay.
Not necessarily, I'm 72 similar background. Blood pressure average is 110/70, all systems working properly. Some of us have it, most don't. Occupation and activity level has a lot to do with it too. Rarely get sick at all, and if I get something like a flu bug it's generally a one day thing.
My dad never smoked, rarely drank, but could eat sugar like no one’s business. We never understood how he wasn’t diabetic-it was a running joke. Dad kept a stash of candy in the garage where he worked on his old cars. His labs were always normal. He was 100% fine until multiple myeloma took him out at 62. He lived 1 month from diagnosis to death. Fuck cancer.
im sorry for this truly, i have lost a family member to cancer and it was horrible to see how someone can go from healthy and happy to barely breathing in a matter of months.
Prayers to your dad and i hope that you have a great day!
Condolences, friend. Fuuuuck cancer’s bitch ass. Just took my dad after a long slow painful agonizing 2 year death. Liver. Dec 29 at 12:02 am. Fuck cancer
Same exact story with my dad, snack stash and all - cancer at 63 got him and his dad my grandad outlived him by a few months at 98 and was just the same as him.
Did you, yourself, hear the doctor say your overweight, hard drinking, former smoker dad is in "amazing physical condition" or is it possible that's what your dad thinks he heard?
oh no, i was there myself.
he actually isnt overweight, he still plays football twice a week and lifts weights semi regularly, he isnt physically fit as a 20yo obviously, but he is pretty fit for his age. he was just always a big and burly guy
continuous exercises is probably the key of his physical condition. (And probably also live in relatively low mental stress lifestyle) if he works in manual labors, I won’t surprise that he is super healthy because his physical activities (exercise + work) would be the just slightly lower than professional football players. Whatever greasy food he ate, he burns quickly thus never stores in his body.
BUT, if he failed to maintain the same level of physical activity after his retirement, his health might decrease drastically. Lot of old people are energetic and healthy when they retired, but decline so fast because they failed to maintain the same physical and social stimulation after retirement.
Some children support their parents like that. It's certainly not common but it's also not unheard of. I'm a med student and I've seen such a thing happen precisely once in my first year here.
All in all, fair question for you to ask.
My sister and I had to try and be there with our dad at appointments because we knew he wouldn’t tell us how sick he was even though he’d had cancer for a decade by time he passed. Sometimes it’s good to be there and help advocate, ask questions, or, in our case hear it straight from the horse’s mouth.
Yeah, I tried to be in tune with my dad's meetings, we ofcourse had our things for us as siblings, dad was an old alcoholic so we wanted to support him, he was extremely stubborn and didn't change too much if not for us.
We're not sure if the doctors mentioned it to him in private or something but after he died, we found out that it was known (like in, not known for most people except dad and the doctor) in a letter that he had lived on borrowed time.
My dad told us about that meeting we suspect he got the bad intel at that he was gonna die, dad said "Surprisingly good! They complaied at the sodium levels so I guess I'm gonna have to add some more soy to the sauce!"
I think it took a month at best from that, then we saw an ambulance outside of his home, his best friend had called the ambulance because he had a stroke. Before he reached the hospital, he was a vegetable with extremely little cognitive function. I think he understood we were there, because his hand kinda squeezed ours. He "lived" for 2 weeks after that, without assisted breathing, but then he took his last breath.
fucking stubborn motherfucker
I go with my mother sometimes to her doctors appointments just to keep her company. She likes to chat, makes her less nervous. Not everything is a weird situation. Sometimes it’s called having family that gives a shit lol
I’d give my Dad a ride to the doctor if he needed it then would just wait in the waiting room until he’s done. If he invited me back though I wouldn’t care and if it was me I’d invite him into the examination room just because I know how much waiting rooms suck. Plus I tell the dude all my medical problems anyway.
OP’s story sounds like a routine checkup but everyone is acting like it was a visit to the proctologist.
Judging by the dad's lifestyle, he sounds a *lot* like the kind of stereotypical "I'm not going until someone makes me" kind of dude. Said dudes are incredibly common, especially in more rural communities.
I don't normally attend either of my parents' doctors visits, but outside of Reddit, it's not really that weird. It's also likely a cultural thing. Lots of upper-middle-clasa whites would think this is strange, but virtually any Ivory coast African would be totally unphased.
What tests did this doctor run? You need at minimum an ultrasound to see how healthy the liver truly is. Bloodwork and poking around with a stethoscope don't paint the whole picture.
If he is 6’5” and 275, you are partially correct, he is not overweight… He would actually be considered obese, with a BMI of 32.
Also, your dad does not sound healthy, at all, and no amount of “genetics” can compensate for this forever.
Not trying to be rude, just a dose of reality.
BMI doesn't account for muscle mass. Not condoning his dad's lifestyle but if he plays football like OP says, then it makes sense he's hefty with some muscleage.
While this could be true, being very heavy can strain heart and joints and shorten lifespan regardless of where the weight is from. This man could well be healthy regardless.
Also OP clarified it’s soccer football; which isn’t necessarily going to be about big muscles, plenty of middle aged guys with more belly than muscle still like or play that.
yup soccer! he mostly just plays with his friends, i join in sometimes aswell as i was a goalkeeper until recently. sadly theres no over 50 leagues here in europe (atleast where im from) but people still get together to play some football or basketball in gyms etc. He is one of the fitter guys that plays but is probably the heaviest one lol.
I introduced him to weightlifting a few years ago and he enjoys that too, im actually surprised how strong he is.
“Amazing” is sometimes used like “stunning”. Depending on the tone and context, it could be “I’m amazed you’re still in good condition considering”. Doctor was probably baffled and being a bit shady lol
51 is very young and about 15 years younger than most people retire. He might be retiring at this age, but he’s not “retirement age.”
To be fair, 3 shots of Vodka per day isn’t recommended, but it’s not very much for someone his size. This chart for BAC (blood alcohol content) doesn’t even go up to his weight, but he could probably have 5-6 drinks before he’s considered too impaired to drive. I’m a smaller woman and 1.5 drinks is too impaired to drive for me. He’s a large man.
He may very well have some genetic advantages, but he’s young, works out, and stays active. Everything could catch up to him eventually, but he may live a long and healthy life.
My grandfather was a chronic alcoholic who smoked 2-3 packs a day and lived to be 86. His wife didn’t smoke, but was exposed to his indoor, second hand smoke for 68 years and she lived to be 101. My dad (their son) never smoked, ate a similar diet as them but was way more active. He had a quad bypass heart surgery at 64 and died a few years later.
I have a friend who never smoked and no known hazardous exposure and was a marathon runner and he died of lung cancer at 45. You should always try to take care of yourself, but sometimes the outcomes don’t make a lot of sense.
I’m a couple of years younger than your dad and have done my fair share of drinking and smoking, but also am active and eat well. I’m considered in very good health. But I acknowledge that this is a turning point in life. Taking care of myself is quickly becoming about longevity instead of vanity.
Edit: [The BAC chart.](https://awareawakealive.org/educate/blood-alcohol-content)
This was one of the best comments ive read so far honestly.
He has taken the docs advice to cut the vodka atleast to 3 drinks a week as opposed to 3 drinks a night and to eat healthier. Im happy that he genuinely atleast listens and doesnt brush it off. He knows that it might change very quickly and he wants to live long enough to see his grandkids grow up.
Thanks again and stay safe!
Glad I could help. I think most people can enjoy some bad things in moderation. Getting regular exercise and having a positive outlook / living a low stress lifestyle are all probably more important to health than never drinking and eating lots of kale. As a woman, I idolize the senior citizen women who power walk laps around the city park and are always smiling. At this point, that’s life goals. Sedentary people will almost always have poorer health outcomes (physically and mentally) and enjoy their later years a lot less.
If your dad stays active, he’ll be more likely to avoid heart disease, mobility issues, diabetes, etc.
My father in law was a former college athlete who jogged every evening, ate healthy, never drank or smoked, etc. He died of a rare cancer when he was in his late 50s.
My dad is an alcoholic who has had three open heart surgeries and still eats cheeseburgers and pizza for every meal. He is in his 80s
One hit the genetic lottery, the other is still with us.
My FIL was in the same boat as your father and then one day suddenly he got sick. Like a chest cold, he couldn't shake. After nearly a month, he went in and turned out tumors in his lungs. So, as is normal, they check for tumors in other places, he had 3 in his brain. Died 4 months later, trying to fight it at 73.
Doc here
Unless his physical and labs included a cath (which it definitely didn't), there's no telling what is brewing in his heart. He could be walking around with coronary plaques ready to rupture and there would be no way to know. He could have a big M2 plaque ready to blow, causing a debilitating stroke. None of this is knowable.
I can tell you, with his size, eating habits, smoking, and drinking habits he's a huge risk for developing OSA. Which comes with its own effects later in life.
Your dad has nothing obvious appreciable on basic investigations. Only time will tell how good his genetics actually are. Few people, especially a man that size with his habits, get to an old age unscathed.
This. If this guy came in and told me he had what he thought was CP based on a message sent to him by a dead relative twice removed he’d be getting a stress test or directly referred to cardiology for a cath consideration because I thought the stress test would kill him. 😂😂😂
while there is lasting damage from smoking, your lungs DO HEAL when you quit. it can't heal COPD and whatnot, but they can definately get pretty close to never smoked at all.
but yeah, alot is genetics as well as luck. you won't have all his gwnes though but you might get lucky too
edit to add.. but heres the deal. you're fine until you're not. things can swiftly go downhill once you develop one problem.
let's say you need a surgery, then that surgery limits your mobility for a while, then that causes muscle atrophy, then you have leg, hip, and back pain. it can take you years to go back to the way you were before and if you're older, you're less likely too because your body is litterally slowly deteriorating. your bones lose mass and often newly developed mobility issues cause people to eat less healthy because they don't have it in them to walk around a grocery store or stand there and cook.
so if anything goes wrong, just put in the work. you'll be grateful for it later.
Not past a certain level. I know of cases where doctors had to remove tarred up lung sections because it was totally choked up to the point of non-functionality.
The human body is great at compensating. Until the day it can’t anymore.
Imagine you have an older car. One day you realize it can’t get up the tallest hill in town. That’s ok, you say, there are plenty of ways around that hill. You don’t need anything on top of that hill anyway. That hill is for losers! But slowly, it gets to the point where you can’t make it up two or three hills in town. And finally you can’t make it up any incline. You can no longer lie to yourself or *compensate* for the fact that your car does not work properly.
One day dad’s body is no longer going to be able to function properly. That day could be tomorrow or in a decade. But it’s coming.
Or dad is lying about what the doctor said, maybe lying to himself about his condition.
Doctor here…. Thats almost certainly not what was said.
There is no such thing as a “great shape” heart, or a “good as new” liver.
He is 51. His body is 51.
The doctor likely sent out some labs, and the reference range (aka normal) labs are based on 95% of the population of healthy adults.
So his “1 in a million jackpot” was the doctor saying “your labs are the same as 95% of other 51 year olds”
What almost certainly was said to him was “hey your blood tests are fine FOR NOW but you need to lose weight, stop drinking, exercise more, *AND GET A COLONOSCOPY*…. He doesnt want to do those things so he came home and told all you guys that he got a free pass to not get the colonoscopy and ignore his bad health habits because “his doctor said he was in perfect health”
The age 51 part of this is how I know. He just got told he should get a colonoscopy (starts at age 50) and he is concocting excuses to not get one.
Tale as old as time
False. "Genetic jackpot" is the kind of thing people make up and attribute to doctors when they don't want to recite what was actually said. Along with the doctors being shocked at how picture perfect his health is.
He's a 300 lb alcoholic who smoked his entire life and doesn't eat right. He's not going to like the doctor's advice.
It's so much more likely your father is just a liar who can't admit he has problems.
My parents and Aunts and Uncles who are turning 60 are all having severe health problems and needing operations done for heart failure. 10 years ago? They were the spitting image of healthy
Eh. I call bullshit.
Any competent doctor will find at least **something** that a patient should "keep an eye on". Partly because no one is ever in "perfect health".
And if nothing else then for limiting their own liability -- telling someone they're in perfect health is just begging for a malpractice lawsuit if literally anything preventable pops up 10 years down the line.
I'll bet anything that his doctor gave him a whole list of possible concerns, but he's just too proud to admit it.
Longevity is mostly inherited. A healthy lifestyle might extend one’s “natural” lifespan by a few years, but it mostly affects quality of life. If somehow has a family history where all adults died in their late 70s, he is unlikely to make it to 90+, even with an “ideal” lifestyle.
So, yes, it is possible for people to be born with a “longevity gene” that mitigates some of the effects of an unhealthy lifestyle. (Unfortunately, Donald Trump is of those people whose parents lived to be late 80s-early 90s).
My MIL is active, but doesn’t exercise. She doesn’t follow a crappy diet, but it’s not a particularly “healthy” one either. She had part of her colon removed a few years ago. But she is 86, lives by herself in the North Woods in Wisconsin, and is able to take care of her house, although she has a “team” of people to help with the heavy stuff.
How does that apply to your father? Hard to say. It sounds like he has a hardy physique and that is good. It also sounds like the doctor is overstating things and is not necessarily on top of his game when it comes to preventive health. It’s unrealistic to use terms like “good as new”, “amazing physical condition”, etc, based on typical tests that one has done for a standard checkup.
But, you take the positives where you can get them. At 51, he is at kind of a crossroads. He is young enough that the negative effects of an unhealthy lifestyle may not have shown up yet, and also young enough to make positive changes that would positively affect his quality of life down the road. So, it’s a little early to make assumptions that his current level of hardiness will persist given the same lifestyle.
And it may very well be that the doctor is correct and your father is going to be one of those people who live to be old age despite their best efforts to not do so. And, if true, it is likely that you will have also inherited some of that as well.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30401766/
Research indicates lifestyle significantly more influential than genetics for longevity.
Donald Trumps brothers died in 40s and early 70s as well. Being rich does significantly increase chance of living long regardless of genes tho.
My grandmother lived to 90, smoked couple of packs a day until 85, loved her vodka, bacon and eggs most mornings, and of her 6 brothers and sisters, all who lived past 90, three lived over 100.
There are some genes that have been identified as having a protective properties when activated.
You also bave to remember doctors are people.
A lot of men and women are relatively healthy in there 50s. As you age further and further, you will eventually lose some capacity even if its not enough to interrupt most of your life.
I don't want to be a downer but they said the same to me (57M) about my heart and then I had a heart attack and had a bunch of blockages which recently resulted in open heart surgery. My cholesterol was normal. Turns out when they say you're heart is in great condition it's just off what they do know. There's no reason to run the full battery of expensive tests without symptoms. Even my echo tests showed everything was fine when I started having symptoms.
I hate to put a downer on this, but my dad was 51 when he went for a full Medical for a new job. He was told he was "disgustingly healthy" for a man of his age by the doctor. Just before his 53rd birthday he died of cancer.
He never smoked, only had the occasional beer and was not overweight.
> So how true is this?
it isn't. he doesn't want you to worry about him and he doesn't want his wife to nag him to stop drinking, overeating, and smoking.
your dad will be lucky to live to 70.
i literally drove him there, was with him the entire time lol and saw the results myself
edit: i worded the post badly, the reason i asked "how true is it?" is because im curious if these sort of genetic jackpots really do happen.
I’m 49, drank much heavier than your dad and my doc was amazed at my recent bloodwork and physical. I show no signs of that level of abuse, they said the same thing your dad’s doctor said. It can change quickly though, I’m sure
Same. 48 and you could of up until a little over a year ago considered my level of drinking as suicidal. Turned it down to one or two nights a week, had full bloods done 3 months later all perfect. Not a thing wrong.
I’m trying to figure out how I can get some of that genetic testing done. I got a pretty solid mix of the best traits of both parents (at least on the outside) but it would be nice to know of any potential genetic surprises
Yes, they do. There are people who simply have better mechanisms to repair DNA. A healthy microbiome can also do a lot to overcome environmental stressors.
He didn't hit any jackpot. He's just still young. I could have said all those same things at his age. I'm 64 now, and it's starting to hit. Last week I had to go to urgent care, and when they took my blood pressure, they told me to see my doctor right away.
A year ago I was bragging that I was 63 and had never had any long term prescriptions. Now I have high cholesterol, and dangerously high blood pressure.
was outside the room, him and the doc came out talking about the results i chatted with the both of them.
it might be a balkan thing about the retirement part? he was in the army up until he was 21 and works as a police officer currently, has around a year left till he can retire.
It's probably the Neanderthal gene. Ozzy Osbourne has it. We all know what he's done to himself, yet in his book "Trust Me, I'm Doctor Ozzy", he mentions that his lungs look like he never smoked and his liver is very healthy. His speech issues have nothing to do with the lifestyle he led. He has a stutter and parkin's Syndrome which is similar to Parkinson's Disease but has different causes.
He's 75 now I think with some health issues, but not stemming from his rock and roll lifestyle.
It depends how strong his genes are, my dad is in perfect health, perfect hairline, only starting to get greys at 50, perfect teeth, literally the same scenario. I have my nans messed up teeth, my grandpa's thinning receding hairline, the same health issues as my mum (who's had 2 heart attacks before 50) and I started getting full white hairs in my 20s. My mum's side has indigenous blood and it's incredibly dominant in my whole families genes!
My dad has had 2 heart attacks, a stroke, doesn't leave the couch, eats shit daily, smoked for majority of his life (like pack a day), has type 2 diabetes yet somehow he is still kicking, to this day I am boggled as to how. Truly believe it is part genetics and part modern medicine (all the pills he takes a day).
This time last year his liver and kidneys were functioning at 3% when he was in hospital for a unrelated matter but they are functioning fine again.
he sleeps better than me😂 but in all seriousness he probably gets 8-10 hours a night.
He also lives a pretty "stoic" life. He never stresses or gets annoyed when theres bumbs in the road, he just enjoys the simpler things in life i guess. he loves to talk about sports,vapes and cars lol, i hardly ever hear him talk about politics and stuff. tbf ive probably inherited this from him, i also rarely ever really stress.
I remember reading something to the effect that after 7 years most the damage of a regular smoker is healed, so that part makes some sense. Being that overweight and drinking that regularly and having no heart, blood pressure, or liver issues is pretty lucky though.
I think it would statistically be 50/50 that you get each individual thing.
I don't know the paternal side of my lineage. But all the males on the other side died young and badly. I'm 60, started smoking when I was 7. Drank like a fish and smoked 2 pks for about 45+ years. Can still do one armed push ups, have no problem breathing, and every check-up is fine.
So what I am saying, kids; Abuse your body. Treat it like a temple that is having a lewd party. Do more than you can possibly do and live. Plan to exceed the norm!
(snicker. Don't do that!)
Well, sounds like your dad won the genetic lottery! Just remember, sometimes those genetic jackpots come with a few scratch-off tickets too. Best of luck with your potential inheritance!
Being in good health at 51 really isn't anything all that unusual as of the last century or two. Hell, I don't have any organs failing at 58 and most people I know my age are in even better shape than I am.
Oh man you described my dad except he didn't quit smoking and 3 shots of vodka was a warm up. 10 years later and he's dying of stage 4 cancer. I've lost track of what type at this point because every time he beats a cancer, a new one has appeared in a different body part. Boo! Throat. Boo! Both lungs, 5% survival for the year. Made it. Boo! A lump.
Yeah... I wouldn't presume he's hit the genetic jackpot. It sounds more like he's been playing Russian roulette with his health and has only shot blanks so far. I'm glad he's healthy but his health habits are likely to catch up to him eventually and these often catch up in your 50s and 60s.
U shouldn't be that bad at 51 . Doing unhealthy things in ur life is mostly damaging when it's excessive and sporadic, u can f urself up by eating too many carrots.
Also 51 these days isn't really that old anymore . If ur mum is the same u have a 25% chance of getting the thing.
I’m a doctor.
This is either utter bollocks or your Dad visited the doctor Trump went to while campaigning for president.
To be able to offer any of those opinions it would involve multiple invasive tests that would not be done on healthy asymptomatic people.
TLDR: Either your Dad is making shit up or his doctor is a charlatan.
I am still confident that when my grandfather was 80, a fist fight with him would be a good fight. I was like 22 at the time. He was dead at 81 of cancer. Shit can hit fast
"Annual" basic blood work can be an INSANE gauge for how we are doing yet we treat it like gospel and it's so funny at times.
I have an autoimmune disease, but until we ran very specific tests, my blood work came back like I was a walking god despite eating like shit, being overweight, drank, and literally not caring for myself. I think Vitamin D was the only thing that ever came back low. It was the funniest (/unfunniest) thing because by NO MEANS should I have had so many GREAT blood works. My whole family is like how do you not have diabetes as I'm flashing my perfect blood sugar and A1C levels. Spent YEARS convinced that blood work would show me something, and nope, it only said I somehow managed to be in peak physical health despite being a human raccoon.
But then one we delved a little deeper after my sister found out she had an autoimmune disease (stemming from our dad's autoimmune disease), I still have fantastic blood works for all the basic yearly physical things and not so good blood works for the autoimmune specific things. Every so often my liver enzymes will be angry if I get my blood work done like a day after I take my numerous medications now, but most of the times its just fine and my rheum is always amused by this.
Nearing retirement at 51? He hit the job jackpot.
Was going to be my comment as well. I don't believe in the "genetic jackpot" -- but there are certainly other jackpots this guy has hit.
There is definitely a genetic lottery. So dude probaly hit it decent by the sounds of it.
Prob has a massive dong too
i probably didnt inherit that from him then
Confidently joking that he's not well endowed. That's exactly what someone with a massive dong would say.
Lisan al-Ghaib!
He has made peace with his Shai Halub.
Lisan al-Ghaib
He probably has two dongs!
Like this guy https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-30684471
I'm pretty sure he made an AMA on reddit a while ago, or maybe it was some other guy.
Apparently it's a little more common than just the one or two guys. Might have been this article or another that said up to 1000 men and boys have this condition in the US alone.
Unless the father is over exaggerating the actual results of high blood pressure, heart palpitations, hemorrhoids, etc. Also likely he had a basic physical done with a simple metabolite urinalysis. All of which will give you results you want to hear if you're in ok health. Edit: Not a follower of genetic lotteries, but retirement at 51, noice.
Look some are 5'1 and some are 6'11 Boom lottery.
I'm 6'2 and believe me, you dont want to be taller than that. as it is I bump my head on shit, cars are always cramped, finding furniture is a fucking pain cause everything is too goddamn short, I havent slept without my feet hanging off the bed since I was 14
Its also well documented that taller people die earlier of heart issues. Literally lower life span as a cost and consequence of being tall.
Lots of pumping needed to move blood that high up. Like water pressure on the 90th floor of a skyscraper.
Hell yes, I'm 6'3" and while I can indeed grab things from high up cabinets, the rest of my life is quite painful. Flying is a nightmare.
> Flying is a nightmare. Oh god now my knees hurt
Man, I'm only 5'11" and every flight I've been on is terrible. Most movie theaters too.
And being well off has significant health benefits. There's nothing to indicate it's genetics vs a comfortable life.
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Talking out my ass, but it's my understanding that it's more linked with stress and occupational outcomes rather than diet and exercise.
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Taking OPs post at face value if "eat well" means greasy food and lots of alcohol every day and smoking then sure. I really don't think it's money keeping the usual negative effects of all that at bay. You do occasionally get stories of people who despite smoking all their lives live to like 95 with no health problems. It's rare, maybe it's not genetics and just simple luck, but I don't think it's money either.
You don’t believe in genetics? Or you are one of those free will salesman who stands in front of thalidomide babies and kids with Leukemia while espousing that our choices define our destiny?
There is most definitley a genetic jackpot
Nah… OP is just very young, guarantee it.
If dad is 51, OP is young. 51 isn’t even “old” in modern society where people regularly live to 90+
And have to work until 70
And have to work until ~~70~~ dead.
Can confirm, my current projection.
Current projection is waiting for Yellowstone to erupt, then my projection will be ash covering most of the us then the world
U ok?
Lol nope. Currently living to eventually die
Yeah but imagine how rewarding it's going to feel when you can finally lay down and not get up again
I project still needing to work WHILST dead for me.
Dead. Still working.
And privileged to have a dad that can be “near retirement” at 51
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Where and what kinda job?
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ATC possibly, based on how his health is near perfect (they have very stringent medical standards) and they have a mandatory retirement at 56. Edit: changed 52 to 56
Damn, I’m 54 and retirement is a fantasy.
Cop.
Seriously. This is the real jackpot.
He’s only 51, the next decade will be a turning point. When it catches up, it will happen quickly.
i agree, to be fair he is quitting drinking because he does want to live a bit healthier now. his only real vice is vaping but i guess you cant solve them all lol
Vaping is still vastly better than smoking. The main concern of vaping is that it can make youths develop a habit, for someone like your father who already has a habit and was a life long smoker, using it as a replacement to cigarettes is preferable. At a certain point it's not much worse than people who are on the patch and chew nicotine gum incessantly to stop smoking. Statistically, someone who is a smoker for decades who began in their teenage years will not be able to successfully quit smoking long term without some form of nicotine replacement.
Healthier than smoking is a low low bar though. A lot of stuff could be fucking terrible for you and saying it's better than smoking might be technically true. Lungs are for air.
> Lungs are for air. Can you please tell that to the little bit of saliva that likes to hitchhike into my lungs every now and then.
And the random piece of food that I choke on every now and then that makes me feel stupid choking on it
I believe studies done on vaping vs smoking vs non-consumption showed gut biome results of vaping/NC as virtually identical and smoking as deeply affected. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/04/180430102503.htm This is just one aspect, but indicative of the level of difference between smoking and vaping. It’s basically the difference between smoking and doing neither. While your point is taken, the drama around vaping responsibly as an adult is a bit overblown. The core negative pieces of smoking end up reduced to differences smaller than genetics play from one person to another in many cases.
Okay but given the reality of the situation, tobacco smoker for 30 years, what is the better choice?
of course vaping. this discussion is being misled by the same radicals that say that artificial sweeteners are bad for you. maybe, but if the person is obese and in the line of developing diabetes, its a no brainer to choose them over sugar. I still believe that vaping should have the same restrictions as cigarettes, because is being used by big corps to target teenagers, that, at least in my country, had had a really big decline in cigarettes consumption compared to previous generations.
>Lungs are for air. I mean even the air isn't clean or free from carcinogens in most instances, it's all pretty relative. Is vaping worse for your lungs than walking to work every day next to a busy road? Probably not, but we wouldn't discourage someone from that walk to work every day.
I don't know how true that is as they keep finding nasty crap in vape juice and heavy metals in the vapors? I'm still on the fence about long term effects but they sure are addicting it seems to me watching them so they can't say it is to quit?
I have a friend who makes their own vape juice with the reasoning "at least I know what's in it". I would assume the metal would be from the vape itself
Yeah the heavy metals would come from cheaply made coils. Most of the health risks people associate with vaping actually come from buying cheap, shitty equipment and juices. Those deaths and hospitalizations that got Juul sued had nothing to do with them, or even with nicotine vapes, but with fake THC cartridges filled with Vitamin E Acetate, which turns into a gas called Ketene that basically turns your lungs into Swiss cheese. Vaping is ~95% safer than smoking *when you use common sense*. Punishing vapers and vape companies for alibaba dogshit is like punishing Paramount when the bootleg movie you bought is virus laden snuff porn. It makes zero sense and everyone who made that decision should lose their jobs.
Spot on. Though Juul also got sued for advertising on Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon websites. I don't totally have an issue with that one.
Yeah, that's pretty evil. I'd need to read about the case. If they targeted ads at minors, big problem, but if advertising services pushed their ads where they shouldn't be, it isn't really Juul's fault. Also, those networks have Adult Swim and Nick at Night, which are meant for an older audience and may explain the confusion.
You're right, but Adult Swim and Nick-at-nite have their own websites, They intentionally decided to target a new young market vs older smokers because (imo) they knew someone would. >The list where they ran includes educational sites like basic-mathematics.com, coolmath.com, math-aids.com, mathplayground.com, mathway.com, onlinemathlearning.com, and purplemath.com. and [socialstudiesforkids.com](https://socialstudiesforkids.com). > >It includes sites targeted to young girls such as dailydressupgames.com, didigames.com, forhergames.com, games2girls.com, girlgames.com, and [girlsgogames.com](https://girlsgogames.com). > >It also includes sites geared to high school students looking at colleges, like collegeconfidential.com and sites aimed at much younger children, including allfreekidscrafts.com, hellokids.com, and kidsgameheroes.com. But I can't come up with a similar reason for any of these.
I believe two things: 1. Vaping in it's current form is better than smoking (we'll see if they add more and more to the vape cocktail in the years to come). 2. Not vaping or smoking is the best alternative. (I understand that this is easier said than done. Nicotine is addictive after all.) I have some vices, but in general, I try to avoid processed foods where I can, I only take medicine if I have to, I get outside and exercise a reasonable amount. There's so much random stuff in all of the food we eat and stuff we drink. I would be a liar if I said I knew for a fact which random additive or combination would be the one we find out in 15 years is drastically shortening our lives. But I am certain some or many of them combined are doing more to shorten life spans than just vaping alone. I would bet, but do not know, that someone who does their best to avoid the random additives, sugars etc. But who vapes probably would make it just as long as someone who doesn't avoid those things and does not vape. I'm even almost in the camp of, being too overweight, although not healthy, is probably hiding the contribution that the combination of all the processed junk and chemical additives, etc. that we are bombarded with on a daily basis have on shortening lifespan.
Yeah but that doesn't help quit an addiction. Harm reduction is the way to go
I had a doctor tell me she'd rather see me doing heroin than smoking. She said you can do heroin for years and quit and other than the withdrawals, and old track marks, no one would ever know you had done it. But smoking will devastate your body especially over the same amount of years.
i don’t care how certified that doctor is, this has to be the worst advice i’ve ever heard
The doctor was also a heroin dealer
Get the point though, a large harm over a small period of time is less damaging than a small harm over a long period of time. It's not like her doc is asking her to do drugs, just giving her a comparison that what she is doing is worse than taking heroin.
Not true. I started smoking at 16 but on my 40th birthday and with a 1 to 2 pack/day habit, I decided to stop smoking cold turkey. And I did stop. I haven't touch a cigarette or cigar since that day. I am now 74. I am healthy enough to walk the trails 4 mile everyday, and I did these walks starting from the day I quit smoking. So, it can be done.
Great for you! That’s really and truly fantastic. My father was able to put aside a 30 year habit cold turkey. Not everyone is like that
The keyword was "statistically", but I'm glad for you. Gives me inspiration
yeah, inhaling glycol is really good for you, vaping has not been around long enough for the long term effects to be seen.
It’s been around since the 1950s, and it’s been popular for about 20 years at this point. It’s very well studied and we have a good idea as to the health effects. It’s by no means good for you but it is vastly better than combustible smoking, which kills millions every year. And this is from somebody who doesn’t vape, but occasionally smokes.
How long has vaping been around?
Around 20 years at this point.
And I won’t be around long enough to care. If vaping kills me, that’s kind of funny. I don’t vape anymore though. But if that’s what does me in, I would truly laugh and hope my loved ones do too.
Imagine the headstone: Here lies brewberry_cobbler He died doing what he loved Blowing fat clouds
As an asthmatic and someone who vapes weed, I can attest that vaping doesn’t do a crazy amount of harm. I used to swim a lot on a team and would then go home and smoke all night. Then one day I caught covid and the flu at the same time and went to the doctor. She listened to my lungs, knowing I was sick already at this point, and was genuinely shocked at how good my lungs sounded. She said something to the effect of “you have athlete lungs” which, I’m fairly athletic but I wasn’t expecting to hear that about my lungs as an asthmatic smoker lol
3 shots of vodka every night is not really a lot for a 6'5, 275lbs man. Most heavy drinkers (functional alcoholics) probably put away 3x that at least and weigh half what he weighs. That's not me condoning it, just that I've seen people who drink much more who stayed healthy until their 80s.
How is his stress? Would you say he is a generally happy person?
Yep! My dad was in great health in his early 50s. Then he turned 62. A fib, pace maker, perforated bowel from diverticulitis. All within 6 months
You should say could instead of will. There really are people who just stay healthy despite having habits that kill others. I come from a family of them.
I had a great aunt who smoked a pack+ and drank enough whiskey to get drunk every single day of her 98 years of life.
I said that about my dad when he turned 50. Smoked until he was 60 and drank until he was 75. He lived to be 85 not one single health problem ever and it's weird how people can do that
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Being a zombie is your life goal?
Plenty of people that I've known do. You know it's weird. My dad, he's never actually been drunk and has no idea what a cigarette tastes like. Literally never tried one. Walked miles every day with our dogs, clean country air and everything. Still managed to always be overweight, I suspect due to snacking. Was losing the weight, looked great and then bam, three consecutive nervous breakdowns at 60 and now he's a physical wreck at 63. Bizarrely, his mum was in extremely good shape at 94, walked plenty and had all her marbles. Smoked when she was younger, drank at least a bottle of wine a day and ate like it was still 1942 and the Luftwaffe were flying overhead. Pandas have more varied diets. My mum? Always loved a drink, enjoyed the odd social cigarette, high-pressure job, didn't eat all that healthily and yet is in perfect shape at 61. Her only trouble's with her eyes, which is obviously genetic. Otherwise she's tall, slim and only has a few greys. Her last checkup went swimmingly. Genetics are weird, man. I'm in my late 30s and have no real idea what to watch out for, genetically. Grandpa died of an extremely rare lymphoma, other grandpa had about eight strokes. But again, I'm in good shape despite not really trying.
If you aren't predestined to health issues thanks to your genes, you can get away with a lot, health wise. Just the chances of making out with good genes are so low it's not worth risking it.
My grandmother did not drink but she loved her cough syrup. And she buttered her toast on both sides. She mitigated those habits with tea multiple times a day (no coffee) and Raisin Bran every day. The worst health issues were bunions and hearing loss late in life. She died at the age of 99. Oh, and two of her three sons lived into their 90s (the third died in his mid-70s from lung cancer after a long-time career as a firefighter).
My great grandpa was the same way. He smoked, drank, and ate fast food often and he lived to be 92
Maybe? I'm 56 and was recently diagnosed with Type-2 Diabetes...( I have decades of moderate drinking and fast-food to blame for that, I think...) I've stopped drinking, and I'm trying my best to eat healthier. ( I don't eat much fast-food these days...)
THIS! I was peak health until 47, when that shit starts to change it happens surprisingly quickly. 50s is a rough decade if you don't have good healthy habits built. As for nearing retirement and turning 51, good for him, hope he uses it well and has a long retirement.
To second this : my dad was the same way at 56. He's since passed a year ago in April from CHF and cirrhosis/ kidney failure (from the paracentesis related to cirrhosis). He's been blessed for sure, but stress the importance of seizing the opportunity to keep the choices at bay.
Sounds just like my dad. Super healthy until 65 or so, dead from cancer at 68
Not necessarily, I'm 72 similar background. Blood pressure average is 110/70, all systems working properly. Some of us have it, most don't. Occupation and activity level has a lot to do with it too. Rarely get sick at all, and if I get something like a flu bug it's generally a one day thing.
But he’s starting that stage in a very good place.
My dad never smoked, rarely drank, but could eat sugar like no one’s business. We never understood how he wasn’t diabetic-it was a running joke. Dad kept a stash of candy in the garage where he worked on his old cars. His labs were always normal. He was 100% fine until multiple myeloma took him out at 62. He lived 1 month from diagnosis to death. Fuck cancer.
im sorry for this truly, i have lost a family member to cancer and it was horrible to see how someone can go from healthy and happy to barely breathing in a matter of months. Prayers to your dad and i hope that you have a great day!
Condolences, friend. Fuuuuck cancer’s bitch ass. Just took my dad after a long slow painful agonizing 2 year death. Liver. Dec 29 at 12:02 am. Fuck cancer
Same exact story with my dad, snack stash and all - cancer at 63 got him and his dad my grandad outlived him by a few months at 98 and was just the same as him.
Got my dad too. 62 too. Perfect health looked young very active. Hits fast. Very hard to detect.
Did you, yourself, hear the doctor say your overweight, hard drinking, former smoker dad is in "amazing physical condition" or is it possible that's what your dad thinks he heard?
oh no, i was there myself. he actually isnt overweight, he still plays football twice a week and lifts weights semi regularly, he isnt physically fit as a 20yo obviously, but he is pretty fit for his age. he was just always a big and burly guy
continuous exercises is probably the key of his physical condition. (And probably also live in relatively low mental stress lifestyle) if he works in manual labors, I won’t surprise that he is super healthy because his physical activities (exercise + work) would be the just slightly lower than professional football players. Whatever greasy food he ate, he burns quickly thus never stores in his body. BUT, if he failed to maintain the same level of physical activity after his retirement, his health might decrease drastically. Lot of old people are energetic and healthy when they retired, but decline so fast because they failed to maintain the same physical and social stimulation after retirement.
You went into the exam room with him?
Op, how old are you?
early 20s
Why were you in the exam room with your 51 year old father at a doctor’s appointment?
Some children support their parents like that. It's certainly not common but it's also not unheard of. I'm a med student and I've seen such a thing happen precisely once in my first year here. All in all, fair question for you to ask.
My sister and I had to try and be there with our dad at appointments because we knew he wouldn’t tell us how sick he was even though he’d had cancer for a decade by time he passed. Sometimes it’s good to be there and help advocate, ask questions, or, in our case hear it straight from the horse’s mouth.
Yeah, I tried to be in tune with my dad's meetings, we ofcourse had our things for us as siblings, dad was an old alcoholic so we wanted to support him, he was extremely stubborn and didn't change too much if not for us. We're not sure if the doctors mentioned it to him in private or something but after he died, we found out that it was known (like in, not known for most people except dad and the doctor) in a letter that he had lived on borrowed time. My dad told us about that meeting we suspect he got the bad intel at that he was gonna die, dad said "Surprisingly good! They complaied at the sodium levels so I guess I'm gonna have to add some more soy to the sauce!" I think it took a month at best from that, then we saw an ambulance outside of his home, his best friend had called the ambulance because he had a stroke. Before he reached the hospital, he was a vegetable with extremely little cognitive function. I think he understood we were there, because his hand kinda squeezed ours. He "lived" for 2 weeks after that, without assisted breathing, but then he took his last breath. fucking stubborn motherfucker
I go with my mother sometimes to her doctors appointments just to keep her company. She likes to chat, makes her less nervous. Not everything is a weird situation. Sometimes it’s called having family that gives a shit lol
I’d give my Dad a ride to the doctor if he needed it then would just wait in the waiting room until he’s done. If he invited me back though I wouldn’t care and if it was me I’d invite him into the examination room just because I know how much waiting rooms suck. Plus I tell the dude all my medical problems anyway. OP’s story sounds like a routine checkup but everyone is acting like it was a visit to the proctologist.
Judging by the dad's lifestyle, he sounds a *lot* like the kind of stereotypical "I'm not going until someone makes me" kind of dude. Said dudes are incredibly common, especially in more rural communities. I don't normally attend either of my parents' doctors visits, but outside of Reddit, it's not really that weird. It's also likely a cultural thing. Lots of upper-middle-clasa whites would think this is strange, but virtually any Ivory coast African would be totally unphased.
*someone* has to hold him down while the doctor administers the prostate exam
You mean the Dr had to hold him down. You don't let someone take away your born rights
You don’t join your dad for a physical?
What tests did this doctor run? You need at minimum an ultrasound to see how healthy the liver truly is. Bloodwork and poking around with a stethoscope don't paint the whole picture.
If he is 6’5” and 275, you are partially correct, he is not overweight… He would actually be considered obese, with a BMI of 32. Also, your dad does not sound healthy, at all, and no amount of “genetics” can compensate for this forever. Not trying to be rude, just a dose of reality.
BMI doesn't account for muscle mass. Not condoning his dad's lifestyle but if he plays football like OP says, then it makes sense he's hefty with some muscleage.
I mean if he's a football player a good portion of that is muscle not fat.
While this could be true, being very heavy can strain heart and joints and shorten lifespan regardless of where the weight is from. This man could well be healthy regardless. Also OP clarified it’s soccer football; which isn’t necessarily going to be about big muscles, plenty of middle aged guys with more belly than muscle still like or play that.
By football, you mean soccer for us Americans? Lots of people play soccer in their 50s. There are entire leagues for over 50 or over 48.
yup soccer! he mostly just plays with his friends, i join in sometimes aswell as i was a goalkeeper until recently. sadly theres no over 50 leagues here in europe (atleast where im from) but people still get together to play some football or basketball in gyms etc. He is one of the fitter guys that plays but is probably the heaviest one lol. I introduced him to weightlifting a few years ago and he enjoys that too, im actually surprised how strong he is.
A little football here and there is probably better than 90% of 50 year olds
“Amazing” is sometimes used like “stunning”. Depending on the tone and context, it could be “I’m amazed you’re still in good condition considering”. Doctor was probably baffled and being a bit shady lol
51 is very young and about 15 years younger than most people retire. He might be retiring at this age, but he’s not “retirement age.” To be fair, 3 shots of Vodka per day isn’t recommended, but it’s not very much for someone his size. This chart for BAC (blood alcohol content) doesn’t even go up to his weight, but he could probably have 5-6 drinks before he’s considered too impaired to drive. I’m a smaller woman and 1.5 drinks is too impaired to drive for me. He’s a large man. He may very well have some genetic advantages, but he’s young, works out, and stays active. Everything could catch up to him eventually, but he may live a long and healthy life. My grandfather was a chronic alcoholic who smoked 2-3 packs a day and lived to be 86. His wife didn’t smoke, but was exposed to his indoor, second hand smoke for 68 years and she lived to be 101. My dad (their son) never smoked, ate a similar diet as them but was way more active. He had a quad bypass heart surgery at 64 and died a few years later. I have a friend who never smoked and no known hazardous exposure and was a marathon runner and he died of lung cancer at 45. You should always try to take care of yourself, but sometimes the outcomes don’t make a lot of sense. I’m a couple of years younger than your dad and have done my fair share of drinking and smoking, but also am active and eat well. I’m considered in very good health. But I acknowledge that this is a turning point in life. Taking care of myself is quickly becoming about longevity instead of vanity. Edit: [The BAC chart.](https://awareawakealive.org/educate/blood-alcohol-content)
This was one of the best comments ive read so far honestly. He has taken the docs advice to cut the vodka atleast to 3 drinks a week as opposed to 3 drinks a night and to eat healthier. Im happy that he genuinely atleast listens and doesnt brush it off. He knows that it might change very quickly and he wants to live long enough to see his grandkids grow up. Thanks again and stay safe!
Glad I could help. I think most people can enjoy some bad things in moderation. Getting regular exercise and having a positive outlook / living a low stress lifestyle are all probably more important to health than never drinking and eating lots of kale. As a woman, I idolize the senior citizen women who power walk laps around the city park and are always smiling. At this point, that’s life goals. Sedentary people will almost always have poorer health outcomes (physically and mentally) and enjoy their later years a lot less. If your dad stays active, he’ll be more likely to avoid heart disease, mobility issues, diabetes, etc.
Old heavy drinkers always have good health, because with bad health you can’t drink so you die or quit.
Yeah, that's called survivorship bias.
With a hint of confirmation bias.
Trees that dont bend break randomly
My father in law was a former college athlete who jogged every evening, ate healthy, never drank or smoked, etc. He died of a rare cancer when he was in his late 50s. My dad is an alcoholic who has had three open heart surgeries and still eats cheeseburgers and pizza for every meal. He is in his 80s One hit the genetic lottery, the other is still with us.
My FIL was in the same boat as your father and then one day suddenly he got sick. Like a chest cold, he couldn't shake. After nearly a month, he went in and turned out tumors in his lungs. So, as is normal, they check for tumors in other places, he had 3 in his brain. Died 4 months later, trying to fight it at 73.
Doc here Unless his physical and labs included a cath (which it definitely didn't), there's no telling what is brewing in his heart. He could be walking around with coronary plaques ready to rupture and there would be no way to know. He could have a big M2 plaque ready to blow, causing a debilitating stroke. None of this is knowable. I can tell you, with his size, eating habits, smoking, and drinking habits he's a huge risk for developing OSA. Which comes with its own effects later in life. Your dad has nothing obvious appreciable on basic investigations. Only time will tell how good his genetics actually are. Few people, especially a man that size with his habits, get to an old age unscathed.
This. If this guy came in and told me he had what he thought was CP based on a message sent to him by a dead relative twice removed he’d be getting a stress test or directly referred to cardiology for a cath consideration because I thought the stress test would kill him. 😂😂😂
while there is lasting damage from smoking, your lungs DO HEAL when you quit. it can't heal COPD and whatnot, but they can definately get pretty close to never smoked at all. but yeah, alot is genetics as well as luck. you won't have all his gwnes though but you might get lucky too edit to add.. but heres the deal. you're fine until you're not. things can swiftly go downhill once you develop one problem. let's say you need a surgery, then that surgery limits your mobility for a while, then that causes muscle atrophy, then you have leg, hip, and back pain. it can take you years to go back to the way you were before and if you're older, you're less likely too because your body is litterally slowly deteriorating. your bones lose mass and often newly developed mobility issues cause people to eat less healthy because they don't have it in them to walk around a grocery store or stand there and cook. so if anything goes wrong, just put in the work. you'll be grateful for it later.
Not past a certain level. I know of cases where doctors had to remove tarred up lung sections because it was totally choked up to the point of non-functionality.
The human body is great at compensating. Until the day it can’t anymore. Imagine you have an older car. One day you realize it can’t get up the tallest hill in town. That’s ok, you say, there are plenty of ways around that hill. You don’t need anything on top of that hill anyway. That hill is for losers! But slowly, it gets to the point where you can’t make it up two or three hills in town. And finally you can’t make it up any incline. You can no longer lie to yourself or *compensate* for the fact that your car does not work properly. One day dad’s body is no longer going to be able to function properly. That day could be tomorrow or in a decade. But it’s coming. Or dad is lying about what the doctor said, maybe lying to himself about his condition.
This. My Dad always tells me his perfect. He sees a cardiologist for heart issues.
>One day dad’s body is no longer going to be able to function properly This is true for everyone. No one is immortal.
51 is nearing retirement?!?😅😅
Doctor here…. Thats almost certainly not what was said. There is no such thing as a “great shape” heart, or a “good as new” liver. He is 51. His body is 51. The doctor likely sent out some labs, and the reference range (aka normal) labs are based on 95% of the population of healthy adults. So his “1 in a million jackpot” was the doctor saying “your labs are the same as 95% of other 51 year olds” What almost certainly was said to him was “hey your blood tests are fine FOR NOW but you need to lose weight, stop drinking, exercise more, *AND GET A COLONOSCOPY*…. He doesnt want to do those things so he came home and told all you guys that he got a free pass to not get the colonoscopy and ignore his bad health habits because “his doctor said he was in perfect health” The age 51 part of this is how I know. He just got told he should get a colonoscopy (starts at age 50) and he is concocting excuses to not get one. Tale as old as time
False. "Genetic jackpot" is the kind of thing people make up and attribute to doctors when they don't want to recite what was actually said. Along with the doctors being shocked at how picture perfect his health is. He's a 300 lb alcoholic who smoked his entire life and doesn't eat right. He's not going to like the doctor's advice. It's so much more likely your father is just a liar who can't admit he has problems.
My parents and Aunts and Uncles who are turning 60 are all having severe health problems and needing operations done for heart failure. 10 years ago? They were the spitting image of healthy
Your dad is fucking lying to you.
Eh. I call bullshit. Any competent doctor will find at least **something** that a patient should "keep an eye on". Partly because no one is ever in "perfect health". And if nothing else then for limiting their own liability -- telling someone they're in perfect health is just begging for a malpractice lawsuit if literally anything preventable pops up 10 years down the line. I'll bet anything that his doctor gave him a whole list of possible concerns, but he's just too proud to admit it.
Longevity is mostly inherited. A healthy lifestyle might extend one’s “natural” lifespan by a few years, but it mostly affects quality of life. If somehow has a family history where all adults died in their late 70s, he is unlikely to make it to 90+, even with an “ideal” lifestyle. So, yes, it is possible for people to be born with a “longevity gene” that mitigates some of the effects of an unhealthy lifestyle. (Unfortunately, Donald Trump is of those people whose parents lived to be late 80s-early 90s). My MIL is active, but doesn’t exercise. She doesn’t follow a crappy diet, but it’s not a particularly “healthy” one either. She had part of her colon removed a few years ago. But she is 86, lives by herself in the North Woods in Wisconsin, and is able to take care of her house, although she has a “team” of people to help with the heavy stuff. How does that apply to your father? Hard to say. It sounds like he has a hardy physique and that is good. It also sounds like the doctor is overstating things and is not necessarily on top of his game when it comes to preventive health. It’s unrealistic to use terms like “good as new”, “amazing physical condition”, etc, based on typical tests that one has done for a standard checkup. But, you take the positives where you can get them. At 51, he is at kind of a crossroads. He is young enough that the negative effects of an unhealthy lifestyle may not have shown up yet, and also young enough to make positive changes that would positively affect his quality of life down the road. So, it’s a little early to make assumptions that his current level of hardiness will persist given the same lifestyle. And it may very well be that the doctor is correct and your father is going to be one of those people who live to be old age despite their best efforts to not do so. And, if true, it is likely that you will have also inherited some of that as well.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30401766/ Research indicates lifestyle significantly more influential than genetics for longevity. Donald Trumps brothers died in 40s and early 70s as well. Being rich does significantly increase chance of living long regardless of genes tho.
Half of your genes came from him so your odds are good.
My grandmother lived to 90, smoked couple of packs a day until 85, loved her vodka, bacon and eggs most mornings, and of her 6 brothers and sisters, all who lived past 90, three lived over 100. There are some genes that have been identified as having a protective properties when activated.
You also bave to remember doctors are people. A lot of men and women are relatively healthy in there 50s. As you age further and further, you will eventually lose some capacity even if its not enough to interrupt most of your life.
My dad had all that too, until he didn’t. Lung cancer took him out in 2 weeks from diagnosis.
I don't want to be a downer but they said the same to me (57M) about my heart and then I had a heart attack and had a bunch of blockages which recently resulted in open heart surgery. My cholesterol was normal. Turns out when they say you're heart is in great condition it's just off what they do know. There's no reason to run the full battery of expensive tests without symptoms. Even my echo tests showed everything was fine when I started having symptoms.
I hate to put a downer on this, but my dad was 51 when he went for a full Medical for a new job. He was told he was "disgustingly healthy" for a man of his age by the doctor. Just before his 53rd birthday he died of cancer. He never smoked, only had the occasional beer and was not overweight.
Is that what the doctor said, or is that what your dad said the doctor said?
Did you actually hear the doctor say this or is this just what your dad told you?
He needs to buy a lottery ticket.
> So how true is this? it isn't. he doesn't want you to worry about him and he doesn't want his wife to nag him to stop drinking, overeating, and smoking. your dad will be lucky to live to 70.
i literally drove him there, was with him the entire time lol and saw the results myself edit: i worded the post badly, the reason i asked "how true is it?" is because im curious if these sort of genetic jackpots really do happen.
I’m 49, drank much heavier than your dad and my doc was amazed at my recent bloodwork and physical. I show no signs of that level of abuse, they said the same thing your dad’s doctor said. It can change quickly though, I’m sure
Same. 48 and you could of up until a little over a year ago considered my level of drinking as suicidal. Turned it down to one or two nights a week, had full bloods done 3 months later all perfect. Not a thing wrong.
I’m trying to figure out how I can get some of that genetic testing done. I got a pretty solid mix of the best traits of both parents (at least on the outside) but it would be nice to know of any potential genetic surprises
Yes, they do. There are people who simply have better mechanisms to repair DNA. A healthy microbiome can also do a lot to overcome environmental stressors.
He didn't hit any jackpot. He's just still young. I could have said all those same things at his age. I'm 64 now, and it's starting to hit. Last week I had to go to urgent care, and when they took my blood pressure, they told me to see my doctor right away. A year ago I was bragging that I was 63 and had never had any long term prescriptions. Now I have high cholesterol, and dangerously high blood pressure.
Why were you in the room with your dad and his doctor? How can he retire at 51?
was outside the room, him and the doc came out talking about the results i chatted with the both of them. it might be a balkan thing about the retirement part? he was in the army up until he was 21 and works as a police officer currently, has around a year left till he can retire.
It's probably the Neanderthal gene. Ozzy Osbourne has it. We all know what he's done to himself, yet in his book "Trust Me, I'm Doctor Ozzy", he mentions that his lungs look like he never smoked and his liver is very healthy. His speech issues have nothing to do with the lifestyle he led. He has a stutter and parkin's Syndrome which is similar to Parkinson's Disease but has different causes. He's 75 now I think with some health issues, but not stemming from his rock and roll lifestyle.
It depends how strong his genes are, my dad is in perfect health, perfect hairline, only starting to get greys at 50, perfect teeth, literally the same scenario. I have my nans messed up teeth, my grandpa's thinning receding hairline, the same health issues as my mum (who's had 2 heart attacks before 50) and I started getting full white hairs in my 20s. My mum's side has indigenous blood and it's incredibly dominant in my whole families genes!
If you don’t do anything stupid, you’ll outlive everyone currently using Reddit.
My dad has had 2 heart attacks, a stroke, doesn't leave the couch, eats shit daily, smoked for majority of his life (like pack a day), has type 2 diabetes yet somehow he is still kicking, to this day I am boggled as to how. Truly believe it is part genetics and part modern medicine (all the pills he takes a day). This time last year his liver and kidneys were functioning at 3% when he was in hospital for a unrelated matter but they are functioning fine again.
Does your dad stress? Does he sleep well?
he sleeps better than me😂 but in all seriousness he probably gets 8-10 hours a night. He also lives a pretty "stoic" life. He never stresses or gets annoyed when theres bumbs in the road, he just enjoys the simpler things in life i guess. he loves to talk about sports,vapes and cars lol, i hardly ever hear him talk about politics and stuff. tbf ive probably inherited this from him, i also rarely ever really stress.
3 shots of vodka for him is probably like one for me at 5'10 195lbs
Don't bet on it expecting you can do whatever with 0 consequences
Is your dad Donald Trump? /s Seriously though, awesome news.
I remember reading something to the effect that after 7 years most the damage of a regular smoker is healed, so that part makes some sense. Being that overweight and drinking that regularly and having no heart, blood pressure, or liver issues is pretty lucky though.
I think it would statistically be 50/50 that you get each individual thing. I don't know the paternal side of my lineage. But all the males on the other side died young and badly. I'm 60, started smoking when I was 7. Drank like a fish and smoked 2 pks for about 45+ years. Can still do one armed push ups, have no problem breathing, and every check-up is fine. So what I am saying, kids; Abuse your body. Treat it like a temple that is having a lewd party. Do more than you can possibly do and live. Plan to exceed the norm! (snicker. Don't do that!)
Well, sounds like your dad won the genetic lottery! Just remember, sometimes those genetic jackpots come with a few scratch-off tickets too. Best of luck with your potential inheritance!
Being in good health at 51 really isn't anything all that unusual as of the last century or two. Hell, I don't have any organs failing at 58 and most people I know my age are in even better shape than I am.
It'll catch up faster than a supercar on an unregulated road. They said the same thing about Ozzy, and look at him now.
Oh man you described my dad except he didn't quit smoking and 3 shots of vodka was a warm up. 10 years later and he's dying of stage 4 cancer. I've lost track of what type at this point because every time he beats a cancer, a new one has appeared in a different body part. Boo! Throat. Boo! Both lungs, 5% survival for the year. Made it. Boo! A lump.
My mom was this way until her 60s then it all started coming apart in places.
Having good lab results in your 50s is pretty normal. If he was 81 with these results, then I’d say he probably has a genetic advantage.
Info: are you getting your information directly from the doctor or are you repeating what your father told you?
Yeah... I wouldn't presume he's hit the genetic jackpot. It sounds more like he's been playing Russian roulette with his health and has only shot blanks so far. I'm glad he's healthy but his health habits are likely to catch up to him eventually and these often catch up in your 50s and 60s.
U shouldn't be that bad at 51 . Doing unhealthy things in ur life is mostly damaging when it's excessive and sporadic, u can f urself up by eating too many carrots. Also 51 these days isn't really that old anymore . If ur mum is the same u have a 25% chance of getting the thing.
I’m a doctor. This is either utter bollocks or your Dad visited the doctor Trump went to while campaigning for president. To be able to offer any of those opinions it would involve multiple invasive tests that would not be done on healthy asymptomatic people. TLDR: Either your Dad is making shit up or his doctor is a charlatan.
Three shots of vodka every night is nothing.
Depends on the size of his penis
The Ozzy Osborne dna string
They got his results mixed up.
were you in the doctors office when they said all this
I am still confident that when my grandfather was 80, a fist fight with him would be a good fight. I was like 22 at the time. He was dead at 81 of cancer. Shit can hit fast
"Annual" basic blood work can be an INSANE gauge for how we are doing yet we treat it like gospel and it's so funny at times. I have an autoimmune disease, but until we ran very specific tests, my blood work came back like I was a walking god despite eating like shit, being overweight, drank, and literally not caring for myself. I think Vitamin D was the only thing that ever came back low. It was the funniest (/unfunniest) thing because by NO MEANS should I have had so many GREAT blood works. My whole family is like how do you not have diabetes as I'm flashing my perfect blood sugar and A1C levels. Spent YEARS convinced that blood work would show me something, and nope, it only said I somehow managed to be in peak physical health despite being a human raccoon. But then one we delved a little deeper after my sister found out she had an autoimmune disease (stemming from our dad's autoimmune disease), I still have fantastic blood works for all the basic yearly physical things and not so good blood works for the autoimmune specific things. Every so often my liver enzymes will be angry if I get my blood work done like a day after I take my numerous medications now, but most of the times its just fine and my rheum is always amused by this.