Can an elite athlete have heart disease?

Short answer: yes. I’m a lifelong endurance cyclist – now 65 years old – with three national records and two world records. I once believed fitness was protection. But heart disease doesn’t care how fit you are. This is how I went from five blocked arteries to another world record – and what athletes can do to protect their hearts.

A family history I couldn’t out-train

Heart disease runs in my family: my parents, brothers, uncle, and grandfather all died from heart attacksA heart attack happens when blood flow to part of the heart muscle is cut off and that muscle starts to die.. In 2010, despite solid training, my cycling power began to decline. I had no classic symptoms—just worsening performance. My initial workup looked “normal,” so I was sent home. The decline continued.

Testing at max effort exposed the truth

As a competitive cyclist, I requested a VO₂ Max testA cardiopulmonary exercise test that measures the maximum rate at which the body can consume oxygen during incremental exercise to exhaustion; it is the gold-standard index of aerobic fitness and, when combined with ECG monitoring, can also expose ischemia that appears only at near-maximum effort. with a 12-lead ECGA standard electrocardiogram that records the heart's electrical activity simultaneously from twelve electrode positions placed on the limbs and chest; when performed during maximal exercise it can reveal ischemic changes — such as ST-segment depression — that are invisible at rest. performed on the bike at maximal effort. Only at near-maximum did ischemiaIschemia is when a tissue is not getting enough blood and oxygen for what it is being asked to do. show up—reduced blood flow to the heart muscle. An angiogramAn angiogram is a test where doctors thread a thin tube into your arteries and inject dye, so the inside of the arteries shows up on an X-ray. confirmed five significant blockages, one over 65%. A stent was placed. Six months later, I felt worse. Time for a new plan.

The approach that reversed my disease

I read Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease: The Revolutionary, Scientifically Proven, Nutrition-Based Cure by Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn and adopted a low-fat, whole-food, plant-based dietA plant-based, or plant-predominant, diet is built mostly around vegetables, fruit, beans, whole grains, nuts, and seeds, with animal foods limited or absent.. With my physician, I layered in evidence-based lipid therapies—statinsA statin slows the enzyme your liver uses to make cholesterol. Your liver responds by pulling more cholesterol out of your blood, which is where the real benefit comes from., Repatha (PCSK9 inhibitor), niacinNiacin is vitamin B3, which at very high doses lowers LDL and raises HDL., and Zetia.

• LDL cholesterolLDL cholesterol, or LDL-C, is the amount of cholesterol sitting inside your LDL particles. It is the number on almost every standard lab report.: 180 → 25 mg/dL
• Total cholesterolTotal cholesterol adds together the cholesterol in all your particles, harmful and helpful alike.: 220 → 70 mg/dL

Follow-up angiograms showed regression of plaquePlaque is the buildup of cholesterol, immune cells, scar tissue, and calcium inside an artery wall., and my power returned.

A comeback and a world record at 65

In September 2025, at age 65, I set my second world record for the one-hour cycling time trial: 47.22 km (29.34 miles) from a standing start—unaided—exceeding the previous mark by more than a kilometer.

Why so many athletes miss the signs

Athletes often normalize fatigue, nausea, or performance dips as “just training.” In my case, interval-session nausea was actually ischemia. Many people develop plaque silently, so fitness ≠ immunity.

The science of reversal

Decades of research—by Dr. Esselstyn, Dr. Dean Ornish, and others—shows a low-fat, whole-food, plant-based diet can halt and even reverse atherosclerosisA measurable reduction in the size or severity of atherosclerotic plaque within the coronary arteries, confirmed by imaging; the Ornish Lifestyle Heart Trial demonstrated regression after one year on a low-fat plant-based diet, with further improvement at five years.. Population patterns echo this: in places like Ikaria, Greece, and rural China, where diets skew plant-based and low-fat, heart disease is rare.

For an engaging overview of plant-based performance and cardiac health, see the documentaries The Game Changers and Forks Over Knives.

CT angiogram vs. calcium score

Choose a CT angiogram when possible. A calcium scoreA calcium score (coronary artery calcium score) is a number derived from a CT scan that quantifies the total amount of calcified plaque in the coronary arteries; a score of zero indicates no detectable calcified plaque, while higher scores reflect greater plaque burden and elevated cardiovascular risk. only detects calcified plaque, missing many “soft” plaques. A CT angiogram visualizes both, providing a clearer risk picture.

Blueprint: nutrition, meds & monitoring

1. Adopt a whole-food, plant-based diet to lower inflammationInflammation is your immune system's response to injury or something it treats as an invader. It brings swelling, heat, and cleanup cells. and improve lipids—great for health and performance.
2. Use medication when appropriate (e.g., statins, PCSK9 inhibitors, niacin, Zetia) alongside diet.
3. Monitor progress with advanced lipids and imaging in partnership with your clinician.
4. Listen to your body—sustained fatigue, reduced endurance, or exertional nauseaNausea that occurs during or immediately after vigorous exercise; although often attributed to training intensity or hydration, in the context of coronary artery disease it can be an atypical symptom of myocardial ischemia that athletes frequently dismiss as a normal training response. can be red flags.

My mission: helping others heal

I now share what worked for me through seminars for physicians and the public and one-on-one consulting at curingheartdisease.com. My message is simple: heart disease is largely preventable—and often reversible.

Fitness isn’t immunity — but knowledge, nutrition, and determination can be your cure.

Disclaimer: This article shares personal experience and educational information and is not medical advice. Consult your healthcare professional for individualized care.

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