DEAR DR. GOTT: I am a 73-year-old retired man in good physical condition. I work out at a gym three times a week. On the odd days, I stay active by walking, mowing, cutting brush, hiking, skiing, etc. I am seven pounds overweight BMI-wise, 172 pounds and 68 inches tall. I take 20 mg Lipitor to keep my cholesterol down (138 hg/dL). My HDL is 63, LDL 60. I also take Plavix for a suspected TIA eight years ago.

My situation is this: At the gym I warm up and stretch for 20 minutes. Then I do aerobics on the exercise machines (treadmill, bike, elliptical, etc.) for 45 minutes. I monitor my heart rate and try to keep it between 150 and 165 but occasionally I like to “sprint” which gets my heart rate up to 180. During all of these aerobic exercises, I feel strong with NO heart problem indicators — chest pain, dizziness, numbness, tunnel vision, blue lips and nails, or weak knees.
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