Contents
What is atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries?
In the usual form of atherosclerosis, cholesterol plaques form on the walls of blood vessels. It is they who systematically reduce the clearance, which negatively affects the work of the organs. Atherosclerosis, which develops in the coronary arteries, is a similar process, with the only difference that it occurs in very important vessels and threatens with the most dangerous consequences. In connection with this disease, an insufficient amount of blood enters the heart muscle.
Symptoms of atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries
The primary manifestations of the disease may well be overlooked, moreover, they can disguise themselves as other diseases.
Symptoms of atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries include:
Pain in the chest, radiating to the back or left shoulder;
Shortness of breath that comes before the pain. Sometimes, due to oxygen deficiency, a person cannot be in a horizontal position, because the pain is aggravated to such an extent that breathing becomes impossible;
Attacks of dizziness;
Diarrhea;
Vomiting.
At least 50% of patients before a heart attack show some of the presented manifestations. However, they are not given due attention. It should be remembered that atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries may not manifest itself for a very long time, therefore, after 35 years, annual preventive examinations are necessary.
More serious symptoms include:
Angina pectoris, which is accompanied by rare painful sensations in the retrosternal region. Most often, this occurs during physical exertion and emotional stress. Angina pectoris is characterized by a rapid increase. With this diagnosis, it is important to have nitroglycerin with you, the use of which helps to eliminate pain in a few minutes;
Cardiosclerosis – permanent ischemia becomes a catalyst for the formation of connective tissue, which systematically replaces muscle tissue. The contractile capabilities of the myocardium suffer from this;
Arrhythmia is the result of damage to the heart and a change in the degree of conduction of the impulse through the organ.
Causes of atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries
Atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries can be formed due to two categories of causes: internal and external. If we count all possible factors, they can be counted a little less than 200.
The most common reasons should be considered:
The use of animal fats in large quantities. This is bad because low density lipoproteins are concentrated in them. The presented components are able to stick to the walls of the vessels, in which single or multiple plaques are formed afterwards;
Hypodynamia;
Genetic predisposition – in particular, poor vascular development, a tendency to arrhythmias and other abnormalities;
Gender – women are less likely to develop atherosclerosis. This is due to the fact that their body creates estrogens – natural hormonal components that protect blood vessels. After the end of menopause, the situation for women changes to the exact opposite;
Age – the highest risk of atherosclerosis in men over the age of 45;
Overweight – obese people experience atherosclerosis 2-3 times more often;
Addictions are a serious factor that causes the formation of atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries. Significant negative impact on the state of blood vessels has nicotine addiction;
Diabetes mellitus type 1 and 2 is a disease in which all processes in the body are destabilized. Lipid metabolism will not be an exception in this case.
There are also family-hereditary causes in which the ratio of various categories of lipids in the plasma is disturbed. The genetic factor includes negative eating habits. We are talking about the excessive use of animal fats and other harmful products.
Diagnosis of atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries
Since atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries is very often similar to manifestations of coronary heart disease, the diagnostic process does not cause difficulties.
Several methods are used:
Electrocardiography, including daily;
Echocardiography;
Bicycle ergometry;
Radionuclide research;
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging);
CT multispiral type.
No less important should be considered a detailed story of the patient about his condition. It is necessary to list all the manifestations, including those that may not seem very important. This will make it possible to identify diseases that accompany atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries and establish an accurate diagnosis. It is from him that the direction of the treatment course will depend.
Treatment of atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries
The recovery process largely depends on the stage of atherosclerosis. If the disease was detected on time, then it will be enough to use drugs that reduce the cholesterol content in the body. These include statins (Rosuvastatin, Lovastatin, Atorvastatin) and fibrates (Fenofibrate Canon). In addition to them, omega-3 is prescribed.
Current cholesterol-lowering agents include ezetrol, evolocumab, and alirocumab. However, their price is quite high.
Herbal preparations are often included in the treatment: Inflaminat, Revitl Garlic Pearls, Ravisol, Pumpkin seed oil, Nattokinase. Read more about their effectiveness here.
To prevent thrombosis, thrombolytic therapy may be prescribed.
It is extremely important to change your lifestyle. This measure implies the avoidance of stress, moderation in physical activity and adherence to the principles of dietary nutrition. Especially recommended is the Mediterranean diet, which reduces the risk of complications by 50%.
Surgery
Surgical methods:
Stent absorption. If during the examination it turns out that drugs and other measures are not enough, a decision may be made to expand the area of the vessel that was narrowed due to pathology. Otherwise it is called stenting;
Shunting. It may be necessary to bypass, that is, to create a new path for blood flow by connecting sections of the vessel. This helps to restore the normal blood supply to the heart. Coronary artery bypass surgery is performed when a progressive narrowing of the main artery leading to the heart muscle is detected.
Atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries is a serious disease, the signs of which are very dangerous to ignore. In order to avoid formidable complications, it is necessary to carry out diagnostics in time and not neglect preventive and therapeutic measures.