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Despite the advancement of scientific and technical knowledge, we have not yet managed to construct a device that would be as durable as our heart. So let’s think how to take care of them not only in the context of solving the so-called “Heart problems”, but above all in the light of concern for his health and good condition.
The work of a healthy heart can be characterized by many specific parameters. So we can calculate and measure, for example, the volume of blood that is pressed by one ventricle (the so-called stroke volume), the blood capacity pressed by the heart ventricle in 1 minute (minute capacity), the number of contractions per minute (heart rate), the strength and duration of the heart’s contraction and lots of other data. Interestingly, thanks to this knowledge, combined with the knowledge of how this organ works, we can also use medicinal substances to modify its operation, i.e. slow down or accelerate its work, the strength of contractions, etc.
Precise selection
All actions on the heart that affect its work are called tropisms in medical language. For example, drugs that increase the heart rate are called chronotropositives because chromotropism affects the heart rate. Likewise, a positive or negative inotropic effect is the effect of increasing or decreasing the force of contraction of the heart muscle, respectively. Thus, inotropic drugs affect the contractility of heart cells (cardiomyocytes) and the strength of contraction of the heart muscle. In turn, batmotropism affects the excitability of the heart muscle by lowering or increasing the excitability threshold of heart cells. Finally, the effect on the tone of the heart muscle cells is called tonotropism, and the effect on the length of the diastolic phase – lusitropism. Thanks to the development of pharmacology, it is now possible, depending on the state of the heart, to select drugs precisely according to the needs of the patient’s heart, e.g. those that will increase the strength of heart contraction and at the same time reduce the length of the diastolic phase (that is, in medical language, they will have positive inotropic and lusitropic negative effects. ).
As you can see, cardiology is quite a complicated field and a difficult medical specialization, because it requires constant remembering about many aspects of the heart’s work and many parameters at the same time. However, before we go with our heart to a cardiologist, we will be surprised to discover that many drugs sold in a pharmacy without a prescription, especially those of natural origin, also have a delicate effect on the functioning of this organ. Therefore, using what is written in the information brochure, we can successfully use many of these preparations on our own. However, before we run to the pharmacy to buy a preparation supporting the work of the heart, as it is known that as the body ages, our metabolism deteriorates, the strength of contraction of the heart muscle decreases, and atherosclerotic plaques usually nest in our arteries and arteries. cause your blood pressure to rise, not to mention strokes and heart attacks. So if we eat fish in good faith (provide the necessary unsaturated fatty acids), do not smoke, avoid stress and swim in the pool, it seems to us that everything is fine. Nevertheless, research shows that, for example, ischemic heart disease develops initially in hiding and therefore after the age of 50. it is worth taking basic blood tests from time to time, taking an EKG and measuring your blood pressure to see if everything inside is as good as it is on the surface.
We buy a packet of vitamins almost involuntarily, let’s think together when we need to start thinking about the heart and whether the mere purchase of an OTC drug will be a sufficient panacea.
When we are out of breath
It is known that as the body ages, our metabolism deteriorates, the strength of myocardial contraction decreases, and our arteries and arteries are usually home to atherosclerotic plaques, which can cause an increase in blood pressure, not to mention strokes and infarctions. So if we eat fish in good faith (provide the necessary unsaturated fatty acids), do not smoke, avoid stress and swim in the pool, it seems to us that everything is fine. Nevertheless, research shows that, for example, ischemic heart disease develops initially in hiding and therefore after the age of 50. it is worth taking basic blood tests from time to time, taking an EKG and measuring your blood pressure to see if everything inside is as good as it is on the surface.
It is known that as the body ages, our metabolism deteriorates, the strength of myocardial contraction decreases, and our arteries and arteries are usually home to atherosclerotic plaques, which can cause an increase in blood pressure, not to mention strokes and infarctions. So if we eat fish in good faith (provide the necessary unsaturated fatty acids), do not smoke, avoid stress and swim in the pool, it seems to us that everything is fine. Nevertheless, research shows that, for example, ischemic heart disease develops initially in hiding and therefore after the age of 50. it is worth taking basic blood tests from time to time, taking an EKG and measuring your blood pressure to see if everything inside is as good as it is on the surface.
However, when we feel out of breath when climbing the stairs, and in the chase of the departing bus we feel a strange stinging in the area of the sternum or radiating pain to the left hand, we already have a clear signal that we need to go to the doctor and perform at least a few basic tests. It is also worth remembering about prophylaxis, ie the application of the “3 x 30 x 130” rule developed by American doctors, which means effort 3 times a week for at least 30 minutes with a heart rate of about 130 beats per minute (very moderate).
The same guidelines also recommend that women maintain their exercise and diet so that they achieve a benchmarked body weight and maintain a waist circumference of <88 cm. Otherwise, doctors warn that ischemic heart disease may develop over many years and, if left untreated, lead to a heart attack. In addition, the risk of coronary artery disease increases rapidly after menopause, which is why ladies should be tested at this age first.
Preparations of plant origin
On pharmacy shelves, we can find many preparations of plant origin that will naturally support our overworked heart. Let’s start with the oldest ones that our grandmothers still used, i.e. heart drops.
In today’s heart drops, we will no longer find a foxglove extract containing cardiac glycoside, nor a tincture of spring herb also containing cardenolide glycosides. Due to their potency, digitalis glycosides are already produced in tablets in strictly defined doses (eg Lanatozide, Bemecor) and reserved for use on medical prescription. The same is true of Proscillaridin, which is a glycoside found in Sea Onions, and is the main active ingredient of Talusin or Proscillaridin tablets.
Still, in the heart drops, we can find glycosides of the lily of the valley, i.e. convalatoxin and convalamarine, which strengthen the strength of heart contraction (positive inotropic effect), while reducing the frequency of contractions (negative chronotropic effect) and slowing down the heart rate and increasing the excitability of the heart ventricular muscles (positive batmotropic effect). Lily of the valley herb tincture is included in the following cardiac drops: Cardiol, Cardiol C, Kelicardina, Neocardina, Guttae cardiaceae. This herb is also used to produce Convalatoxinum, Cardiosan and Convafort dragées. Cardiac drops with lily of the valley extracts can be used in the initial stages of circulatory failure in order to strengthen the work of the heart in the elderly, with mild neurotic heart disorders in menopausal women, in chronic pulmonary-cardiac syndrome, as well as in people with hypersensitivity to other cardiac preparations.
Preparations containing tinctures or extracts of one- and two-necked hawthorn have a similar effect, complementary to the lily of the valley extracts. They contain saponins, flavonoids and coumarin compounds (esculin, phytosterols), which relax and relax the coronary vessels of the heart. In the form of drops in combination with extracts of lily of the valley and valerian (Cardiacol, Cardiac drops, Kelicardina) or ginkgo extract (Cardiobonisol) or ginseng extract (Geriacard, Vicard) are used in hypertension, neurosis, insomnia and in treatment after myocardial infarction. Hawthorn extracts are also sometimes combined with lemon balm (Doppelherz Energovital Tonik K, Cravisol) and with vitamins and iron (Biovital Zdrowie). Finally, we can also use them as single preparations, for example Intractum Crataegi or Tinctura Crataegi. If we do not like drinking alcoholic solutions, we can now also take hawthorn extracts in the form of tablets (eg Herbs in tablets Hawthorn or Kardiostabil tabl.). We also recommend CARDIATEFIX – a herbal tea whose main ingredient is hawthorn.
At our disposal are also cardiac herbs prepared in the form of teas in disposable infusion bags, ie fixes, eg Cordaflos fix, Circulosan fix.
Natural heart dietary supplements are available on Medonet Market.
Synthetic drugs
A separate group of preparations having a positive effect on the work of our heart, but according to a different mechanism, are those in which we find coenzyme Q-10, also called ubiquinone. The action of coenzyme Q-10 is to increase the energy efficiency of the body and improve the work of the heart muscle. Due to its antioxidant properties, ubiquinone also prevents atherosclerosis and catches harmful free radicals. In preparations, it is usually combined with vitamin E (Coenzyme Q-10 + vitamin E, Doppelherz Active Coenzyme Q-10, Coenzyme Q-10 Naturkaps, Sensilab Q10, Gervit Q10, Q10 Cardio Vita Care, Coenzyme Q10 – NaturKaps).
When searching pharmacy shelves, we should not forget about essential fatty acids, the so-called EFAs, and above all omega-3 acids, which protect the heart, especially when our ailments coexist with atherosclerosis. It is worth noting that the European Society of Cardiology recommends the consumption of omega-3 fatty acids in a dose of 1000 mg per day. In this group, the pharmacy includes the following preparations: BioCardine, Mareol Omega 3, Novocardia, Omega Cardio, Doppelherz Aktiv Omega-3, Galomega, Tran Skandynawski, Omega Kinder, Omegamed).
However, if, in addition to atherosclerotic changes, we also have the first symptoms of ischemic heart disease, we should also use preparations of one of the oldest synthetic drugs, acetylsalicylic acid, which inhibits platelet aggregation in the vessels and reduces the risk of a heart attack and the number of angina attacks. In these cases, the recommended dose (75-150 mg. Daily) is much lower than antipyretic, therefore the trade names of ASA-containing drugs are also different (Acard, Acesan, Polocard, Aspimag, Cardiofil, Encopirin, Bestpirin, Aspiryn Protect, Proficar). We can take these preparations safely, provided that we control blood pressure and have no problems with gastric or duodenal ulcers.
When taking heart medications prescribed by a doctor, we often need to supplement the macronutrients, i.e. potassium (K) and magnesium (Mg), administered in the form of aspartates, which regulate the ionic balance in cells. Thus, we can buy the oldest Aspargin tablets in a pharmacy without a prescription, as well as its newer counterparts combined with hawthorn extracts, such as Asparaginian Cardio Duo.
Prescription by a doctor
Apart from the weakening of the contraction force of the heart muscle, its excitability or tension, other more serious work disorders, collectively known as arrhythmias, can also occur. There are over a dozen types of arrhythmias, but only in one case we can talk about a physiological arrhythmia that does not require treatment. This is a sinus arrhythmia, otherwise known as respiratory arrhythmia. It consists in the fact that when you inhale there are a few more heartbeats than when you exhale. Some sources of physiological arrhythmia also include paroxysmal arrhythmia, sometimes seen in menopausal women. Other types of arrhythmias, such as bradycardia (slowing down the heart rate), tachycardia (increased heart rate), extra ventricular and supraventricular contractions, supraventricular and ventricular tachycardia, atrial and ventricular flutter or ventricular and atrial fibrillation, can be life-threatening and therefore require immediate medical attention.
Therefore, all antiarrhythmic drugs from various chemical groups and with different mechanisms of action (e.g. quinidine, cordarone, amiokordin, polphenone, rhythm, mexicord) are available for sale only after prescription by a doctor and prescription. Omega-3 fatty acids protect the heart especially when our ailments coexist with atherosclerosis. Specialists recommend their consumption at a dose of 1000 mg per day.
Text: mgr farm. Rafał Jabłoński, Let’s live longer