- Main symptoms
- What tests to diagnose
- Who is most at risk
- How the treatment is done
- Prevention of coronary heart disease
Coronary artery disease is characterized by the accumulation of plaque in the small cardiac arteries that carry blood to the heart muscle. When this happens, the heart's muscle cells don't get enough oxygen and end up not working properly, which leads to symptoms such as constant chest pain or easy tiredness.
In addition, when one of these plaques ruptures, a set of inflammatory processes occurs that end up resulting in an obstruction of the vessel, causing the blood to stop passing completely to the heart and causing serious complications such as angina pectoris, infarction, arrhythmia or even sudden death.
Thus, it is important to prevent coronary artery disease from arising or, if it already exists, from getting worse. For this, it is important to eat a balanced diet and maintain regular physical exercise. It may also be necessary to use some medications, when indicated by the cardiologist.
Main symptoms
The symptoms of coronary artery disease are related to angina, which is a sensation of pain in the form of tightness in the chest, which lasts 10 to 20 minutes and which can radiate to the chin, neck and arms. But the person may also show other signs and symptoms, such as:
- Tiredness when making small physical efforts, Feeling of shortness of breath; Dizziness; Cold sweat; Nausea and / or vomiting.
These signs are often difficult to identify because they tend to appear gradually, and are more difficult to notice. For this reason, it is common for coronary heart disease to be identified to a very developed degree or when it causes some serious complication, such as infarction.
People with risk factors such as high cholesterol, diabetes or a sedentary lifestyle are at higher risk of having the disease and, therefore, should have frequent examinations by the cardiologist to identify whether they are at risk of having a serious complication, starting treatment as soon as possible. that needed.
What tests to diagnose
The diagnosis of coronary heart disease must be made by the cardiologist and usually begins with an assessment of the risk of heart disease, which includes an analysis of the clinical history, as well as an assessment of blood pressure and cholesterol level in the blood test.
In addition, and if considered necessary, the doctor may also ask for more specific tests, such as electrocardiogram, echocardiogram, coronary angiography, stress test, computed tomography and other blood tests. These tests help not only to arrive at the diagnosis of coronary heart disease, but also to rule out other possible heart problems.
Check out which tests help to identify heart problems.
Who is most at risk
The risk of developing coronary artery disease is greater in people who:
- They are smokers; They have high blood pressure; They have high cholesterol; They do not exercise regularly; They have diabetes.
So, the best way to avoid developing this type of disease is to have a healthy lifestyle, which involves exercising at least 3 times a week, avoiding smoking, drinking or using drugs and eating a varied and balanced diet, low in fat and high in fiber and vegetables.
See in the following video how to make a healthy diet for cardiovascular health:
How the treatment is done
Treatment for coronary heart disease includes regularly exercising, releasing stress and eating well, avoiding very fatty or sugary foods, as well as avoiding other risk factors for the disease, such as smoking or drinking alcohol, for example.
For this, treatment is usually guided by a cardiologist, who also assesses the need to start using medication to control cholesterol, hypertension or diabetes. These drugs should be used as directed and for life.
In the most severe cases, it may be necessary to perform some type of surgery to perform cardiac catheterization and, if necessary, angioplasty to place a network inside the vessel or even, a revascularization surgery with placement of breast and bypass grafts..
Prevention of coronary heart disease
Prevention of coronary heart disease can be done through good lifestyle habits such as quitting smoking, eating properly, doing physical activity and lowering cholesterol levels. Adequate cholesterol levels are:
- HDL: above 60 mg / dl; LDL: below 130 mg / dl; being below 70 for patients who have already had a heart attack or who have diabetes, high blood pressure or smoke, for example.
Those who are at high risk of developing coronary heart disease, in addition to adopting a healthy lifestyle, should also follow up with a cardiologist at least 1-2 times a year.
