Cardiovascular diseases: symptoms, causes and treatment

Cardiovascular diseases are a set of problems that affect the heart and blood vessels, causing illness and serious complications to the person's health, such as infarction, heart failure, arrhythmias, stroke or other types of changes in blood circulation.

These diseases generally affect more men than women, at ages over 50. The risk of developing cardiovascular disease is much higher in people with high cholesterol, diabetes, high blood pressure and unhealthy lifestyle habits, such as physical inactivity, obesity or with high levels of stress, so, in most cases, it is possible to prevent these diseases.

It is important that these diseases are prevented because, in addition to causing several uncomfortable symptoms, such as shortness of breath, chest pain and swelling in the body, they are the main cause of death worldwide. Understand how the cardiovascular system works and why it is important that your functioning is healthy.

Names of the most common cardiovascular diseases

Two types of cardiovascular diseases can be considered: those with symptoms, such as angina or cardiac arrhythmias, and those like atherosclerosis or hypertension, which generally have no symptoms. These, because they are silent, are reasons for seeing the cardiologist regularly, for routine check-ups, especially for those who already have a family history of heart disease.

The most common heart diseases are:

Hypertension; Acute myocardial infarction; Angina pectoris; Heart valve diseases; Congenital heart diseases; Endocarditis; Cardiac arrhythmias; Myocarditis; Tumors in the heart.

Cardiovascular diseases are more common in people over 50 and in the elderly, and may be the result of unhealthy habits throughout life, such as poor diet, smoking, physical inactivity or excessive stress.

Main symptoms

The symptoms of cardiovascular diseases are variable, and are usually associated with the type of disease the person has and the organs most affected, ranging from silent stages to those in which the person already has severe limitations, such as difficulty in breathing, chest pain, fainting, changes in heart rate or swelling in the legs.

Normally, symptoms only begin to appear in stages in which the disease is already installed, making it difficult to prevent it, and it is very important to carry out complementary medical tests that make the correct diagnosis and start treatment as soon as possible, both to relieve symptoms. how to avoid worsening the condition. Learn more about identifying symptoms that indicate heart disease.

Risk factors for cardiovascular disease

The causes of cardiovascular diseases are the most diverse, but they can be related to the individual's lifestyle and diet. Therefore, the main risk factors are:

Age: individuals over 50 are at higher risk of cardiovascular disease; Gender: men are usually more affected by cardiovascular problems; Family history of cardiovascular diseases; Cigarette; High cholesterol; Hypertension; Obesity; Sedentary life; Diabetes; Oral contraceptives; Bad eating habits; Stress.

All of these risk factors facilitate the formation of lesions and the accumulation of fatty plaques in blood vessels, called atherosclerosis, in addition to other changes in blood circulation, responsible for cardiovascular diseases.

How to treat

The treatment of cardiovascular diseases should be indicated by the cardiologist, and its main objective is to prevent the problem from getting worse. Thus, in addition to changes in lifestyle habits, to make them healthier, medications to control symptoms, blood pressure, heart rate or blood sugar and cholesterol levels can be indicated, reducing the risk of injury to the body.

Some examples of commonly used drugs include:

Antihypertensives: Captopril, Enalapril, Losartan, Hydrochlorothiazide; Diuretics: Furosemide, Spironolactone; Beta-blocking agents: Propranolol, Carvedilol, Metoprolol; Anticoagulants: Marevan, Coumadin, Rivaroxaban; Statins: Simvastatin, Atorvastatin.

It is a fundamental part of the treatment to eat a diet low in fat and sugar, consuming more vegetables and fruits throughout the day, also restricting foods rich in carbohydrates. Check out the following video, what you can eat to regulate blood pressure and decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease:

How to avoid

The prevention of cardiovascular diseases is the best way to prevent the onset of these diseases. Some tips to prevent cardiovascular diseases can be:

Stop smoking; Control of blood pressure, blood sugar and fat levels, using medication and following the doctor's guidelines; Healthy eating, avoiding fats and eating more vegetables, fruits and cereals; Regular physical exercise, at least 30-60 minutes, 3-5 times a week; Avoid consumption of alcoholic beverages;

In addition, for people who are overweight, it is recommended to lose weight, as it is proven that the accumulation of fat is very harmful to cardiovascular health. Check out the guidelines in the nutritionist on how to eat healthy to lose weight.