Ischemic heart disease
Ischemic heart disease, or coronary route disease, is a disease caused by narrowing of the arteries leading to the heart. This problem causes less blood flow to the heart and causes an imbalance in the supply of oxygen to the myocardium (muscle tissue of the heart).
Cause and risk factors of ischemic heart disease
The narrowing of the coronary arteries is a process that
generally occurs gradually. Throughout life, fat (lipids), or also called
atheroma plaques, accumulates on the walls of the arteries, if these plaques do
not dissolve they are stored. Little by little, these plaques make it difficult
for the blood to pass through the arteries and harden the wall of the arteries,
becoming thick and inflexible. This problem is also known as arteriosclerosis.
On the other hand, there are a series of risk factors, some
modifiable and others not, that make it difficult for the atheroma plaques to
disappear, such as:
•Advanced age.
•Male.
•Family history of ischemic heart disease before age 50.
•High concentration of LDL cholesterol in the blood and low
concentration of high lipoproteins (HDL).
•Tobacco use.
•Having diabetes mellitus , obesity or high blood pressure.
•Unhealthy habits: poor diet, little physical activity.
Symptoms of ischemic heart disease
Ischemic heart disease is a disease that can develop slowly
or suddenly. It generally occurs gradually, in this situation it does not
produce symptoms until the artery is 70% blocked. The first symptoms are
related to a lack of oxygen. There is a tightness in the chest or discomfort
that can spread to the extremities -arms, legs- due to the lack of irrigation.
This sensation may disappear, if you are exercising or if
you are in a stressful situation that increases your heart rate, when you stop
carrying out the activity. It disappears in the same way that it appeared. This
is known as angina pectoris .
However, if the lack of oxygen is prolonged or ischemic
heart disease occurs suddenly, it can cause an acute myocardial infarction
because the cells of the heart do not receive enough oxygen and die. In this
situation, the pain is more intense and prolonged, you have trouble breathing,
and you may feel dizzy, vomit, sweat excessively, or faint.
Another of the symptoms that can be made to suspect that you
have ischemic heart disease are alterations in the heart rhythm, that is,
arrhythmias .
Prevention and treatment of ischemic heart disease
Ischemic heart disease is a disease that, if detected early,
can be controlled with drug treatment and change of habits. If not, it can
cause serious functional damage in the body and need more invasive treatments.
The usual pharmacological treatment are:
•Analgesics.
•Antiagregantes plaquetarios.
•Beta-blockers.
•Calcium antagonists.
•Statins
The surgical treatment for severe cases include:
•Angioplasty.
•Stent placement .
•D aortic erivaciones
•By-pass coronario.
The changes in lifestyle habits are very important to not
repeat the episode:
•Stop using tobacco.
•Keep LDL and HDL levels stable.
•Maintain or reduce weight.
•Control blood pressure.
•Perform physical activity on a regular basis and adapted to
your possibilities.
To prevent the appearance of these problems, it is best to
establish healthy habits focused on a balanced diet with a prevalence of the
intake of fruits and vegetables, carry out physical activity on a regular basis
and abandon habits that may hinder the proper functioning of the heart such as
tobacco.
