Beware of atherosclerosis in winter...Himchan Hospital can't even feel half the artery blocked
Dec 26, 2024
Blood vessels supply oxygen and nutrients to our body's tissues and organs, including the heart, brain, and kidneys, and remove carbon dioxide and waste. If the blood vessels are not healthy, there is a risk of blood circulation problems and exposure to serious diseases, and more care should be taken in winter when cardiovascular diseases surge. In particular, atherosclerosis can cause life-related diseases such as cardio-cerebrovascular disease, peripheral arterial disease, and stroke, so middle-aged people in their 50s or older should pay special attention.
According to data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, the number of atherosclerosis patients increased by about 19% from 102,832 in 2019 to 122,430 in 2023. By age, the number of patients in their 50s and 70s as of 2023 was 101,568, accounting for the majority. atherosclerosis, the leading cause of cardiovascular disease, the world's leading cause of death, increases the risk of developing it by two to four times if there are chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity.
Kim Min-sik, director of the Department of Circulatory Medicine at Himchan General Hospital in Incheon, said, "Bamboo sclerosis causes serious diseases such as angina and myocardial infarction. Even if the disease progresses, there are many cases where there are no symptoms and then abnormal symptoms are felt when the artery is more than 50% or severely narrowed. The middle-aged and elderly are more at risk because they are aging and often exposed to chronic diseases such as hypertension and hyperlipidemia."
◇ Symptoms vary depending on the location of vascular stenosis, but the risk is high
Asterosclerosis is a disease in which deposits such as fat and cholesterol accumulate on the inner walls of arterial blood vessels, and the arteries narrow and stiffen, preventing smooth blood flow. It is as if an old water pipe is rusted and foreign substances are piled up and the diameter narrows. Blood circulation is not smooth, affecting blood vessels to major organs such as the heart, brain, and kidney, causing cardiovascular disease, stroke, and peripheral artery disease.
Mainly, high cholesterol levels in the blood increase the likelihood of precipitation on the inner walls of blood vessels, which causes atherosclerosis.
In addition, chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity also burden or damage blood vessels, increasing the probability of occurrence. In particular, when smoking, toxic substances in cigarettes damage the endothelium of blood vessels, cause inflammation, and increase the risk of cholesterol precipitation and thrombus formation. In addition, it can occur due to family history, age, stress, lack of exercise, and chronic inflammatory conditions.
There are few symptoms in the early stages, but symptoms appear differently depending on the location of the blood vessels and the degree of stenosis when the blood vessels are narrowed or blocked. It mainly causes problems with coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart, cerebral and carotid arteries that supply blood to the brain, renal arteries of the kidneys, and peripheral blood vessels.
As a result, ischemic heart diseases such as angina and myocardial infarction, stroke such as cerebral infarction, cerebral hemorrhage, kidney failure, and ischemic limb disease that deteriorate kidney function.
If angina occurs due to insufficient blood supply to the heart due to atherosclerosis, chest pain and pressure can be felt, and if blood flow to the heart or lungs decreases, breathing difficulties can occur. If the heart is not supplied with enough blood, it becomes easily tired and difficult in daily life, and if the lower limb artery narrows, you will feel pain when walking or exercising. In addition to heart attacks and strokes, narrowing peripheral arteries can cause the skin to become cold or pale, and the wound does not heal well.
◇Especially be careful if you have diabetes and high blood pressure...Preventive measures are important to improve lifestyle habits
Death sclerosis is confirmed and diagnosed through blood tests, blood pressure measurements, electrocardiogram tests, echocardiography, carotid ultrasound, coronary angiography, coronary calcification tests, CT, MRI, etc. If there are symptoms of ischemia in each organ and is suspected, the necessary tests are selected and carried out, which is necessary for early diagnosis and appropriate treatment.
If the blood supply to the organs has already been disrupted and symptoms have appeared or the function has deteriorated, the narrowed blood vessels should be widened.
It can be treated with angioplasty that prevents the blood vessel wall from narrowing by putting angiogenic balloon in the blood vessel and expanding the narrowed area by inflating it, or placing a mesh-like stent in the narrowed area. However, if this method is not possible, a bypass transplant that bypasses and connects the narrowed area using other blood vessels or artificial blood vessels may be necessary.
Since atherosclerosis has no initial symptoms, it is important to prevent it with proper lifestyle management. Dietary fiber, which contains low cholesterol and saturated fat, and fruits and vegetables are good. In addition, you should smooth your metabolism and manage your weight properly through aerobic exercise such as walking, running, and swimming for at least 30 minutes every day. In particular, smoking is very harmful to vascular health, so it is recommended to quit smoking. If you have high blood pressure, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, etc., it may be necessary to combine medication.
Manager Kim Min-sik said, "If you smoke, if you have a family history, if you have obesity, if you have exercise, if you have diabetes as an underlying disease, if you have other high blood pressure or hyperlipidemia, you are at risk." "Especially under stress, it can lead to drinking or smoking, and as a result, it can harm blood vessel health." he advised.
According to data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, the number of atherosclerosis patients increased by about 19% from 102,832 in 2019 to 122,430 in 2023. By age, the number of patients in their 50s and 70s as of 2023 was 101,568, accounting for the majority. atherosclerosis, the leading cause of cardiovascular disease, the world's leading cause of death, increases the risk of developing it by two to four times if there are chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity.
Kim Min-sik, director of the Department of Circulatory Medicine at Himchan General Hospital in Incheon, said, "Bamboo sclerosis causes serious diseases such as angina and myocardial infarction. Even if the disease progresses, there are many cases where there are no symptoms and then abnormal symptoms are felt when the artery is more than 50% or severely narrowed. The middle-aged and elderly are more at risk because they are aging and often exposed to chronic diseases such as hypertension and hyperlipidemia."
◇ Symptoms vary depending on the location of vascular stenosis, but the risk is high
Asterosclerosis is a disease in which deposits such as fat and cholesterol accumulate on the inner walls of arterial blood vessels, and the arteries narrow and stiffen, preventing smooth blood flow. It is as if an old water pipe is rusted and foreign substances are piled up and the diameter narrows. Blood circulation is not smooth, affecting blood vessels to major organs such as the heart, brain, and kidney, causing cardiovascular disease, stroke, and peripheral artery disease.
Mainly, high cholesterol levels in the blood increase the likelihood of precipitation on the inner walls of blood vessels, which causes atherosclerosis.
In addition, chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity also burden or damage blood vessels, increasing the probability of occurrence. In particular, when smoking, toxic substances in cigarettes damage the endothelium of blood vessels, cause inflammation, and increase the risk of cholesterol precipitation and thrombus formation. In addition, it can occur due to family history, age, stress, lack of exercise, and chronic inflammatory conditions.
There are few symptoms in the early stages, but symptoms appear differently depending on the location of the blood vessels and the degree of stenosis when the blood vessels are narrowed or blocked. It mainly causes problems with coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart, cerebral and carotid arteries that supply blood to the brain, renal arteries of the kidneys, and peripheral blood vessels.
As a result, ischemic heart diseases such as angina and myocardial infarction, stroke such as cerebral infarction, cerebral hemorrhage, kidney failure, and ischemic limb disease that deteriorate kidney function.
If angina occurs due to insufficient blood supply to the heart due to atherosclerosis, chest pain and pressure can be felt, and if blood flow to the heart or lungs decreases, breathing difficulties can occur. If the heart is not supplied with enough blood, it becomes easily tired and difficult in daily life, and if the lower limb artery narrows, you will feel pain when walking or exercising. In addition to heart attacks and strokes, narrowing peripheral arteries can cause the skin to become cold or pale, and the wound does not heal well.
◇Especially be careful if you have diabetes and high blood pressure...Preventive measures are important to improve lifestyle habits
Death sclerosis is confirmed and diagnosed through blood tests, blood pressure measurements, electrocardiogram tests, echocardiography, carotid ultrasound, coronary angiography, coronary calcification tests, CT, MRI, etc. If there are symptoms of ischemia in each organ and is suspected, the necessary tests are selected and carried out, which is necessary for early diagnosis and appropriate treatment.
If the blood supply to the organs has already been disrupted and symptoms have appeared or the function has deteriorated, the narrowed blood vessels should be widened.
It can be treated with angioplasty that prevents the blood vessel wall from narrowing by putting angiogenic balloon in the blood vessel and expanding the narrowed area by inflating it, or placing a mesh-like stent in the narrowed area. However, if this method is not possible, a bypass transplant that bypasses and connects the narrowed area using other blood vessels or artificial blood vessels may be necessary.
Since atherosclerosis has no initial symptoms, it is important to prevent it with proper lifestyle management. Dietary fiber, which contains low cholesterol and saturated fat, and fruits and vegetables are good. In addition, you should smooth your metabolism and manage your weight properly through aerobic exercise such as walking, running, and swimming for at least 30 minutes every day. In particular, smoking is very harmful to vascular health, so it is recommended to quit smoking. If you have high blood pressure, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, etc., it may be necessary to combine medication.
Manager Kim Min-sik said, "If you smoke, if you have a family history, if you have obesity, if you have exercise, if you have diabetes as an underlying disease, if you have other high blood pressure or hyperlipidemia, you are at risk." "Especially under stress, it can lead to drinking or smoking, and as a result, it can harm blood vessel health." he advised.
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