Protective Recommendations Against Heart Diseases

Coronary heart diseases continue to be the leading cause of death worldwide. However, scientists emphasize that it may be possible to prevent the disease, or even reverse it, with changes in lifestyle. Cardiologists at Anadolu Medical Center explain the preventive measures that should be taken against heart diseases…

Coronary heart diseases, referred to by names such as infarction, coronary insufficiency, and heart attack, all stem from the same cause: the narrowing, calcification, and blockage of the coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart due to arteriosclerosis, leading to the death of the tissue supplied by that artery due to lack of blood supply.

In coronary insufficiency, although the heart does not lose its vitality and does not reach a fatal stage, it starts to show warning signs and progresses over time. The final stage of this condition is a heart attack. Looking at the stages before a heart attack occurs, the first stage involves narrowing of the artery. This narrowing, called angina pectoris, is characterized by chest pain that radiates to the left arm. Over time, this narrowing either completely blocks the artery, or a blood clot forms, completely obstructing blood flow, resulting in a condition called infarction. Although this condition can be fatal, even if survived, the issue persists, and some methods are applied to reach definitive solutions.

Damage to Blood Vessels

Atherosclerosis (arteriosclerosis) has both known and unknown causes. There are typical risk factors that damage the vessel wall, with smoking being the most prominent. In addition, a diet rich in fatty foods, high blood lipid levels, diabetes, high blood pressure, and genetic factors are other determining risk factors.

Risk Factors Leading to Heart Disease:

The Effect of Genetic Factors on the Heart:

It is known that genetic factors play a role in heart diseases, but it is difficult to provide specific numerical data. However, if several family members or close relatives experience early deaths due to arteriosclerosis, it indicates that genetic factors are involved and special attention should be given. When acquired factors, such as smoking habits, poor diet, lifestyle, and stress, are added to genetic predisposition, the progression of the problem accelerates.

Despite having a genetic predisposition, it is possible to prevent or slow down the disease by eliminating known risk factors.

The Effect of Age on the Heart:

As age increases, aging occurs in the blood vessels, and the duration of exposure to risk factors also increases with age. However, in recent years, this problem has started affecting younger people as well. The key factors here are increased exposure to risk factors such as smoking and poor diet. Research shows that vessel damage starts around the age of 7-8.

The Effect of Metabolic Syndrome on the Heart:

According to American statistics, metabolic syndrome affects 24-25% of the population. While it may not manifest clinically, its complications appear later. There are some clues for identifying children with this syndrome: obesity, blood pressure levels at or above the upper normal limit, and blood sugar levels at or above the normal range. Children who are obese or diabetic and are not diagnosed early have a higher risk of having a heart attack in their 30s. By making lifestyle changes and adjusting eating habits, it is possible to prevent, reduce, or delay potential problems in the future. It should be remembered that the traditional belief "chubby children are healthy" is not accurate.

What Are the Treatment Methods for Cardiovascular Diseases?

After a diagnosis is made, angiography is used to map out the issue. If there are critical narrowings in the coronary arteries as a result of this test, eliminating the narrowing becomes the primary principle of treatment. Since there is no method that directly removes the narrowing, an interventional method, such as balloon angioplasty or stenting, can be used to overcome the narrowing. If these methods cannot be applied for various reasons, surgery is employed. In surgery, blocked arteries of the heart are bypassed using vessels taken from another part of the body. This allows blood flow to be restored, and the blockage is bypassed. Today, this is the most effective, established, and radical treatment. However, there are situations where neither of these two methods can be applied. That is, some patients may have conditions that prevent the use of both stents and surgery. Additionally, there are patients who do not require interventional or surgical treatment despite having the disease. In these two groups of patients, medical treatments are used. Alongside the developments in interventional and surgical methods, there have been significant advances in medical treatments over time.

Can Artery Narrowing Be Stopped?

By modifying risk factors, it is possible to slow down or even halt the progression or acceleration of the disease. For instance, quitting smoking can delay or even prevent the calcification of coronary arteries. Similarly, adopting a healthy diet can slow down the hardening of the arteries, and even reverse it. Changing lifestyle habits, losing weight, and lowering blood lipids can stop, or even reverse, the narrowing of the arteries. With this method, a narrowing of 70% in the arteries can be reduced to 50%.

Current State of Surgery for Artery Narrowing

For some patients, surgery may not be necessary because the problem can be addressed with a stent. In another group of patients, a stent may not be effective, and they undergo a bypass procedure without exception. The group of patients in between, who can be treated with either a stent or surgery, faces some confusion about which method to choose. In the United States, one million stents are placed annually, while around 200,000 surgeries are performed.

There are also patient groups who are not eligible for surgery. Sometimes the disease progresses to the point where surgery is no longer an option, either due to severe advancement or due to the nature of the disease that does not permit surgical intervention. However, outside of these situations, there is no specific age limit for bypass surgery. That means any patient who has an indication for surgery can undergo the procedure, regardless of age.

Interventional methods also come with their own complications. Though the rate of complications has decreased significantly, for example, the risk of bypass surgery is about 1%, while the risk for someone who does not undergo surgery is 40% throughout their life. Despite the huge advancements in interventional methods, a definitive solution has not yet been achieved. Research is continuing at an incredible pace in this field.

Who Is at Risk for Heart Disease?

• People with a family history of heart disease
• Overweight individuals with high blood lipids
• Smokers
• People with high blood pressure
• People with diabetes
• Individuals who work under excessive stress