Cardiovascular Disease
The Treatment of Atherosclerosis
What is the treatment to be followed in the case of atherosclerosis?
If your atherosclerosis leads to symptoms, these symptoms (as would angina) can be treated. Medicines are usually the first step in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Other treatments such as angioplasty procedures contemplated to open clogged arteries and surgery such as bypass surgery or revascularization (bypass surgery.)
If you have high blood pressure, diabetes or high blood cholesterol, could also treat these conditions. Lower your blood cholesterol can slow, stop or even reverse the buildup of plaque. Cholesterol reduction also can reduce the cholesterol content in unstable plaques to make them more stable and less prone to breakage. Read the rest of this entry »
Diagnosis of Atherosclerosis
How is atherosclerosis diagnosed?
If you do not have any symptoms or have been diagnosed with cardiovascular disease will be difficult to say if your arteries are clogged with plaque. But if you have high blood cholesterol, overweight and get little exercise, smoke or have other risk factors, chances are you have atherosclerosis. Over time, can lead to heart disease, stroke or other problems.
There are several tests used by doctors to diagnose heart disease, among them are blood tests, electrocardiograms (ECG), stress testing, coronary angiography, ultrasound and computed tomography (TC.) If you have a high risk of developing cardiovascular disease, your doctor may recommend that you get tested. Read the rest of this entry »
Factors that Increase Atherosclerosis
What factors increase the likelihood of atherosclerosis?
The following factors may increase the chance of atherosclerosis:
- Have the level of high blood cholesterol, especially elevated levels of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and low HDL (“good” cholesterol.)
- The age and being male (women are more affected after menopause.)
- Having close relatives with heart disease or had a stroke at relatively young ages
- Have high blood pressure
- Have diabetes
- Smoking Read the rest of this entry »
The Symptoms of Atherosclerosis
What are the symptoms of atherosclerosis?
Normally there are no symptoms until one or more arteries are so clogged with plaque, which dramatically reduces the blood flow. This reduction in blood flow and oxygen to parts of the body (the heart) is called ischemia and can cause pain or discomfort. Some people have no symptoms until it forms a blood clot that completely blocks an already narrowed artery, causing a heart attack or stroke.
The symptoms you have depend on which arteries are badly clogged and what part of the body is affected by reduced blood flow.
- If you are affected arteries that carry blood to the heart muscle, you will have a coronary artery disease (EAC.) may have a chest pain called angina, which occurs when it tries too hard and goes away when you rest. You may also have a heart attack. Read the rest of this entry »
Plaque and Its Formation in Arteries
What is plaque?
Plaque is a combination of cholesterol, other fatty substances (fat), calcium and blood components that adheres to the inside walls of the arteries. A shell, or hard scar covers the plaque. This board has various sizes and shapes. Some plates are fragile and can rupture or burst. When this happens, blood clots form within arteries. If the clot blocks the artery completely, blood flow stops completely. This is what happens in most heart attacks and strokes. Read the rest of this entry »
Atherosclerosis
What is atherosclerosis?
Atherosclerosis is the buildup of fatty deposits called plaque inside the walls of the arteries. Arteries are blood vessels that carry oxygen and blood to the heart, brain and other body parts. As plaque builds up in the artery, it gradually narrows and becomes clogged. As more and more an artery is narrowed, less blood can pass.
The artery can also become less elastic (this is called “hardening of the arteries.”) Atherosclerosis is the main cause of a group of diseases called cardiovascular diseases – diseases of the heart and blood vessels. Read the rest of this entry »
Arteriography
What is arteriography?
Arteriography is also called angiography. An arteriogram is an image of the X-ray blood vessels to evaluate various vascular conditions, such as aneurysm (stretching of a blood vessel), stenosis (narrowing of a blood vessel) or blockages.
How is an arteriogram?
To get a picture of a blood vessel X-ray access is required intravenous (IV) to inject a contrast dye into the body’s circulatory system. This contrast dye causes blood vessels to appear opaque on the X-ray image This allows the physician to better visualize the structure of the vessel or vessels under consideration. Read the rest of this entry »
Clinical Orthostatic Hypotension
In general, the most common clinical orthostatic hypotension is the following:
- Dizziness, unsteadiness, positional vertigo, falls.
- Unsteady, insecurity.
- Loss of consciousness, syncope.
- Tachycardia, pallor, angina pectoris.
- Blurred vision, black spots or defects in the perception of colors and images.
- Tinnitus.
As a general rule should only be symptomatic orthostatic hypotension, with the aim of treatment in most cases the elimination of symptoms regardless of blood pressure.
Patient education with orthostatic hypotension is an element of utmost importance. In addition to a clear explanation of the nature of their symptoms, general measures to be applied can be categorized into four groups: a) avoid activities or habits that may precipitate or aggravate postural hypotension; b) normalize the circulating volume and avoid fluctuations c ) use compression garments, and d) avoiding harmful medications. Read the rest of this entry »
Orthostatic Hypotension
When a healthy adult is incorporated in a supine to an upright position, about 500-700 ml of blood are accumulated in the venous circulation of lower extremities, as well as the movement of the viscera. This reduction of blood volume point a drastic decrease in venous return to the heart and a drop in efficiency.
This produces a generalized reaction both neurological and cardiovascular and even muscle to maintain blood pressure within the limits necessary to at least ensure the cerebral circulation. Read the rest of this entry »
Cardiovascular Disorders in Older People: Orthostatic Hypotension
Hypotension most often suffer the elderly and can lead to serious consequences, such as falls, is called orthostatic hypotension. This is defined as a fall in systolic blood pressure greater than or equal to 20 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) or diastolic blood pressure greater than or equal to 10 mm Hg that occurs within 3 minutes after moving from lying down to be up.
The prevalence of orthostatic hypotension is between 4 and 33% of the elderly population. In diabetic patients has been a prevalence that may reach 19%, although the highest prevalence was observed in Parkinson patients, with figures of 60%.
The causes of orthostatic hypotension are multiple. In broad terms can be classified in neurogenic and non neurogenic. These are, in short: Read the rest of this entry »