JOIN USChange your lifestyle for a healthy heart
Most of know that sticking to a heart-healthy diet, quitting smoking and keeping a close eye on our weight and stress levels are good lifestyle choices, but we might not know the imminent dangers of not doing so. One of the problems we can face is the build up of plaque in the arteries that can lead to diseases like Atherosclerosis.
Atherosclerosis is a disease in which fatty deposits or plaque builds up inside the arteries. Arteries are blood vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood to your heart and other parts of your body. The plaque that can develop consists of fat, cholesterol and calcium and it gradually narrows the arteries, thus reducing blood flow to the organs. Atherosclerosis can cause serious diseases like heart attack, stroke, kidney disease and gangrene of the limbs.
Cause and effect
There are certain risk factors which damage the inner lining of the arteries and lead to plaque formation. These include:
Smoking
High Cholesterol
High Blood pressure
Diabetes
Over time, the plaque hardens and narrows the artery, thus reducing blood flow to the organs. Sometimes the plaque can rupture suddenly, followed by clot formation at the site of the plaque. This leads to a sudden stoppage of blood supply leading to life-threatening complications like heart attacks or strokes.
Here are some common causes of atherosclerosis:
Unhealthy diet: Foods that are high in saturated and trans fats, cholesterol, sodium (salt), and sugar can worsen the condition.
Older age: In men, the risk of developing atherosclerosis increases after the age of 45. In women, the risk increases after the age of 55.
Family history: Your risk for atherosclerosis increases if a close relative was diagnosed with heart disease before 55 years of age.
Symptoms
The symptoms of atherosclerosis depend on the organ to which the blood supply is reduced.
Coronary artery disease: This constitutes narrowing of the blood vessels supplying the heart muscle. This can lead to chest pain, palpitations and difficulty in breathing. It may lead to a heart attack.
Carotid artery disease: This causes decreased blood supply to the brain and usually manifests as a stroke.
Peripheral vascular disease: This leads to pain in the legs while walking. There is a gradual worsening of pain and the person is able to walk short distances. The condition also makes one susceptible to gangrene of the feet.
The right steps
Atherosclerosis is treated by lifestyle modification, medicines and interventional procedures or surgery.
Lifestyle changes: Eating a heart-healthy diet, quitting smoking,
maintaining weight, physical exercise and stress management help reduce the risk of atherosclerosis.
Medicines: You may be prescribed medicines to treat high blood pressure, diabetes, abnormal cholesterol. If you have had a heart attack or stroke, the doctor may keep you on medicines to prevent abnormal blood-clot formation.
Surgery: If you have severe symptoms due to blockages in the arteries, you
may have to undergo a procedure to open-up or bypass the blocked blood vessels.
(The author is senior consultant & cardiothoracic surgeon, BGS Gleneagles Global Hospital.)