Treatment for coronary artery disease however focuses on lowering the overall risk for heart attack and stroke and managing your symptoms. Medicine, lifestyle changes and customized procedures are used as treatment for coronary artery disease.
The heart arteries that start out elastic and smooth get plaque on the inner walls, which make them narrowed and more rigid. This leads to restriction of blood flow to the heart. What does this mean for you? Simple – your heart becomes starved of oxygen. Unfortunate but true; the plaque could rupture and this may lead to a heart attack and even in certain cases may also lead to sudden cardiac death.
Sooner or later the narrowed coronary artery may develop new blood vessels. The newly developed blood vessels then travel around the blockage to get blood to the heart. But there’s a catch point – if you are pushing yourself or if you are stressed, the new arteries then might not be able to bring enough oxygenated blood to the heart muscle.
In some cases, when the plaque ruptures the blood clot may block the blood supply to the heart muscle. Yes; this may cause a heart attack.
When the blood vessel to the brain is blocked (this may happen from a blood clot) it may lead to ischemic stroke.
On the other hand; if at all the blood vessel within the brain bursts (this may happen due to uncontrolled hypertension) a hemorrhagic stroke may result.
There are a many types and complications of heart attack. As per the American Heart Association estimation –
- Around 1 million people in the US have a heart attack each year
- About 1 in 6 people suffering from a heart attack die as a result
- Heart disease stands as the leading cause of death
So; how exactly does the coronary artery disease develop?
From a very young age plaque starts entering your blood vessel walls and with age plaque builds up the artery walls. Medically speaking; plaque inflames the artery walls and increases the risk of blood clots. This sets the stage for heart attacks.
Plaque also makes the inner walls of the blood vessels rather sticky. This however lets the lipoproteins, calcium etc. to travel in your bloodstream and then get mixed with the plaque.
As more and more of these elements join in, along with cholesterol, the plaque increases. Plaque then starts pushing the artery walls outward, while growing inward. This makes the vessels narrower.
Treatment for coronary artery disease however focuses on lowering the overall risk for heart attack and stroke and managing your symptoms.
Medicine, lifestyle changes and customized procedures are used as treatment for coronary artery disease.
Lifestyle changes: Yes; that’s the first and possibly the most important step for anyone with coronary artery disease. Heart healthy lifestyle and healthy habits can slow down or even in some cases can stop the disease and also improve the quality of your life. Heart healthy habits may include –
Quitting smoking and secondhand smoke
- Avoiding alcohol
- Eating a heart-healthy diet
- Getting regular exercise
- Staying at a healthy weight.
- Keeping a healthy mental attitude
Managing any health problems, which you may have, is also essential. If in case you have high blood pressure, high level of cholesterol or if you are diabetic, be sure you are doing everything in your power to keep these conditions under control.
Treatments for coronary artery disease in Kolkata can help in controlling the cardiovascular disease. First things first – Take medication. Stick to a light diet and exercise. When these changes aren’t enough, your cardiologist may recommend a stent implant or in some cases a bypass surgery.
Worry not; the cardiologist in Kolkata will be able to determine the best and customized treatment for you based on the following aspects
- Your underlying health problems
- The severity of your blockages
- Your future risks
Pharmaceutical Therapy: When coronary heart disease is identified at an early stage, medications such beta blockers, nitrates calcium channel blockers, cholesterol-lowering drugs are prescribed. These drugs help in slowing down the disease’s progress and also ease out its symptoms.
Bypass Surgery: Bypass surgery for coronary heart disease is a common heart procedure. In this procedure the surgeon takes a particular section of healthy blood vessel from your chest, leg, or arm. The surgeon then connects these vessels to your coronary artery near the site of the blockage to create a new path for blood to flow around.
The idea is simple – to bypass the blockage in the artery so that oxygen enriched blood can get to your heart.
Minimally Invasive Treatments: For some patients, minimally invasive coronary artery surgery stands as a proven alternative. Three minimally invasive treatments for coronary artery disease (CAD) are
- Coronary balloon angioplasty
- Stenting
- Minimally invasive cardiac surgery
Coronary balloon angioplasty: Also referred to as percutaneous – the coronary intervention (PCI) makes use of a tiny balloon to widen the narrowed inside channel of the artery. The surgery enables blood to flow at a normal rate.
Stenting: Stenting basically uses a device called a stent, which helps to restore blood flow in the coronary artery. Stent is an expandable, tiny, mesh-like tube usually made of stainless steel or cobalt alloy. The stent mounted onto a tiny balloon is used in opening inside of the artery, to push back plaque and also to restore normal blood flow.
In certain cases, stents and balloons are used together in a stent and balloon therapy.
Let’s not deny; heart attack is a life-threatening medical condition. Surviving a heart attack typically depends on how quickly it is treated and on its severity. Consult with a heart specialist in Kolkata and also stick to a heart healthy lifestyle for preventing future heart attacks.