Don't Let Coronary Heart Disease "Steal" Your Heart's Vitality

Don't Let Coronary Heart Disease "Steal" Your Heart's Vitality

1. What is coronary heart disease?

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a condition caused by atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries, which leads to narrowing or blockage of the blood vessels, resulting in myocardial ischemia, hypoxia, or even necrosis.  

Common types include:  

- Angina pectoris (chest pain episodes)  

- Myocardial infarction (complete blockage of blood vessels)  

- Heart failure or arrhythmias (resulting from long-term ischemia)

2. Who is more likely to suffer from coronary heart disease?

Age (men >45 years, women >55 years)

Family history of coronary heart disease

Gender (men at higher risk)

Hypertension, hyperlipidemia (especially elevated LDL-C), diabetes

Smoking (including secondhand smoke)

Obesity (especially abdominal obesity)

Lack of exercise, high-salt and high-fat diet

Chronic high levels of stress

3. what are the manifestations of coronary heart disease?

1. Chest Discomfort

  - Feeling as if a heavy stone is pressing on the chest, or a sensation of tightness, often accompanied by dullness, pressure, or a burning feeling.  

  - The pain frequently radiates to the left shoulder, arm (especially the left side), jaw, or back.

2. Worsens with activity, relieved by rest  

  - Often triggered by climbing stairs, lifting heavy objects, or emotional stress, and gradually subsides after resting for a few minutes.

3. Sudden severe symptoms—beware of myocardial infarction!

  - Persistent severe chest pain, like a "knife cut" or "tearing" sensation, lasting more than 15 minutes without relief.  

  - Accompanied by cold sweats, nausea, vomiting, shortness of breath, or even dizziness—call emergency services immediately!  

4. Signs that are easily overlooked  

  - In the elderly or people with diabetes, symptoms may only include:  

    - Shortness of breath (feeling "oxygen-deprived" and struggling to breathe)  

    - Sudden fatigue (difficulty with usual activities)  

    - Upper abdominal bloating or pain (easily mistaken for stomach issues)  

   - Angina pectoris: Like the heart "suddenly losing power," blood supply is briefly interrupted and then restored (like a light flickering and then brightening again).  

   - Myocardial infarction: Like the heart "completely losing power," with blood vessels fully blocked (like a light bulb burning out, requiring urgent repair).

4. How to prevent coronary heart disease?

1. Dietary Adjustments  

  - Low salt (＜5g/day), low fat (reduce animal fats and fried foods), low sugar.  

  - Increase dietary fiber (whole grains, vegetables, fruits).  

  - Moderate intake of nuts and deep-sea fish.

2. Regular Exercise  

  - Engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week (such as brisk walking or swimming), avoiding strenuous activities.  

  - Monitor heart rate before and after exercise, and avoid sudden physical activity upon waking up in the morning.  

3. Control Risk Factors  

  - Blood pressure: Target <140/90 mmHg (lower for patients with diabetes).  

  - Blood lipids: LDL-C target levels should be managed based on risk stratification (e.g., <1.8 mmol/L for high-risk individuals).  

  - Blood sugar: Aim for HbA1c <7% in patients with diabetes.  

4. Quit Smoking and Limit Alcohol  

  - Quit smoking completely and avoid exposure to secondhand smoke.  

  - Alcohol intake should not exceed 25g/day for men (approximately 750ml of beer) and half that amount for women.  

5. Psychological Adjustment  

  - Avoid emotional agitation and manage stress through methods such as meditation or social activities.  

  - Timely intervention is needed for depression or anxiety.

5. Drug Treatment

Common Medications:

Antiplatelet drugs (Aspirin, Clopidogrel)

Statins (lower cholesterol, stabilize plaques)

Beta-blockers (control heart rate)

ACE inhibitors/ARBs (protect heart function)

Nitroglycerin (for emergency use)

Important principles:

- Take medication as prescribed by the doctor for a long time, and do not stop taking it on your own!

- Regularly recheck blood lipids, blood sugar, liver and kidney functions, etc.

6. Handling of Emergency Situations

During an angina attack:  

 1. Immediately stop all activity and sit or lie down.  

 2. Take one nitroglycerin tablet sublingually (if symptoms persist after 5 minutes, a second dose may be taken).  

 3. If symptoms do not improve within 15 minutes, suspect a myocardial infarction (heart attack) and call emergency services immediately!  

For suspected myocardial infarction:  

 - Keep the patient calm and avoid moving them.  

 - Chew and swallow 300mg of aspirin (unless allergic or there is a recent history of bleeding).

Department Introduction

Director Yang Wangsheng

The key minimally invasive surgeries performed by the Cardiology and Interventional Department include:

(I) Heart and Major Vessels:

1. Catheter closure for congenital heart diseases (atrial septal defect, ventricular septal defect, patent ductus arteriosus); percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for coronary heart disease; pacemaker implantation for bradyarrhythmias; radiofrequency ablation for tachyarrhythmias.  

2. Endovascular stent grafting for aortic dissection/aneurysm; endovascular stent grafting for abdominal aortic aneurysm; stent placement for aortic ulcers and intramural aortic hematoma.

(II) Peripheral Vascular Minimally Invasive Surgeries:

Balloon angioplasty and stent implantation for lower extremity arteriosclerosis obliterans; balloon angioplasty and stent implantation for renal artery stenosis; stent implantation for subclavian artery stenosis; thrombolysis and thrombus aspiration for lower extremity deep vein thrombosis; inferior vena cava filter implantation and retrieval; radiofrequency ablation and foam sclerotherapy for lower extremity varicose veins; thrombectomy and thrombolysis for acute arterial embolism; thrombus aspiration and catheter-directed thrombolysis for acute pulmonary embolism; embolization for visceral artery aneurysms.

(III) Tumor Minimally Invasive and Other Minimally Invasive Surgeries:

Interventional embolization for massive hemoptysis, gastrointestinal bleeding, and gynecological hemorrhage; interventional therapy for various benign and solid tumors (liver cancer, hepatic hemangioma, uterine fibroids, cervical cancer, soft tissue tumors, etc.); arterial infusion chemotherapy for advanced tumors; interventional diagnosis and treatment of arterial and venous hemangiomas; implantation and retrieval of infusion ports for tumor patients.

Address: 1st Floor, Building 1, Heavy Ion Campus, Gansu Wuwei Cancer Hospital