Coronary heart failure: Causes, symptoms, treatment methods

Article by Doctor Cardiology Interventional Unit, Vinmec Times City International General Hospital.

Coronary heart failure is a common cardiovascular disease and can cause many dangerous complications such as myocardial infarction, heart failure... Understanding the causes, warning signs and knowing how to apply copper A set of treatments will help reduce the risk to the patient.

The coronary arteries are a system of blood vessels surrounding the heart, responsible for supplying oxygen-rich and nutrient-rich blood to the heart.
Coronary insufficiency is a disease characterized by the presence of atherosclerotic plaques in the coronary arteries. This disease is also known as coronary artery disease, coronary atherosclerosis or coronary insufficiency ...
Over time, these plaques grow to thicken, gradually narrowing the lumen and reducing blood flow. to the heart muscle. The heart muscle is deprived of blood supply can cause angina attacks, along with many dangerous complications such as myocardial infarction, arrhythmia, heart failure, stroke...

According to recent statistics, every 34 seconds in the US, someone dies from coronary heart disease. Because the disease, if not well controlled, coronary heart failure can cause many life-threatening complications, including:
2.1 Myocardial infarction Complications occur when there is a branch of an artery. The coronary artery is completely occluded, leading to myocardial necrosis and rapid death if not treated promptly. Warning signs of a heart attack include:
Angina pain that lasts more than 15 minutes and does not subside with rest or vasodilators. Cold sweat. Shortness of breath, exhaustion, pale face, Worry mood, restlessness, Nausea, vomiting Nausea...

If you notice any of the above signs, the patient should immediately stop physical activities and call 911. Simultaneously, quickly chew a 300mg aspirin tablet, and administer a vasodilator by placing 1 tablet 0.5-0.75mg under the tongue or using the spray form in the mouth 1-2 times. The treatment and emergency of myocardial infarction should be done urgently, as soon as possible within the first 1 hour, because it is vital to the patient's survival, helping to increase the survival rate up to 96%.

2.2 Cardiac Arrhythmia When the heart muscle does not receive enough oxygen to function, it can lead to many serious arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation... increasing the risk of sudden death.
2.3 Heart failure Heart failure with ischemia for a long time reduces the heart's pumping efficiency and leads to heart failure.

Angina is the most common symptom of coronary heart disease, however it can vary from person to person. Some people have coronary insufficiency but never notice angina, which is common in the elderly, women, or people with diabetes, so it is also called silent myocardial ischemia.
A typical angina attack is described as a feeling of tightness in the chest, below the breastbone, the chest is compressed as if it is under great pressure. Sometimes the patient may feel a sharp, burning sensation in the chest. The pain may then spread to the neck, shoulders, and arms.

The degree of pain depends on the number and degree of blockage of the coronary arteries. Angina usually occurs with exertion and subsides with rest or with the vasodilator nitroglycerin. Other symptoms may include feeling short of breath, fatigue, heartburn, bloating, indigestion, nausea or vomiting, cramps...

The cause of coronary insufficiency is due to the deposition of cholesterol that damages the endothelium of the coronary arteries (the inner lining of the vessel walls), and triggers chronic inflammatory responses of the blood vessel walls. At that time, a large amount of platelets and immune cells are mobilized by the body to focus on the damaged site for the purpose of wound healing. But these same cells can then become attached to cholesterol and calcium, forming plaques on the vessel walls. These plaques grow thicker over time and further damage the arteries. They can then rupture, creating a precondition for the formation of a blood clot that completely blocks the blood vessel and leads to an acute myocardial infarction.

The more risk factors a person has, the higher the chance of developing coronary heart disease. These factors include:
Dyslipidemia, hypertension, diabetes: damage blood vessels, promote the development of coronary atherosclerotic plaques.
Smoking: The nicotine in cigarettes can damage and constrict coronary arteries.
Overweight or obese, sedentary: increased blood cholesterol levels - the cause of atherosclerotic plaque formation.
Unhealthy diet: eat a lot of high-fat foods, less green vegetables and fruits.
Elderly : The older you get, the more easily your coronary arteries weaken and degenerate.
Family history: If you have a family member with coronary heart disease, you are at higher risk of developing the disease than others.
Stress, stress: can cause coronary artery spasm, increasing the risk of angina.

Treatment of coronary heart disease requires a synchronous combination of many methods including drug therapy, lifestyle changes and intervention or surgery when necessary.
6.1 Drug treatment: Drugs for coronary insufficiency aim to relieve angina, limit the growth of atherosclerotic plaques and prevent myocardial infarction.
Blood lipid-lowering drugs: help reduce blood cholesterol and prevent atherosclerosis. Anticoagulants: help reduce the risk of blood clots and prevent heart attacks. Vasodilators: help quickly relieve angina attacks by dilating the coronary arteries. In addition to therapeutic drugs, natural herbs such as Danshen, Hoang Dang also have the effect of helping to dilate blood vessels, and at the same time reduce blood cholesterol, prevent atheroma and dissolve thrombosis, thereby bringing high efficiency in the treatment of blood clots. supports the treatment of coronary insufficiency, significantly reduces angina pain and effectively prevents myocardial infarction.
6.2 Interventions and surgery Interventions or surgery are often applied when the patient's medication is ineffective, helping to circulate blood vessels and improve blood flow to the heart:
Angioplasty and stenting Coronary Angioplasty: This is a procedure that uses a stent, called a stent, to be fixed in place of a blocked coronary artery to widen the lumen.
Coronary artery bypass surgery: Using a healthy artery in the leg, arm or chest of the patient, to bypass the coronary artery that has been blocked by atherosclerosis, helping to bring blood back to the heart.
Healthy lifestyle changes
A scientific, healthy lifestyle plays an important role in the treatment of coronary insufficiency. To control the disease well, the patient should note:
Do not smoke. Limit the use of stimulants such as alcohol, beer, coffee... Exercise 30 minutes a day and 5 days a week. Light exercise, moderate with activities such as walking, cycling, swimming... Lose weight if overweight. Well control blood pressure, blood sugar, blood fat. Maintain a scientific diet: limit foods high in fat and cholesterol, eat less salt, reduce sugar, increase green vegetables and fresh fruits. See detailed diet for people with coronary heart failure

Coronary heart failure is not scary if you follow the treatment regimen of your doctor, combine it with a scientific lifestyle, and use more appropriate support solutions to help the patient lead a healthy and happy life. avoid dangerous cardiovascular risks.
To protect heart health in general and detect early signs of cardiovascular disease, customers can sign up for Cardiovascular Screening Package - Basic Cardiovascular Examination of Vinmec International General Hospital. The examination package helps to detect cardiovascular problems at the earliest through tests and modern imaging methods. The package is for all ages, genders and is especially essential for people with risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
Customers can directly go to Vinmec Health system nationwide to visit or contact the hotline here for support.