The Process Of Treating Coronary Artery Disease
According to the American Heart Association, a person dies approximately every 38 seconds because of cardiovascular diseases. In this century, cardiovascular diseases are becoming a greater risk than ever. One of the most occurring cardiovascular disease is Coronary Artery Disease. Coronary Artery Disease limits the blood flow to the heart by building a plaque inside of the artery walls. Therefore, it is crucial to know the process for treating Coronary Artery Disease. Changing the patient’s lifestyle, taking medication, and undergoing surgery are the steps taken to treat Coronary Artery Disease. The first step to treat Coronary Artery Disease is changing the patient’s lifestyle. It is common knowledge that a healthier lifestyle lowers the chances of cardiovascular diseases.
The American Heart Association recommends quitting smoking, a healthier diet, and regular physical activity. Changing your diet is crucial since obesity is a major risk factor. Moreover, a study conducted by the American College of Cardiology shows that a lipid-lowering diet can assist with Coronary Artery Disease regression. Another method for a healthier lifestyle is to improve physical activity. Regular physical activity may be able to reduce the risks of Coronary Artery Disease. Also, as stated in the New England Journal of Medicine, higher physical activity boosts endothelium-dependent vasodilation in patients with Coronary Artery Disease.
The benefits of a healthier lifestyle in treating Coronary Artery Disease is clear. Even though a healthier lifestyle is beneficial for patients with Coronary Artery Disease, it rarely treats them thoroughly. Therefore, cardiologists resort to drugs as a second step to treating Coronary Artery Disease. Several simple drugs such as nitroglycerin, blood thinners, calcium channel blockers, or PCSK9s help to treat Coronary Artery Disease. The most common drug, however, is Aspirin. A study published by Journal of the American College Cardiology shows that Aspirin is an effective drug to treat Coronary Artery Disease.
Furthermore, the same study shows that taking oral anticoagulants with Aspirin helps high-risk patients to reduce cardiovascular events. Medications assist with the treatment of Coronary Artery Disease. If a healthier lifestyle and taking medications do not work, cardiologists turn to surgery as the last hope to treat Coronary Artery Disease. The most famous procedures are Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery and Angioplasty. Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery treats Coronary Artery Disease by rerouting the blood around the clogged arteries by using arteries or grafts extracted from parts of the patient’s body.
Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery will help the blood flow to the heart muscle. In some extreme cases, a patient may require more than one graft. The other operation is Angioplasty. In Angioplasty, a deflated balloon is threaded up the coronary arties. Then the balloon is inflated to broaden clogged areas near the heart. Angioplasty also helps with the blood flow to the heart. Angioplasty is less complicated than Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery since the patient only requires an overnight stay and the body is not cut open. Surgeries are extremely effective for treating Coronary Artery Disease.
