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Why do arteries get blocked ?
Arteries are responsible for the
bringing in of blood, rich in oxygen and nutrients, from the
heart to all the other parts of the body. These arteries are
like thin pipes which with the process of ageing start getting
clogged a process medically termed as atherosclerosis. When
the cholesterol (the fatlike molecule inside our body) level
starts increasing, it affects our blood vessels i.e. the veins
and the arteries, which are responsible for carrying blood. A
sticky matter called plaque that comprises primarily of
cholesterol along with calcium, and fibrous tissue begins to
accumulate on the walls of the arteries causing them to harden.
With an excessive amount of accumulation, blood flow can
eventually stop which can be fatal. This increases the
possibility of a heart attack or stroke and hence need to be
treated immediately.
If the arteries which are responsible for carrying blood to the
heart are affected, the chances of heart attack or angina
increases. Heart attack is also termed as myocardial infarction
in medical science. Myocardial is related to the heart muscle
and Infarction is the death of the organ. Thus the coined term
means heart attack due to the stopping of the blood flow to the
heart. Angina is the situation when the flow is alarmingly low.
A blocked artery to the brain can lead to a stroke, to the
kidney can cause a kidney failure and to the limbs (arms and
legs) can result to amputation (removing off).
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Causes
of Atherosclerosis
Smoking
Obesity
Inadequate physical activity
Diabetes
High blood pressure
High cholesterol or hypercholesterolemia
Consumption of fatty foods like chocolate, fried stuff, ice
creams, red meat.
Stress
Excessive alcohol
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Once atherosclerosis is diagnosed,
immediate precautions must be taken to prevent damages. These
include a healthy diet comprising of fruits and vegetables,
regular exercises and bidding farewell to smoking. In addition
to these, regular checkups with the physicians are necessary to
ensure that infarction has not happened. Patients with
atherosclerosis are more proned to a heart attack or stroke. CAD
or coronary artery disease is the situation when the coronary
arteries get severely blocked, thus stopping the oxygen to the
heart and leading to heart attack. Statistics have shown that in
this year almost 1.1 million Americans suffered from this
disease. Angioplasty or the stent procedeor is the most well
known form of treatment of the artery disease. In this procedeor
a long, thin and supple pipe or catheter is inserted into the
blocked artery through a small puncture. The catheter has a
small balloon attached to it which being inflated and deflated
pushes the plaque against the artery walls. This widens the
artery after which the doctor immerses a small metal tube called
stent into this area to keep it open. The stent remains in the
artery and allows a free flow of blood.
Symptoms of CAD
Sudden chest pain
Short breath
Abnormal pulse rate i.e. fast, slow, irregular or weak than
normal
Paralysis on one side of the body
Swollen abdomen and limbs.
However, angioplasty is not a fool proofsolution to this problem
and the blockage may recur even after this. This situation is
known as restenosis . It has been seen that in almost 50% cases
re narrowing or restenosis occurs. To avoid this the Cypher
Sirolimus-eluting Coronary stent is used that opens the artery
and releases an unique medication which prevents the re
blocking.
Leg artery or lower extremity occlusive disease is caused by the
inadequate blood flow from the heart to the limbs. 1 out of
every 3 aged people suffer from this. The pain occurs when a
person is walking. It can be felt in the hips, upper legs,
thighs, knees or shins.
Symptoms
The most common symptom is intermittent claudication or a pain
occurs when the person walks and disappears as he rests. Apart
from pain, the person might also experience weakness in the leg,
or cramps or heaviness. At an acute stage the pain occurs even
if the person is relaxing.
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Treatment
Medicines which contain cholesterol and blood pressure
lowering properties are prescribed to the patient. There is also
a need to take medicines that minimizes blood clots thus
lowering the chance of clots blocking the arteries. Drugs like
cilostazol(Pletal), and clopidogrel (Plavix) are generally
given.
Physical activity or walking is also prescribed to the ptients.
A regular walking exercise helps in recovering from the
discomfort.
Bypass Surgery is another method of treatment. With the aid of
this surgery an alternative route is grafted around the blocked
artery. A fine, thin tube or a vein from the patients body is
sewn above and below the affected area making a new path for
the blood flow.
Endarterectomy is the process by which the doctors make a
small slit on the leg and removes the accumulated plaque from
the inner lining of the artery. This makes the artery plaque
free and restores the flow of blood. |
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Angioplasty is performed in
advanced cases of leg artery disease. A stent is inserted in the
artery to widen it and allow the blood to flow.
Thrombolytic therapy is used when the blockage occurs due to a
blood clot. A clot dissolving medicine is introduced by the
doctor to open the artery.
Amputation or the removal of the limb is the last resort
sought by the doctors if the patient has developed gangrene.
However, more than 90% of the patients who visit the vascular
specialists can avoid amputation or limit it to a small portion
on their foot or toes.
Hence it is important for us to live
a healthy lifestyle and prevent ourselves from getting affected
by this disease. Even if it is diagnosed, proper medical
attention is a must because only with effective treatment one
can get back to his normal life and enjoy!
A variety of tests are peformed to confirm the leg artery
disease. They include an Ankle - brachial index or ABI, a test
that is done to compare the blood pressure of the arms and legs
and Blood test to check the cholesterol level. In addition to
this a few other tests are also performed to determine the
extent of the damage. These include Duplex ultrasound, pulse
volume recording, magnetic resonance angiography and
angiography.
High frequency sound waves are used in Duplex ultrasound to
check the blood flow in the arteries and look for
abnormalities.
Pulse volume recording records the blood volume at different
points in the leg.
Magnetic resonance angiography or MRA takes the hlp of radio
waves and magnetic fields to determine the blockages in the
arteries.
Finally, angiography uses Xray imaging with contrast dyes to
determine the damages.
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Article Contributed By: Sukanya
Banerjee
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