Heart disease can affect us as we age. How is heart disease treated? How to avoid them by taking care of your cardiovascular system? Which heart problems increase with age? Everything about the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of heart diseases
Heart diseaseis a common condition affecting the elderly. Human aging is a natural and irreversible physiological process that affects all of us. Alsoheartis not free from these progressive changes. This organ has a lot of work to do. About 100,000 hits a day. times and pumps a total of about 7 tons of blood, which, when distributed throughout the body, travels over 90,000. km. After years of such strenuous effort, the humancardiovascular systemmay fail.
Aging and heart disease
The aging process of the heart is manifested, inter alia, in diastolic impairment, slight atrial hypertrophy, progressive degeneration of the valve apparatus or weakening of the generation and conduction of electrical impulses, which contributes to disturbances in the rhythm of its work. Changes also take place within the blood vessels - with age, they become stiff, thickened and lose elasticity. The function of the endothelium lining the vessels is impaired and the production of vascular relaxing substances such as nitric oxide is reduced. All physiological changes in the cardiovascular system with age may contribute to the onset of heart and circulatory system diseases.
Heart under control - treatment and prevention of heart diseases
In the interests of our he alth, we should, above all, follow the rules of prevention and systematically conduct tests. - In people who have not been diagnosed with diseases, it is recommended to perform check-ups every 2-3 years. Among them, the measurement of blood pressure, body weight and waist, as well as cholesterol and blood sugar levels control, advises cardiologist Bogumiła Pałubicka-Elmasri. Hypertension in an elderly person poses a serious risk of impairing the work of the heart, brain, kidneys and eyes. If it is diagnosed, it is necessary to implement appropriate treatment. - However, the decision to pharmacologicallowering blood pressure in an elderly patient should result not only from blood pressure measurements, but also from the risk assessment of heart and circulatory system diseases and the presence of other diseases. Currently, we have 5 groups of drugs at our disposal, of which the first-line drugs in the case of older patients are two of them: calcium antagonists and thiazide diuretics - indicates the cardiologist. Therapy based on the active substance from the first of these groups - lercanidipine, which blocks calcium channels - brings very good treatment results in people aged 60+. Studies show that in this age group as many as 95% respond positively to lercanidipine treatment. patients, and in 68 percent. of them, the therapy leads to the normalization of blood pressure. In addition to its effectiveness, lercanidipine is also highly tolerable by the body, so that the patient rarely experiences side effects (e.g. headaches, ankle swelling, etc.). This is because lercanidipine is a new generation substance with a high safety profile. However, pharmacological treatment alone will not protect the patient from heart and circulatory system diseases.
Diet and a he althy lifestyle will save you from heart disease
An important complement to the therapy with the use of drugs is an appropriate lifestyle, and above all:
- Changing eating habits - reducing the consumption of s alt, sweets and animal fats in favor of vegetables, fruits, fish, lean dairy products and whole grains.
- Higher dose of exercise - temporary exercise temporarily raises blood pressure, while regular exercise (minimum 30-45 minutes 4-5 times a week, and preferably a total of 5 hours a week, e.g. dynamic walking) permanently lowers it.
- Getting rid of addictions - giving up cigarettes, alcohol and coffee.
- Weight control and the fight against obesity - a loss of 10 kg is a pressure drop of 5-20 mmHg.
Rest and avoid stress - during night sleep, blood pressure should drop by 10-20 mmHg, thus lowering the heart rate. Less stress also translates into less strain on your heart, lower blood pressure, and lower cholesterol.