Content Sources:
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In 2023, Huang Ming, a 32-year-old man from Jiangsu, runs a seafood restaurant that is not big or small, and the business is not very good, but it is okay. However, in the early days of entrepreneurship, Huang Ming buried a lot of health risks in his life. Years of hard work and irregular living habits have gradually brought his health downhill.
At first, Huang Ming thought that the frequent chest tightness and chest pain were just caused by excessive fatigue, and that a bottle of beer and a long sleep could take away all the discomfort. This time, however, things are not so simple.
One afternoon, just as Huang Ming was serving a plate of fresh seafood to the customer's table, a sudden severe chest pain stopped him, and his pale face showed unprecedented panic. It wasn't the kind of small pain he was familiar with after exhaustion, but it was like someone cutting his chest with a knife. Seeing this, the customers and staff in the store quickly dialed 120 and rushed him to the hospital.
In the midst of a nervous wait, the diagnosis fell like a bolt from the blue - coronary heart disease. The doctor's explanation made Huang Ming feel deep helplessness and fear for the first time. Coronary heart disease, a word that seemed very distant to him, was now so close and close at hand.
Coronary heart disease, also known as coronary heart disease, is a condition in which the blood supply to the heart is insufficient due to reduced blood flow in the coronary arteries. The cause is usually associated with atherosclerosis. Traditionally, coronary heart disease mainly occurs in middle-aged and elderly people.
However, with lifestyle changes, poor diet, lack of exercise, excessive stress, smoking and alcohol abuse and other factors becoming more common, the risk of coronary heart disease in young people is gradually increasing. In recent years, with the change of lifestyle habits and the increase of social pressure, coronary heart disease has shown a trend of gradually getting younger. This phenomenon has become a health problem that society attaches great importance to.
The acceleration of the pace of modern life requires young people to face greater work pressure and psychological burden, and long-term high-intensity stress can easily lead to increased blood pressure, blood sugar, and blood lipid disorders, which are all risk factors for coronary heart disease.
At the same time, the prevalence of fast food culture has made high-fat, high-sugar foods a daily choice for many young people, which further increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. It is worth noting that with the development of science and technology, the lifestyle of the younger generation is becoming more and more static, facing computer and mobile phone screens for a long time, and lacking sufficient physical exercise, which not only increases the possibility of obesity, but also indirectly promotes the development of coronary heart disease.
In addition to lifestyle, genetic factors should not be overlooked. Young people with a family history of coronary heart disease are at higher risk, reminding us that we need to pay attention to our own family health history as well as our lifestyle habits. In the face of the trend of coronary heart disease at a younger age, we should take active measures to prevent and reduce the occurrence of the disease.
Huang Ming was diagnosed with coronary heart disease, a heart disease caused by insufficient blood supply to the coronary arteries, after a coronary angiography. The doctor explained the causes of coronary heart disease in detail: "Long-term high-stress work conditions, irregular living habits, and high-fat, high-calorie diet caused Huang Ming's coronary arteries to narrow, reduce blood flow, resulting in myocardial ischemia, hypoxia, and then chest tightness and chest pain." ”
。 In the in-depth communication with the doctor, Huang Mingcai gradually realized that although coronary heart disease is not a fatal disease, if it is not controlled and treated, it may not be reversed when it develops into a myocardial infarction or heart failure. So, with the support of his family and the advice of his doctors, Huang Ming decided to undergo coronary artery bypass surgery, in order to completely solve the problem of insufficient blood supply to the heart.
After a series of examinations and preoperative preparations, the operation was successful, which is undoubtedly great news for Huang Ming and his family. However, the recovery period is not easy. Every time in the middle of the night, Huang Ming would always be glad that he had done these two things, otherwise coronary heart disease might really develop into myocardial infarction and heart failure!
1. Lifestyle adjustments
1. Eat a healthy diet: A nutritious and balanced diet is essential to prevent the progression of coronary heart disease. Increase your intake of fruits and vegetables, reduce saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol, and choose whole grains, lean meats, low-fat dairy products, and fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Control salt intake to avoid high blood pressure and limit the intake of high-sugar foods to manage blood sugar levels.
2. Moderate exercise: Regular physical activity can enhance heart function, improve blood circulation, lower blood pressure, and raise HDL (good) cholesterol levels, while reducing weight and controlling diabetes. It is recommended to do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week, such as brisk walking, swimming, or cycling.
3. Quit smoking and alcohol: Smoking is one of the main risk factors for coronary heart disease and can be exacerbated by damaging blood vessel walls, raising blood pressure, and reducing the amount of oxygen in the blood. Quitting smoking can significantly reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Excessive alcohol consumption also increases the burden on the heart, so alcohol intake should be limited.
4. Weight management: Being overweight or obese is another important factor in the development of coronary heart disease. Managing your weight through a healthy diet and moderate exercise can not only control blood pressure and blood sugar, but also help reduce the burden on your heart.
5. Stress management: Long-term stress and anxiety can lead to increased blood pressure, arrhythmias, etc., which can exacerbate the risk of coronary heart disease. Managing and reducing stress through things like meditation, deep breathing, yoga, and plenty of rest is good for the heart.
2. Medical intervention
1. Get regular health check-ups: It's crucial to identify and treat risk factors for coronary heart disease such as high blood pressure, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes in a timely manner. Regular health check-ups can help with early diagnosis and intervention.
2. Medication: For some conditions that cannot be controlled by lifestyle modification alone, such as severe hypertension, hyperlipidemia, etc., specific medications are required. Common drugs include antihypertensive drugs, drugs that regulate blood lipids, and antiplatelet drugs. Taking the medication prescribed by the doctor correctly, having regular check-ups, and adjusting the dosage of the medication are important means to control the progression of coronary heart disease.
3. Interventional or surgical treatment: For patients with severe coronary artery stenosis, coronary intervention (such as balloon dilation and stent implantation) or coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) may be required to improve the blood supply to the heart, reduce the symptoms of ischemia in the heart, and prevent the occurrence of heart failure and myocardial infarction.
In conclusion, the risk of coronary heart disease developing into heart failure and myocardial infarction can be effectively reduced through the comprehensive implementation of the above two types of measures. Importantly, these measures need to be sustained over the long term, as a lifestyle change, not as a temporary one. Through individual efforts and medical support, quality of life can be significantly improved and life spans extended.