Atherosclerosis Of The Aorta Of The Heart - Causes, Symptoms, How To Treat?

2024 Author: Josephine Shorter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-07 17:49

Atherosclerosis of the aorta of the heart

Content:

• Atherosclerosis of the aorta of the heart - what is it?
• Symptoms of atherosclerosis of the aorta of the heart
• Causes of atherosclerosis of the aorta of the heart
• Diagnostics of the atherosclerosis of the aorta of the heart
• Treatment of atherosclerosis of the aorta of the heart
• Prevention of atherosclerosis of the aorta of the heart

Atherosclerosis of the aorta of the heart - what is it?

Atherosclerosis of the aorta of the heart is a disease that affects the largest elastic artery in the human body and has a chronic course. The disease is characterized by the formation of one or more foci of lipid deposits on the inner lining of the cardiac aorta, called "atheromatous plaques". As the disease progresses, connective tissue proliferation and calcification of the walls of the aorta occur, which causes its deformation, although slow, but steadily progressing. As a result, the lumen narrows to complete obliteration, due to which the heart and the underlying organs feeding from it suffer, which begin to experience an increasing lack of blood supply.

In addition, blockage of the aorta of the heart by a thrombus is possible. The result of occlusion of the lumen of the artery is myocardial infarction.

The aorta itself consists of two sections and is divided into the thoracic and abdominal parts. The thoracic aorta is the initial site of the cardiac aorta, and the arteries extending from it supply blood to the upper half of the body and the organs located there. The abdominal aorta is the terminal site that supplies blood to the organs in the lower body, namely the abdomen and pelvis.

According to statistics, from atherosclerosis of the aorta of the heart most often affects men who have reached the age of 50 and older, as well as women who have crossed the threshold of 60 years.

Symptoms of atherosclerosis of the aorta of the heart

At the initial stages, the disease develops almost asymptomatically, sometimes the period of plaque formation can take several decades. Depending on which part of the aorta of the heart was affected, a person will experience certain unpleasant sensations.

If the thoracic aorta has undergone pathological changes, then the person will complain of the following symptoms:

• Chest pains that occur at regular intervals and are burning in nature;
• Rise in systolic blood pressure;
• Frequent dizziness;
• Difficulty swallowing food
• Premature graying and early aging;
• Overgrowth of hair in the auricles;
• The formation of wen on the face;
• The appearance of a light stripe on the outer shell of the iris.

When atherosclerosis affects the abdominal part of the cardiac aorta, a person may complain about:

• Stool disorders, expressed in the periodic change of diarrhea with constipation;
• Bloating, increased gas formation;
• Progressive weight loss;
• Paroxysmal aching pains of low intensity that occur after eating and stop after two hours;
• Severe abdominal pain that is not relieved with the help of painkillers may indicate the development of inflammation of the abdominal organs or the peritoneum itself, which occurs as a result of thrombosis;
• Increased blood pressure;
• Development of renal failure.

Causes of atherosclerosis of the aorta of the heart

Among the reasons leading to the development of atherosclerosis of the aorta of the heart, are:

• The patient's age is over 40 years. The risk of atherosclerosis formation increases in parallel with the years lived;
• Gender (men under the age of 55 suffer from atherosclerosis of the aorta of the heart much more often than women);
• Hereditary factor, that is, the risk of developing atherosclerosis in those families where relatives suffered from a similar disease increases;
• Bad habits, in particular, tobacco smoking. The tar and nicotine contained in the smoke contribute to coronary artery spasms, increasing the risk of coronary artery disease and increasing blood pressure;
• Improperly selected dietary plan with a predominance of animal fats in the menu;
• Low physical activity, which leads to the formation of diabetes mellitus and obesity, as well as to a decrease in the rate of metabolic processes and the formation of atherosclerotic plaques;
• High blood pressure;
• Frequent infections and intoxication of the body.

Diagnostics of the atherosclerosis of the aorta of the heart

As a rule, it is almost impossible to suspect the development of atherosclerosis of the aorta of the heart only on the basis of the patient's complaints, therefore it is so important to have a regular examination by a therapist and identify associated risk factors. Among them, an increase in blood pressure, an increase in body weight, an increase in blood cholesterol levels.

If there is a suspicion of the presence of atherosclerosis of the aorta, then the following clarifying techniques are used:

• ECG, supplemented by the results of ultrasound of the aorta and heart;
• Coronography and angiography;
• Duplex and triplex scanning;
• MRI.

Treatment of atherosclerosis of the aorta of the heart

The earlier treatment is started, the higher its effect will be. Therapy is aimed, firstly, at lowering the level of cholesterol in the blood, and secondly, at stimulating its early elimination from the body and, thirdly, at eliminating concomitant pathologies.

There are certain groups of drugs used to treat atherosclerosis of the aorta of the heart, among them:

• Statins, which help lower blood cholesterol levels, but have a large number of side effects and contraindications (pravol, zokor, mevacor);
• Derivatives of nicotinic acid and nicotinic acid itself (vitamin B3), which are also aimed at lowering the level of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood, have anti-teratogenic properties and contribute to the production of "good" cholesterol. However, given that the dosage should be taken from 50 to 300 daily norms, adverse reactions are inevitable;
• Fibrates, aimed at reducing the body's synthesis of its own fats (miscleron, Gevilan, atromide);
• Sequestrants of bile acids, promoting their excretion and lowering the level of cholesterol in the blood (cholestide, cholestyramine).

None of these drugs can be prescribed and used by the patient independently, since it has a number of contraindications and threatens the development of complications, most often from the liver. Therefore, the scheme should be selected exclusively by the attending doctor and on an individual basis. The doctor who treats atherosclerosis is a local therapist. If necessary, the patient can be referred to a narrower specialist.

In addition to the above medications, the patient will be given recommendations for changing the diet, it is recommended to adhere to the Mediterranean diet. Often, the doctor prescribes vitamin and mineral complexes, omega-3 preparations (for example, Omacor).

In addition to the main treatment, herbal preparations may be recommended, such as: Inflaminat, Ravisol, Revight Garlic Pearls.

In some cases, medication alone is not enough and surgery may be required. It is necessary when there is a threat to human life, for example, myocardial infarction, kidney ischemia, or another formidable complication of atherosclerosis of the aorta of the heart.

It is difficult to give a prognosis for recovery from atherosclerosis, it all depends on the degree of development of the disease. However, with the timely elimination of risk factors, mortality rates are significantly reduced. Therefore, prevention of atherosclerosis is so important.

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Prevention of atherosclerosis of the aorta of the heart

Preventive measures are aimed at preventing an increase in blood cholesterol levels and preventing it from being deposited on the walls of the aorta.

To reduce the risk of developing atherosclerosis, you must:

• Give up bad habits, first of all, from smoking and drinking alcohol;
• Reconsider your approach to nutrition. Although the proportion of cholesterol that enters the bloodstream from food is not too high and is only 25%, nevertheless, as a preventive measure, it will not be superfluous to switch to a Mediterranean diet;
• If at least one of the signs indicating problems in the work of the aorta of the heart was noticed, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible and undergo a comprehensive diagnosis. Timely treatment of concomitant diseases will reduce the risk of developing atherosclerosis of the aorta of the heart. We are talking about diabetes mellitus, arterial hypertension, obesity;
• Leading an active lifestyle, moderate physical activity, engaging in accessible sports will make it possible, if not avoid, then significantly delay the time of manifestation of the disease;
• It is worth annually to undergo examinations at the polyclinic at the place of residence, which is especially important for people who have crossed the threshold of 40 years.

Compliance with these preventive measures will reduce the risk of developing atherosclerosis of the aorta of the heart, avoid serious complications of the disease and maintain the quality of life at a high level.

The author of the article: Molchanov Sergey Nikolaevich | Cardiologist

Education: Diploma in "Cardiology" received at the PMGMU. I. M. Sechenov (2015). Here I completed my postgraduate studies and received a diploma "Cardiologist".