The leading cause of death in women and the second in men, cardiovascular disease kills 140,000 people every year. Arnaud Hueber, interventional cardiologist at the Claude-Bernard clinic in Metz, explains how to improve prevention.
Cardiovascular diseases are the second leading cause of death for men and the first for women with approximately 140,000 deaths per year. To reverse the curve, the main challenge lies in prevention. Doctor Arnaud Hueber, interventional cardiologist at the Claude-Bernard clinic in Metz, provides advice on improving prevention.
Are there warning signs that can alert to the onset of cardiovascular disease?
Two groups must be distinguished. On the one hand, there are those who do not know it but who are at risk. These are the asymptomatic. This concerns people who use tobacco, who have an important hereditary factor, who have hypertension, cholesterol or diabetes. On the other side are those with symptoms. This is characterized by chest pain, shortness of breath first on exertion, then on slightest exertion, and finally at rest. Men over 40 and women over 50 who fall into one of these two groups should feel concerned.
Is it possible to reduce the risks?
For people who are at risk, it is necessary to control these risks as much as possible. Thus, it comes down to not smoking, having a diet without fat and with more vegetables and practicing physical activity such as walking or favoring the stairs rather than the elevator. There is no need to do a marathon, a daily walk of about thirty minutes is enough. It is also necessary to consult a cardiologist once a year so that he can detect possible coronary problems.
For symptomatic people, the instructions are the same: avoid smoking and eat better. Regarding physical activity, before resuming, you must consult a cardiologist to prevent the onset of a heart attack.
What are the main heart diseases that can occur?
First there is ischemic heart disease, which accounts for approximately 60% of hospitalizations. It can range from simple angina pectoris to infarction and concerns everything related to the blood supply to the heart through the coronary arteries. Next is valvular heart disease. It is a problem with the valves of the heart which are either malformed or narrow or become insufficient. The two big symptoms are shortness of breath and palpitations. Then there is cardiomyopathy, which affects the heart muscles. The heart is a muscle that can sometimes become deficient and lose efficiency, leading to heart failure. Heart muscle disease can be idiopathic, that is, the causes are not identified, or secondary, in the case of myocarditis. You can also have congenital heart disease, which is a child malformation that is taken care of very early in life but will weaken it.
How is the screening for cardiovascular diseases carried out?
It begins with a clinical examination, an electrocardiogram and a cardiac echography which, even if they are imperfect, make it possible to guide the diagnosis, to visualize any valvular anomalies and/or myocardium (infarction).
Other more sensitive examinations such as a stress test or myocardial scintigraphy will make it possible to refine the diagnosis and, if necessary, suggest to the patient an exploration of his coronary arteries by coronary angiography – an examination carried out under X-rays which makes it possible to visualize the arteries of the heart and possible atherosclerotic lesions.
Can we do sport when we have a cardiovascular pathology?
It depends on the pathology, there are several grades. If the problem is that of a narrowing of the valves, it can be treated and one can resume a normal life once the problem is solved. On the other hand, if one has a heart attack, and a quarter of patients develop coronary heart disease through the heart attack, then this means that the heart is deficient. Depending on the severity, major efforts may be prohibited, even going so far as to prohibit the slightest effort or even to take the plane. The most important thing is to avoid the infarction.
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