A 42-year-old man has severe stenosis of blood vessels, and the plaque 'disappears' after 1 year. The doctor said that he did 3 things right

42-year-old Mr. Liu had severe 98% stenosis of blood vessels a year ago. A year later, the plaque shrank or even disappeared. What happened?

A year ago, Mr. Liu, who had always been in good health, suddenly developed persistent chest pain symptoms. He went to the hospital for examination and found that it was coronary heart disease, angina pectoris, and severe stenosis of blood vessels.

Severe stenosis of more than 98% in one vessel and moderate stenosis in the other vessel . Since the problem could not be solved by taking medicine, Mr. Liu could only implant a stent for the serious blood vessel.

One year later, Mr. Liu went to the hospital for a re-examination, and found that the blood flow in the stent was unobstructed, and there was no restenosis, and the plaque in the other blood vessel almost disappeared. .

Wang Xing, deputy chief physician of the Cardiovascular Department of the No. 983 Hospital of the Joint Logistics Support Force, said that the reason why Mr. Liu recovered so well was because he listened to the doctor and did three things in one year.

First, Mr. Liu, who has smoked for many years, successfully quit smoking after implanting a stent, which reduced the damage to blood vessels;

The second is to change his eating habits. In the past, he always eats and drinks, likes takeout food, and never avoids food. After the stent is implanted, he starts to control his diet, insists on low salt, low oil and low sugar, and insists on eating vegetables and fruits at the same time;

The third is that Mr. Liu, who had hardly exercised before, began to exercise regularly, gritted his teeth and insisted, and strictly followed the doctor's orders to take medicine, reviewed every time, and actively cooperated with treatment.

1. Why do blood vessels grow plaque?

Plaques are formed when macromolecular substances such as fat in the blood are continuously deposited in the wound of the vascular endothelium, causing local inflammation, degeneration of fat, and accumulation of agglomerates.

The accumulation of plaque can lead to a "traffic jam" in the blood vessels. At the same time, the risk of rupture becomes high.

As "repairers" in blood vessels, platelets' main task is to repair damaged blood vessel walls. When a problem is found in the blood vessel, the platelets will rapidly aggregate, which will make the blood clot even worse. After the plaque ruptures, it moves to other parts of the body with blood flow, becoming a "time bomb".

Some people think that plaques only appear when they are older, but this is not the case. The formation of plaque is the result of accumulation over time. The basis of plaque formation has already appeared in blood vessels in childhood . With the increase of age and the increase of risk factors such as smoking, drinking, and staying up late, plaque will gradually form. For people over 60, plaque in the blood vessels has become commonplace .

So how far is plaque considered dangerous? It mainly depends on the degree of stenosis of the blood vessel where the plaque is located.

If there is plaque, but no stenosis of the blood vessels, the situation is not serious. If the plaque leads to stenosis of blood vessels by more than 50%, hinders blood flow, and causes blood vessel blockage, you should actively seek medical treatment and treatment to reduce the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.

2. The danger of "long spots" in two positions

With the change of living habits, it is not uncommon for people to have plaques now. However, Wu Naqiong, chief physician of the Endocrinology and Cardiovascular Metabolism Center of Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, reminded: If plaques appear in the following 2 locations, causing vascular stenosis, you should be vigilant, otherwise it is very dangerous.

One is the coronary arteries of the heart. The main function of the coronary arteries of the heart is to provide oxygen and nutrients to the heart. If stenosis occurs, the heart cannot get sufficient oxygen and nutrients supply, increasing the risk of thrombosis and myocardial infarction.

The second is the carotid artery . The blood flow at the bifurcation of the carotid artery is relatively slow and turbulent, which is easy to form atherosclerotic plaque. If severe carotid artery stenosis occurs, it may be accompanied by symptoms such as dizziness, headache, shortness of breath, and even stroke in severe cases.

Among them, carotid plaque is greatly affected by age and belongs to a kind of "senile disease". According to a study published in the Chinese Journal of Circulation in 2017, one -third of adults in China have carotid atherosclerotic plaques .

In addition, a survey showed that more than 40% of Chinese people over the age of 40 had carotid plaques detected. Carotid plaques are detected in approximately 80% of stroke or transient ischemic attack cases over the age of 45.

3. Vascular plaques have the opportunity to shrink or disappear

Plaque growing in blood vessels, is there any chance to shrink and get rid of it? The answer is yes. In this regard, a review in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology gives specific implementation methods:

1. Control your diet

Limit the intake of high-calorie and high-fat foods, and adhere to the principle of "three more and three less" in the diet, that is, eat more fresh vegetables and fruits such as broccoli, spinach, carrots, apples, blueberries, etc. It is best to eat 1 catty of vegetables every day. +0.5 jins of fruit, variety should be rich, avoid single. Eat more whole grains, eat more deep-sea fish, sardines and other deep-sea fish, steaming is the best. Eat less fat, animal offal, salt and sugar.

2. Insist on exercising

Exercise can effectively prevent the occurrence of cardiovascular events and is conducive to the regression of plaques.

Choose an exercise that suits you, and do it step by step and persevere. Give priority to aerobic exercise such as walking, jogging, swimming, and mountain climbing. It is recommended to exercise 30-50 minutes a day, 3-5 days a week.

3. Quit smoking

Cigarettes are a risk factor for cardiovascular events. Not only do not actively smoke, but also stay away from second-hand and third-hand smoke.

4. Lower the "Three Highs"

The "three highs" are also risk factors for cardiovascular events. If the "three highs" cannot be reduced by adjusting the lifestyle, then it is necessary to take the corresponding drugs under the guidance of the doctor, and strive to make the "three highs" reach the standard.

Are your blood vessels healthy? The poor lifestyle of modern people will only make our blood vessels more and more fragile. To protect blood vessels is to protect your own life. Be a person with healthy living habits from now on!

References

[1] "The vascular plaque shrunk and even "disappeared", how did he do it? ". Health Times. 2022-03-18

[2] "Your blood vessels are slowly growing and hardening! In doing so, the "plaque" may shrink or even disappear". CCTV Life Circle. 2022-06-02

[3] "Plaques in blood vessels can shrink or even disappear! "Journal of the American College of Cardiology summarizes new strategies". Life Times. 2022-01-19

Reproduction is prohibited without the author's permission