Interventional Cardiology & Coronary artery disease
Interventional cardiology has grown to bridge many specialties, which were traditionally seen as somewhat isolated from one another. There are many things that can go wrong with the heart, and sometimes the symptoms that something is wrong are not always obvious. Cardiology is a branch of medicine which deals with the study, diagnosis, and care of the cardiovascular system.
Interventional cardiology is the subspecialty of cardiology that deals
specifically with the catheter-based treatment of heart diseases. There are
several main interventional cardiology
procedures, including the following:
- Angioplasty
and Stenting
- Atherectomy
- Embolic
Protection
- Percutaneous
Valve Repair
- Balloon
Angioplasty
What is Coronary artery disease?
Coronary artery disease is the most common type of heart disease. It is the
leading cause of death in the United States in both men and women. Coronary
artery disease is a serious condition caused by a buildup of plaque in your
coronary arteries, the blood vessels that bring oxygen-rich blood to your
heart.
A buildup of plaque can narrow these arteries, decreasing blood flow to your
heart. Eventually, the reduced blood flow may cause chest pain, shortness of
breath, or other coronary artery disease signs and symptoms.
This can lead to chest pain or a heart attack.
Most heart attacks happen when a blood clot suddenly
cuts off the hearts' blood supply, causing permanent heart damage. A complete
blockage can cause a heart attack. The plaque could also break off, leading to
a heart attack or sudden cardiac death.
Risk factors for Coronary artery disease
- Many risk
factors are modifiable and account for the majority of the population's
attributable risk for myocardial infarction. Your risk of CAD increases as
you age getting older increases your risk of damaged and narrowed
arteries. The lifetime risk of developing CAD in men and women after 40
years of age
- White men
between the ages of 35 and 44 are about 6 times more likely to die of CAD
than white women in that same age group. The difference is less among
people who aren’t white according to Fisher. Obesity may also be a risk
factor. Men are generally at greater risk of coronary artery disease.
However, the risk for women increases after menopause.
- A family
history of heart disease is associated with a higher risk of coronary
artery disease, especially if a close relative developed heart disease at
an early age. Your risk is further increased if your father or a brother
received a diagnosis of heart disease before age 55, or if your mother or
a sister received a diagnosis before age 65.
- People who
smoke have a significantly increased risk of heart disease. Causes of
Smoking tobacco products first or secondhand, by itself, increases your
risk of CAD. If you have coexisting risk factors, your CAD risk rises
exponentially.
- Uncontrolled
high blood pressure can result in the hardening and thickening of your
arteries, narrowing the channel through which blood
can flow. Over time, high blood pressure, or hypertension, can
cause the heart muscle to enlarge and not move correctly.
- High
cholesterol can be caused by a high level of low-density lipoprotein
cholesterol, known as bad cholesterol. High levels of LDL and low levels
of HDL increase your risk of plaque building up in your arteries. There’s
an additional risk when either one of these is accompanied by a high triglyceride
level.
- Excess
weight typically worsens other risk factors. Exercise also helps you
maintain a healthy weight and reduces your risk for other diseases, such
as obesity and diabetes mellitus, which might lead to CAD.
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