Expert guidelines on treatment and management of cardiovascular diseases
Expert guidelines on treatment and management of cardiovascular diseases
Introduction
Every 06 seconds one person in India succumbs to cardiovascular disease. This is because annually the number of deaths in India from CVD is 4.77 million. It is possible to reduce the risk of this dreaded disease through a simple approach, including detection and treatment. Let’s take a look at specialists endorsed guidelines for the timely treatment and management of CVD.
What are the various cardiovascular disease treatment options?
Treatment of cardiovascular disease after it has been diagnosed includes the following standard options. This typically involves the use of medications, changes in lifestyle and for some people, it could also require surgical procedures.
An important aspect of treatment and management of CVD is changes to lifestyle. This is known to have a strong impact on outcomes and also help to reduce risks from the disease. Changes to lifestyle include:
- Diet – consumption of a diet that is labelled as heart healthy. For instance, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats. Additionally, intake of salt is to be lowered, while intake of unhealthy fats is also to be reduced considerably.
- Physical activity – Individuals diagnosed with some form of CVD are to ensure a fitness regimen of 30 minutes every day.
- Weight – this is to be managed in such a manner so as to regulate blood pressure levels, bad cholesterol, and control blood sugar levels.
- Smoking and drinking – are to be stopped, as this is a major factor or contributor to increased risk.
Apart from lifestyle changes, you will also be recommended medications to manage the condition, including:
- Antiplatelet agents and anticoagulants – to prevent blood clots.
- Statins and similar medications – to lower cholesterol levels.
- Antihypertensive medications – to control blood pressure levels.
- Diabetes – to manage blood sugar levels.
As outlined above, in certain instances, it may be necessary to undergo procedures to fix problems. This could be a procedure to treat a problem that has already progressed, including:
- Angioplasty and positioning of stents – to open blocked coronary arteries.
- Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting – to improve blood flow by bypassing blocked arteries.
- Use of devices – like pacemakers to manage irregular heartbeats.
- Valve repair – these procedures are required when heart valves are damaged.
What is the treatment for cardiovascular disease when it is in an advanced stage?
Before we look at the treatment and management of cardiovascular diseases in an advanced stage, it is important to know what happens in that stage. Advanced stage CVD is also known as congestive heart failure. This happens when the heart is unable to pump enough blood and in turn makes the heart to work harder. This condition has certain tell-tale symptoms that can be used to identify the disease.
- Heart beat changes – in this stage, you may experience faster heart beats. Alternatively, you may feel that your heart is beating abnormally hard.
- Profuse sweating, difficulty breathing and unusual tiredness may be experienced in this stage.
- Increased anxiety – the sudden changes may make you increasingly anxious about your health.
- Sudden weight loss, unusual changes in the color of your skin, swelling, and pain in the abdomen are other possible symptoms.
What are the treatments for cardiovascular disease in advanced stage?
It is necessary to note that presently there is no cure for heart failure. The whole idea of treatment and management is to relieve symptoms and reduce the possibility of more damage. The actual treatment will depend on various factors, including the extent of failure, type of heart failure, and underlying conditions.
- Treatment involves changes in lifestyle such as reduced intake of salt. This is because fluid retention can cause complications. Similarly, you will be asked to go off caffeine due to heartbeat irregularities. Additionally, your intake of fluid intake will also be controlled.
- Medicines are an important part of the treatment plan. This will include vasodilators to ensure relaxed blood flow, diuretics and aldosterone inhibitors to regulate fluid retention. Other medicines include ACE inhibitors, ARB drugs to enhance the functioning of the heart. Similarly, digitalis glycosides help to improve the contractions of the heart. Finally, you may also be recommended medications like tranquilizers to bring down your anxiety. Standard medications given during initial stages of CVD will also be recommended – anticoagulants, antiplatelets, and beta-blockers.
- Surgical procedures are often relied upon in severe cases. This is mainly to bypass blocked arteries, or in some instances to fix or replace heart valves. Devices like pacemakers help both sides of the heart to work in unison. Other implants include defibrillators, that send shock impulses to manage heart rhythm
What is the ideal approach to cardiovascular disease treatment and prevention?
The best approach to treatment and management of CVD is early detection and preventive, remedial measures. There are various factors that cause CVD, and it is possible to understand future or lifetime risk of the disease through proper screening. This includes laboratory tests to look for conditions that are known to cause CVD. These are simple tests that can help determine if a person has diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol levels. These conditions are known to contribute to risk of CVD. Other conditions that could also cause CVD include sleep apnea.
One of the reasons for certain cardiovascular disease is known as the genetic component. You may inherit certain conditions from your parent, like hypertension, cardiomyopathy and arrhythmias. This passes from the parent to offspring in DNA. Similarly, a person belonging to a family that has a history of heart attack is also prone to higher risk.
This genetic component of cardiovascular diseases can be detected much earlier, unlike other disease factors. A simple blood sample or saliva sample is all that is required to check if you are at risk of CVD in the future from the genetic angle. Advanced genetic testing facilities are presently available in Tamil Nadu, and this can help you screen for the disease.
This is a huge advantage considering that you will learn of any possible risk, well in advance. This is unlike other factors such as high cholesterol levels or diabetes or hypertension, wherein you will know, only if the condition has progressed to levels where it can be detected as borderline or above.
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Education: Bachelor of Pharmacy (B.Pharm) from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai Experience: Dr. Agarwal is a seasoned pharmacist with over 7 years of experience in the pharmaceutical field. She has worked in various settings, including hospital pharmacies and community clinics, where she has excelled in medication management, patient counseling, and clinical support. Dr. Agarwal is known for her expertise in drug therapy optimization and patient safety. In addition to her practical experience, she contributes to health journalism, focusing on pharmaceutical advancements and health policy, and is involved in research projects aimed at improving medication practices and health outcomes. is known for her expertise in drug therapy optimization and patient safety. In addition to her practical experience, she contributes to health journalism, focusing on pharmaceutical advancements and health policy, and is involved in research projects aimed at improving medication practices and health outcomes.