Pharaoh is a well-known health expert. Since his retirement, he has been exercising in a nearby park with his wife every day. I will have a physical examination every six months, and my body has always been in good health.

But since last week,Pharaoh always feels a little chest tightness and difficulty breathing after every workout , the neighbor suggested that he go to the hospital to check his heart function to avoid any harm.

Wait to go to the hospital, and after telling about his symptoms, the doctor directly ordered him to go for an examination, “Here I suggest you do an electrocardiogram and electrocardiogram ultrasound first, if there is If conditions permit, it is best to be hospitalized for coronary angiography, which can better observe the condition of the heart.”

Pharaoh is a little uneasy, but he has a little chest tightness and shortness of breath. So many checks!

“Doctor, I can do both electrocardiogram and color Doppler ultrasound, but I heard that coronary angiography is very harmful to the human body. I also read an article before saying, After coronary angiography, people may live for a long time, this examination should be ignored.”

< span> “Where did you hear the nonsense saying that coronary angiography may have side effects, but it won’t kill you. Forget it, let’s check the electrocardiogram and color Doppler first.” The doctor said helplessly.

What harm does coronary angiography do to the human body? After the patient is done, will it really “live long”?

1. What is the difference between coronary angiography, electrocardiogram and echocardiography?

In routine physical examination, ECG and ECG color ultrasound may be common, but what is the specific examination of coronary angiography?

ECG can be used to observe whether the conduction of the cardiac circuit system is abnormal, so as to determine whether the patient has arrhythmia and myocardial ischemia span> and other symptoms.

ECG color Doppler ultrasound is mainly used to observe the heart structure, heart beat, valve opening and closing and left atrial ejection value, etc., so as to Determine whether the patient has ventricular hypertrophy, valve damage and abnormal cardiac function.

What is coronary angiography?

The main function of coronary angiography is to understand the internal shape and blood flow velocity of the coronary artery, so as to determine whether the coronary artery has stenosis and blood flow velocity. Plaque condition, often used to diagnose coronary heart disease.

In coronary angiography, a catheter is inserted from the radial artery at the wrist or the femoral artery at the thigh, and then along the artery to the coronary artery of the heart , and then inject a small amount of contrast agent into the coronary artery to be examined, and at the same time take a cardiovascular X-ray film, so that the internal shape of the coronary artery can be displayed under the X-ray.

Who can do coronary angiography? As long as there are the following 3 categories:

①Patients suspected of having coronary heart disease: abnormal electrocardiogram, severe arrhythmia, Middle-aged and elderly patients with heart failure, enlarged heart, and resuscitators from primary cardiac arrest.

②Patients with confirmed coronary heart disease and requiring coronary heart disease treatment: including old and acute myocardial infarction, unstable angina pectoris, stable exertional angina pectoris, etc.

③ Non-coronary heart disease patients who are ready for cardiac surgery: patients with valvular disease or congenital heart disease, and General surgery patients with previous angina pectoris.

Coronary angiography is not suitable for patients with severe kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, and patients who are allergic to iodine.

Second, after coronary angiography, will people live soon?

Coronary angiography is an invasive test, and some patients may experience side effects. Dr. Meng Fanyun, director of the Department of Cardiology of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, said that the possible side effects are as follows:

1. Puncture injury

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Due to the need to puncture the artery during coronary angiography, complications such as hematoma, venous fistula and pseudoaneurysm may occur during the puncture process. Coronary artery injury, arrhythmia, etc.

2. Radiation Hazards

Coronary angiography needs to use large doses of X-ray exposure, the amount of radiation equivalent to ten chest X-rays, may affect the body.

However, with 1-2 coronary angiograms within a year, the radiation dose is still within the acceptable range of the human body

span>, it won’t affect your health too much.

3. Influence of contrast medium

Contrast that will be used in coronary angiography The agent is iodine, including ioversol, iodixanol, etc. Some people may be allergic to this type of contrast agent, ranging from skin rashes or blisters, to anaphylactic shock and even severe cases die because of it.

In addition, the contrast agent injected into the blood vessels needs to pass through the kidneys.Excretion from the body may cause certain damage to the kidneys during the excretion process, resulting in decreased kidney function.

Is there any way to reduce the damage? Jia Yuhua, Chief Physician, Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Hospital of Southern Medical UniversityReminder:

• It is recommended that patients choose a large tertiary hospital for coronary angiography. The doctors are more experienced, skilled, fast and safe, which can greatly avoid radiation effects, puncture damage and coronary artery damage;< /li>
• If the patient is prone to allergies, they should inform the doctor in advance before the examination;
• after coronary angiography< strong>, patients should drink plenty of water to promote the excretion of contrast media, and hydration therapy can be performed once renal function declines.

3. Who is more likely to get coronary heart disease? Features may be on the face

Coronary heart disease is the “number one killer” of heart disease. Common causes include smoking, obesity, high blood pressure, high blood lipids, and diabetes.

But you know what? It turns out that a person’s face can be used to tell how high the risk of coronary heart disease is.

In 2020, a research team from Tsinghua University and Beijing Fuwai Hospital jointly developed an algorithm to detect coronary heart disease by analyzing face photos, and combined the results of this research. Published in the European Heart Journal.

The research team recruited 6,809 patients from 9 hospitals who were to undergo elective coronary angiography, or coronary CT angiography (CCTA). The results found:Certain facial features were associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease.

These characteristics include:thinning gray hair, ear lobes or pre-ear creases, deep eye bags, deep wrinkles (including crow’s feet, Forehead wrinkles, fine lines around the eyes, nasolabial folds, etc.), age spots, xanthoma, pale lips, etc.

And the more facial features described above, the higher the risk of coronary heart disease (including single-vessel disease, double-vessel disease, and triple-vessel disease).

Therefore, if you have facial puffiness, increased facial spots, gray circles on the cornea, lips When you have a purple face, a poker face (stiff and indifferent facial expression), or a thick neck, you should be alert to possible signs of heart disease, and you should seek medical treatment and treatment as soon as possible.

Although coronary angiography has certain trauma and side effects, it is generally relatively safe, and patients need not worry too much. Whether to do coronary angiography, it is recommended to listen to the doctor’s advice first, and then make a choice based on your own situation.

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