Mr. Chen and Mr. Lin work in the same company. During a physical examination organized by the company, they were found to have carotid plaques at the same time. Mr. Chen had mild stenosis and Mr. Lin had moderate stenosis. The two had heard that it was a common occurrence and that it was not a concern, so neither had treatment.

In the next 3 years,the two should smoke, drink and drink, and they didn’t think about taking medicine to control span>, the god of luck did not favor them this time, and they all paid the price for it in the same year: Mr. Chen left the sequelae of paralysis after being rescued, and Mr. Lin suffered a sudden cerebral infarction. lost his life.

There are actually many similar tragedies, but there may be many people who do not know To the harm of carotid plaque.

According to a study published in The Lancet, in 2020, about 2 billion people will have carotid atherosclerosis, and my country accounts for the 270 million, of which carotid plaques account for 200 million.

According to the “Beijing 2020 Annual Physical Examination Statistical Report” released in December last year, it also sounded a wake-up call for us. The survey counted about 3.53 million people in health. According to the physical examination, it was found that among the abnormal signs in males, the detection rate of carotid plaques is in the top 10. almost no survivors.

It can be seen that carotid plaques are indeed very common. How much of a threat to human health is found in carotid plaques during physical examination?

1. What is the “silent killer” carotid plaque?

Actually, many people do not know much about carotid plaques, so it is difficult to pay attention to them.

Then touch the front of your neck, the two large blood vessels on both sides of the trachea, which are the carotid arteries. Its primary role is to supply blood and oxygen to the front of the brain.

Why do plaques appear?

This is inseparable from the anatomical structure of the carotid artery (there is a “Y”-shaped branch), the blood flow at this branch is relatively strong, It is easy to cause mechanical damage to the arterial intima due to certain factors, which allows cholesterol to enter (vascular intima) and eventually form plaque.

According to a meta-study in 2019, after analyzing 76 correlation studies from 1962 to 2018 (involving a total of 48,847 people), it was finally found:

span>Hyperlipidemia, hyperhomocysteinemia, hyperuricemia, smoking, metabolic syndrome, hypertension, diabetes, etc. It is closely related to the occurrence of carotid plaque.

And when carotid plaques appear, the harm is huge and may cause irreversible damage to brain tissue, hemiplegia , hemianopia, aphasia, etc., and may even lead to death in severe cases. Therefore, for carotid plaque, we need to pay enough attention.

Second, carotid artery plaque is found, how far is it from cerebral infarction?

According to the “China Stroke Prevention and Control Report (2018)”:Carotid artery stenosis is associated with 50%~75% of cerebral infarction< /span>. So if the carotid artery plaque is found in the physical examination, is it not far from the cerebral infarction?

When plaque is formed, if it is not treated in time, the plaque will gradually grow. When some factors are unstable, the plaque may rupture and cause thrombosis. After the thrombus falls off, if the patient’s blood flows to the brain tissue, it will cause a cerebral infarction.

Plaque can lead to narrowing of arteries if left uncontrolled. When the stenosis is less than or equal to 50%, the occurrence of cerebral infarction can be prevented by controlling blood pressure, blood lipids, and paying attention to lifestyle and diet.But if the stenosis is >50%, especially if it reaches 70%, Immediate medical attention is required.

Therefore, Xiaojiu reminds people with carotid plaques to avoid dangerous movements such as turning around abruptly and turning around suddenly, which may cause the plaques to fall off, so as not to induce cerebral infarction.

And when the body has these 3 symptoms for no reason, you need to be alert that it may be carotid plaque.

1. Transient aphasia

When the lesion affects the language area of ​​the cerebral cortex , will lead to impaired verbal communication skills.

2.Impairment

such as sudden inability to walk, unsteady gait, wobbly gait, unilateral physical, facial or limb movement disturbance, tingling or numbness.

3. Transient visual field blackness

can be expressed as one side or For bilateral eyes, suddenly can’t see objects clearly, or even go blind.

Due to the high incidence of carotid plaque, it is recommended that people over 55 years old should have a carotid ultrasound examination once a year, if there are high risk factors such as smoking, drinking, three highs (hypertension, hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia), the inspection time should be shortened, and if the above symptoms appear, you should seek medical attention in time.

Three, adhere to these 4 things daily, the plaque may gradually become smaller

In fact, most plaques can be “reversed”, that is, through intensive cholesterol-lowering therapy and active control of other risk factors, the plaque volume can be reduced or even ignored. Guo Yifang, vice president of Hebei Provincial People’s Hospital, reminded that plaque can be effectively controlled and cerebral infarction can be prevented through reasonable diet, increased exercise, control of three highs, and standardized medication.

1. Adhere to a healthy diet and active exercise

This is a very important part , it is recommended to avoid high-salt, high-oil, high-fat foods, such as fatty meat, lard, butter, pickles, etc., eat more fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin C and high fiber< /span>.

At the same time, actively participate in physical exercise, Brisk walking, swimming, jogging, etc. are all OK, 1 week to maintain at least 4-6 times of exercise, not less than 30 minutes each time.

2. Control the three highs

If blood pressure, blood sugar, and blood lipids cannot be lowered all the time , can damage the vascular endothelium, which can lead to local vascular sclerosis. Therefore, to prevent carotid plaque, it is necessary to strictly control blood pressure, blood sugar, and blood lipids.

3. Improve your lifestyle< /p>

If you try to avoid staying up late, because staying up late may cause mild inflammation in the body, and after a long time, it can promote the lipidation of fat, thereby accelerating the formation of plaques; at the same time, you should also quit smoking, because the harmful effects of smoke Substances can also irritate and damage the lining of the tubes, resulting in plaques.

4. Drug therapy

According to the specific conditions of the patients (mainly cholesterol levels ) Choose statins and other cholesterol-lowering drugs for treatment, if the situation is serious, especially if the lumen has been severely narrowed. In addition to drugs, carotid endarterectomy and carotid stenting may be required.

Summary: The carotid artery is the representative of the large and medium blood vessels in the human body. Once carotid plaques appear Blocks can significantly increase the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and endanger human health. Therefore, everyone should pay attention to this problem. Once it occurs, seek medical treatment in time to reduce the harm.

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