Everyone has heard of myocardial infarction or cerebral infarction!
Myocardial infarction or cerebral infarction is actually a thrombus blocking the cardiovascular or cerebral blood vessels, so how can there be thrombosis in the blood vessels of the heart or cerebral blood vessels? In fact, the precursor of thrombus is plaque!
How come plaques grow in healthy blood vessels?
Simple understanding, just like the water pipes or sewer pipes in your home. After years of use, impurities or various dirt in the water will gradually settle in the water pipes or sewers. A very hard buildup of rubbish that has settled in the water or downspout.
What we usually say about vascular plaque actually refers to plaque in arterial blood vessels. When we were born, our plaques were elastic and very smooth, without any plaques.
So no one develops vascular plaque disease when they are young.
First, how did these plaques come about?
1. Age factor
As we age, our blood vessels, which are smooth and elastic, gradually harden, called arteriosclerosis. Just like our gray hair and wrinkles, in theory, each of us will have hardening of the arteries when we reach a certain age. Studies have found that some people develop arteriosclerosis in their teens.
There are also some people who not only harden the blood vessels, but also accumulate blood vessel waste inside the blood vessels for various reasons, resulting in the growth of blood vessel plaques. One factor that causes plaque to appear is age. The older you are, the more likely you are to develop plaque.
2. Genetic factors
If there are related cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases in the family, especially those whose parents had a clear myocardial infarction or cerebral infarction before the age of 55. This part of people is relatively more prone to atherosclerosis, and the blood vessels are more prone to plaque, which is caused by genetics.
There are also some people who belong to familial hypercholesterolemia. These people belong to a high-risk group, and will appear senile rings, xanthoma, etc. when they are young. If low-density lipoprotein cholesterol rise. Then we must consider familial hypercholesterolemia, which may develop severe plaques in adolescence, leading to myocardial infarction.
3. Life Factors
Age or heredity are factors that we cannot change. No one can rejuvenate their youth, and no one can choose their parents, so the above two points are irreversible factors.
The most important factor leading to the formation and aggravation of vascular plaque is not the above-mentioned genetics and age, but a more important aspect is the life factor.
For example, twins who are both 45 years old, if one person can live a healthy life, then there may be no plaque in the blood vessels, and the other may develop plaque in an unhealthy life.
The boss does not smoke or drink, insists on exercising, does not eat indiscriminately, can eat a healthy diet with low salt, low oil and low sugar, can work and rest regularly, and has a normal weight. There are no three highs, and I can insist on physical examinations and have a better mentality. Then the boss has no plaque, or no visible plaque.
I started smoking and drinking in my twenties, eating and drinking, not controlling my diet, irregular work and rest, obese, and not fond of activities. No physical examination, suddenly one day myocardial infarction may occur. Go to the hospital to check high blood pressure, diabetes, hyperlipidemia is very serious.
So life factors are also factors that determine whether you have plaque. And the lifestyle is something we can control!
4. Disease factors
In addition to an unhealthy lifestyle, another important factor is related diseases, the most important of which are hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia, which are commonly known as the three highs.
The long-term three highs are not found, or the three highs are not actively and formally controlled, then it is easy to cause the occurrence of plaque, lead to the aggravation of the plaque, and even induce the rupture of the plaque, the formation of thrombosis, and lead to myocardial infarction or cerebral infarction.
Sangao has the greatest impact on plaque formation and development.
Second, how to prevent plaque
As we said above, neither age nor genetics can be changed, so don’t think about preventing plaque from these two angles.
What we can do is to prevent plaque from two aspects, that is, lifestyle and control of the three highs.
Only a comprehensive healthy lifestyle, just like the twins just mentioned, can stay away from tobacco and alcohol, keep exercising, eat healthy, control weight, work and rest regularly, have a good attitude, do Well, these are the basis for preventing the three highs and for preventing plaque.
The second is to detect the three highs early and control them early. Whether it is high blood pressure, diabetes, or hyperlipidemia, most people do not feel it at the beginning. Therefore, we can’t find out whether we have the three highs by feeling. We must measure blood pressure, and draw blood to test blood sugar and lipids.
If there are three highs, no matter whether there are symptoms or not, they must be regularly controlled and monitored for a long time, so as to avoid uncontrolled three highs, causing plaques to appear and aggravating plaques.
Three, how to control plaque
How can we control the plaques that have appeared?
Let’s briefly tell you that plaque in the carotid artery can be found by color Doppler ultrasound, and plaque in the heart artery cannot be found by ordinary examination, only by coronary CTA or coronary artery Angiographic findings.
After plaques are discovered, the basis for plaque control is still the above two points: healthy life + control of the three highs.
On this basis, according to the size or nature of the plaque, under the guidance of a doctor, take statin drugs and aspirin according to the specific situation; some serious plaques may also require peeling or Stent surgery to solve!
In short, for vascular plaque, the best control is still prevention, and prevention is the best treatment for cardiovascular disease!