The doctor named the habits leading to coronary heart disease

Coronary heart disease develops due to a violation of the blood supply to the heart muscle. In addition, it is often asymptomatic for years. On April 18, Roman Goloshchapov-Aksenov, MD, cardiovascular surgeon at the SM Clinic, told Izvestia about the key risk factors and bad habits that accelerate the development of the disease.

According to the expert, coronary artery disease often develops for years without symptoms and many people only find out about it after a heart attack. Every eighth person aged 55-75 who considers himself healthy, in fact, already has an asymptomatic form of the disease.

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According to the specialist, when walking fast, climbing stairs and emotional stress, a person suffering from uncomplicated coronary artery disease feels discomfort, pain or burning behind the sternum in the heart area, sweating, palpitations, dizziness, which disappear within 1-3 minutes during rest.

"Bad habits, including smoking, frequent overeating or excessive consumption of sweet, floury, fatty, smoked, spicy, fried and salty foods, low physical activity and chronic psycho—emotional stress on the background of depression will inevitably lead to the development of coronary artery disease," Goloshchapov-Aksenov warned.

In addition, smoking increases blood clotting and the risk of intravascular blood clots. For heavy smokers, it is especially dangerous to increase the concentration of carboxyhemoglobin, a compound of carbon monoxide with blood hemoglobin that disrupts the oxygen transport function of the blood.

He clarified that atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries, whose diameter does not exceed 5 mm, is especially dangerous. Plaques quickly narrow the lumen, and under stress or stress, the lumen decreases even more, causing seizures.

The doctor emphasized that even 30-minute walks 3-5 times a week halve the risks. However, the best protection is regular checkups, including cardiac screening, especially for those with a hereditary predisposition or bad habits.

"A heart attack or sudden cardiac arrest can occur without warning," the specialist warned. "Prevention should begin as early as possible, while changes in blood vessels are still reversible."

Earlier, on April 2, Andrey Kostikov, a therapist at Dr. Alexandrovsky's Medical Center, told Izvestia what diseases shortness of breath can be associated with. The expert clarified that shortness of breath is a subjective feeling of lack of air, shortness of breath. In this case, an ambulance should be called immediately if dyspnoea occurs suddenly and abruptly, against a background of high fever, coughing with blood or foamy sputum.