Cardiologist warned about the risks of self-medication withdrawal in CVD

In real practice, patients with cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are often not treated as recommended by doctors: in the future, only one in two patients with chronic CVD continues to follow the recommendations of doctors on taking medications. Oleg Rudomanov, PhD, cardiologist, Manager of Medical Process Development at Servier JSC, told Izvestia about this on July 6.

"Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are still the main cause of death in Russia: according to Rosstat, in 2024 they accounted for more than 45% of all deaths. More than 800,000 people die from heart attacks and strokes every year. And this is despite the fact that the vast majority of complications can be prevented by regularly taking medications prescribed by a doctor," he noted.

According to him, one of the popular myths among patients is that if blood pressure has returned to normal, medications are no longer needed. But normal indicators are often achieved precisely through systemic, regular treatment. Self—withdrawal of medications without consulting a doctor can lead to loss of control over the disease, often with serious consequences.

From weakness to excess weight: doctors named the signs of thyroid diseases

Organ malfunctions are increasingly being detected in young people

"Some patients rely on herbs, advice from friends, or recipes from the Internet instead of doctor's prescriptions, believing that folk remedies are better than pills. It seems that natural means safe. In fact, the lack of control and proven effectiveness can lead to serious complications, especially in heart and vascular diseases," Rudomanov warned.

Without a sufficient explanation, the doctor noted, patients often do not see the point in treatment. It is psychologically difficult for the patient to accept his chronic illness, in addition, patients are afraid of complex medication regimens. When there are several medications, and everyone has their own regimen, it's easy to get confused.

Today, there is a solution to the problem: fixed combinations, when two or three medicines are combined in one tablet. Fixed combinations improve adherence, which means they can increase the effectiveness of treatment, reducing the risk of complications of the disease. In addition, by using lower doses in some fixed drug combinations, the likelihood of side effects is reduced.

"Adverse reactions when taking medications are not a reason to cancel them. This is a signal for correction of therapy. Most problems are solved by changing the dose or replacing the medication, but only under the supervision of a specialist," said the cardiologist.

Earlier, on June 25, Stanislav Ionov, Professor of the Department of Therapy at the Medical Faculty of the State University of Education, said that the symptoms preceding a stroke depend on its cause. According to him, hemorrhagic stroke occurs with hypertension, when blood vessels rupture and hemorrhage occurs in the brain.