11-17 APRİL HEART HEALTH WEEK
11-17 April or the 2nd week of April is celebrated as "Heart Health Week" in order to provide information on cardiovascular diseases, to raise awareness of heart health, to raise awareness of individuals and society, and to provide the public with healthy living habits. As Cardiology Specialists, we care about this week and try to do our best with the motto of a healthy society and healthy individual, and we will continue to do so.
What are Cardiovascular Diseases?
Cardiovascular diseases are the most common cause of death and disability in the world. Cardiovascular diseases constitute a wide spectrum; It covers coronary heart diseases, diseases of the arteries leading to the brain, hypertension, occlusive arm and leg artery diseases, rheumatic heart diseases, heart valve diseases, congenital heart diseases, rhythm disorders, heart failure and acquired or congenital heart muscle diseases.
What is the Frequency and Importance of Heart Diseases?
Cardiovascular diseases are the most common cause of death worldwide. In addition, coronary artery disease (including myocardial infarction) is more common in men than in women. Unfortunately, cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in our country. According to statistics, one out of every six men and one out of every seven women die due to cardiovascular diseases. In addition, permanent disability after a stroke creates a great burden, as does the need for permanent care due to heart failure. With this ratio, Turkey ranks fifth in men and first in women among European countries in deaths due to heart diseases. With the aging of societies and the increase in life expectancy, the number of cardiovascular patients is increasing in developed countries and in our country, and the economic burden associated with them is also increasing.
Which Diagnostic Methods Are Used in Heart Diseases?
1.ECG (Electrocardiography)
Electrocardiography, known as EKG for short, is a simple and painless test that records the electrical activity of the heart. It is the most widely used test in the diagnosis of heart diseases. It is recommended that everyone over the age of 20 should have an EKG done at least once.
2. ECO (Echocardiography)
This test provides a moving image of the heart with the help of sound waves. In this way, the contraction of the heart and whether the valves are working properly can be evaluated. The application can be changed according to the need. There are several types of echocardiography according to the way they are applied. These; transthoracic echocardiography, transesophageal echocardiography, stress echocardiography, intracardiac echocardiography (ICE), intravascular Ultrasound (IVUS).
3. EFFORT Test
In this test, you walk on a treadmill with EKG electrodes attached to your chest under the exertion of your heart. Meanwhile, the device records the activity of the heart. In this way, it can be understood how much work your heart can produce, your blood pressure response to exercise, how fast your heart can accelerate with exercise, and roughly whether there are clogged arteries.
4. The Holter Test
The Holter device records your EKG or blood pressure, which continuously measures the activity of the heart for 24 to 48 hours or longer, depending on the type of monitoring used. In this way, rhythm disorders that could not be detected by ECG can be detected. In addition, blood pressure monitoring can be done all day long with a 24-hour blood pressure weightlifting test.
5. Myocardial Perfusion Scintigraphy (Thalium Test)
It is an imaging method that evaluates the amount of blood reaching the heart muscle and determines whether the patient has coronary artery disease. A radioactive drug containing a low amount of radiation is used for the test.
6. Coronary CT Angiography
Coronary CT angiography; With the method known as 'virtual angiography' among the people, the calcium, calcification levels in the vessels and valves of the patient can be checked and the stenosis caused by these can be evaluated clearly.
7. Cardiac MRI
Cardiac MRI is an advanced cardiovascular imaging method that provides detailed images of the heart using radio waves, magnetic field and computer. It is especially used in patients who need advanced imaging such as congenital heart diseases, storage or inflammatory diseases involving the heart muscle, evaluation of the degree of damage of the heart muscle, diagnosis of intracardiac masses.
8. Angiography
Angiography is an interventional test that provides visualization of the inside of the vessels. Angiography is a test to make a diagnosis. The angiography procedure is named according to the region to be imaged. The angiography procedure performed to view the vessels of the heart can be called coronary angiography, and if the vessels of the limbs such as arms and legs are to be visualized, it can be called peripheral angiography. During the procedure, a sheath is placed inside the arteries passing through areas such as the groin, wrist, arm, armpit, and the vessels of the relevant organ are visualized by means of long boots called catheters. You should drink plenty of water before and after this procedure.
What is Prevention from Heart Diseases?
It can basically be summed up in six words; Eat less, walk more, don't smoke. The more of these six words applied, the more useful it will be. In our age, the sedentary lifestyle, the prevalence of tobacco use and younger age, the change in our eating habits, and the increase in the amount of stress encountered in daily life make the situation worse. unhealthy habits such as smoking and alcohol; Factors such as high blood pressure (hypertension), overweight or obesity, high blood sugar (diabetes) and high blood fats (dyslipidemia) facilitate the formation of cardiovascular diseases and make their treatment difficult. In summary; Eat less, walk more and don't smoke!!
The Month of Ramadan and Heart Diseases
In general, it is known that the prognosis of the disease is not different or there is no serious worsening in patients with cardiovascular disease who fast during Ramadan compared to those who do not fast. Even with proper fasting, it can lead to beneficial results in patients. For example, in patients with hypertension, fasting can lead to a decrease in blood pressure and weight loss, provided that they continue their medication. The point to be noted here is that the use of blood pressure pills containing diuretics should be discussed with your doctor before fasting, and blood pressure medications that are not diuretic should be taken if necessary. Another important point while fasting is to fast, taking into account cardiovascular health, to continue taking medications without interruption, and to eat right during the fasting period. A patient with cardiovascular diseases should make the decision to fast in consultation with the physician following them and have detailed information, and should continue in line with his/her recommendation. Because in many patients, it may be necessary to rearrange the drug therapy and adjust the dose while fasting.
Which cardiovascular patients should definitely not fast?
• It is inconvenient for patients with ongoing complaints (chest pain, shortness of breath) to fast.
• Patients with advanced heart failure should definitely not fast. It is inconvenient for patients who take high-dose diuretics to fast, especially during the summer period.
• Patients who have had a heart attack in the last 6 months, patients with chest pain due to heart disease, patients who have had a balloon, stent or bypass surgery in the last 6 months should also avoid fasting.
• Fasting may also be risky in patients with uncontrolled or life-threatening arrhythmias.
• Patients with resistant hypertension, that is, high blood pressure despite drug therapy, should not fast before their blood pressure returns to normal.
Patients who have hypertension alone and whose blood pressure is at normal levels with medication can fast on the condition that they take their medication regularly every day. All cardiovascular patients should consult their physicians whether they can fast or not.
LOVE YOURSELF, PROTECT YOUR HEART!
prof. Dr. Ibrahim Faruk Akturk
INTERNAL DISEASES AND CARDIOLOGY SPECIALIST