Coronary artery calcification

Coronary artery calcification is a very common disease in the elderly, and usually it is quite serious when patients discover it. The development speed of coronary artery calcification is very fast, and it may also cause diseases such as heart disease and angina pectoris. In severe cases, it may directly threaten the patient's life. So, what should we do about coronary artery calcification?

Coronary artery calcification is one of the manifestations of atherosclerosis and a degenerative form of atherosclerotic disease. If coronary artery calcification occurs in younger people, it is generally caused by the accumulation of crystalline calcium in lipids and lipid bodies. Symptoms are more common and more severe in older people. Focal calcification always occurs in areas of significant local coronary artery stenosis, and mild or moderate stenotic plaques are more likely to rupture and cause coronary artery syndrome.

Treatment of coronary artery calcification includes changes in lifestyle habits, smoking cessation and alcohol restriction, low-fat and low-salt diet, proper physical exercise, weight control, etc.; drug treatments include anti-thrombotic drugs, drugs that reduce myocardial oxygen consumption, and drugs that relieve angina pectoris and regulate lipids to stabilize plaques. In addition, there are revascularization treatments, including interventional therapy, endovascular balloon angioplasty and stent implantation, and surgical coronary artery bypass grafting. Drug therapy is the basis of all treatments, and interventional and surgical treatments must also adhere to long-term standard drug therapy. For the same patient, drugs can be used to ideally control a certain stage of the disease, while at another stage, drug treatment alone is often ineffective and requires combined treatment with surgery.

Coronary artery calcification is mostly seen in the elderly and is impossible to recover. Generally, as we age, the coronary arteries harden, lipids form inside, and then gradually calcify, which takes a long time. There is currently no drug that can clearly reverse this calcification, so once coronary artery calcification occurs, it must be strictly controlled. First of all, you should quit smoking, limit alcohol consumption, and eat a light diet. In addition, you must pay attention to whether you have high blood pressure and high blood lipids. If you do, you must strictly control them. If blood pressure is not controlled, coronary artery sclerosis and calcification will develop very quickly, and the patient will be in great danger. Coronary artery stenosis is likely to occur, leading to coronary heart disease, angina pectoris, and even myocardial infarction. Simple coronary artery calcification is difficult to recover, and the main thing is to prevent its complications.