Treatment of Arteriosclerosis

Written by Zeng Wei Jie

Cardiology

Updated on September 09, 2024

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The treatment of arteriosclerosis includes general preventative measures, pharmacological treatment, interventional procedures, and surgical operations.

General precautions involve a balanced diet, with some patients needing to lose weight, increasing the intake of fruits and vegetables, quitting smoking and limiting alcohol consumption, and adopting a low-fat diet. Additionally, it is advised that patients engage in appropriate physical labor and sports activities, while also maintaining an optimistic and calm mindset.

Pharmacological treatment is quite specialized, mainly including lipid-lowering and antiplatelet therapies.

Then, there are cases with clear symptoms, such as renal artery stenosis or coronary artery narrowing, where interventional treatments can be considered. For those unsuitable for interventional procedures, surgical treatments, such as bypass surgery, might be considered.

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How long can one live with arteriosclerosis?

Arteriosclerosis has a certain impact on survival and longevity, but it is not an absolute determinant. People with mild arteriosclerosis have fewer sudden incidents of cerebral infarction and myocardial infarction, thus they may have a longer survival period. However, if arteriosclerosis leads to myocardial infarction or cerebral infarction, it will also affect their lifespan, but there is no absolute conclusion.

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Arteriosclerosis is a disease

Arteriosclerosis is a disease characterized by thickening of the arterial wall and narrowing of the arterial lumen due to plaque formation, leading to various problems. As for whether arteriosclerosis can be prevented and treated, the answer is definitely yes. This can be achieved by maintaining good lifestyle habits. Regular exercise, quitting smoking, and controlling blood pressure and blood sugar with medications under a doctor’s guidance, as well as appropriate use of statin medications, can effectively prevent and treat the onset, progression, and worsening of arteriosclerosis.

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How to prevent arteriosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is a disease related to aging, poor lifestyle habits such as smoking, and metabolic abnormalities such as hyperlipidemia or diabetes. Atherosclerosis can be effectively prevented. To prevent atherosclerosis, the following should be adhered to: First, maintain good lifestyle habits, exercise regularly, quit smoking, limit alcohol consumption, and eat less spicy and greasy foods. Second, control blood pressure, blood lipids, and blood sugar levels. When issues such as elevated blood pressure and lipids arise, it is necessary to use medication under the guidance of a doctor.

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Arteriosclerosis has what manifestations?

Arteriosclerosis symptoms vary depending on the affected organ. Coronary arteriosclerosis primarily manifests as angina, while cerebral arteriosclerosis mainly results in cerebral embolism, potentially causing symptoms such as hemiplegia. Chronic cerebral ischemia can lead to cerebral atrophy and progress to vascular dementia. Aortic arteriosclerosis often displays no specific symptoms. Renal arteriosclerosis can cause refractory hypertension, and if a renal artery thrombosis occurs, it may lead to pain in the kidney area, oliguria, and fever. Chronic kidney ischemia can lead to kidney atrophy and progress to renal failure. Mesenteric arteriosclerosis can cause symptoms like indigestion, decreased intestinal tone, constipation, and abdominal pain. Arteriosclerosis in the limbs, often seen in the lower extremities, can cause symptoms such as coldness in the legs, numbness, and the typical intermittent claudication.

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Causes of arteriosclerosis

The etiology of arteriosclerosis has not been fully determined, and studies indicate that arteriosclerosis is a multifactorial disease, caused by multiple factors acting at different stages, which are referred to as risk factors. The primary risk factors include the following: First, age and gender. Clinically, it is more common in middle-aged and elderly people over forty years old. After the age of forty-nine, the progression is fast, but early arteriosclerotic changes have also been found in autopsy of some young adults and even children. In recent years, clinical onset age tends to be younger. Compared to men, the incidence rate in women is lower, because estrogen has a protective effect against arteriosclerosis. Therefore, the incidence rate in women increases rapidly after menopause. Age and gender are unchangeable risk factors. Second, abnormal lipid levels, with abnormal lipid metabolism being the most important risk factor for arteriosclerosis. Third, hypertension, as the incidence of arteriosclerosis in patients with hypertension is significantly higher. Sixty to seventy percent of patients with coronary arteriosclerosis have hypertension, and patients with hypertension are three to four times more likely to have arteriosclerosis compared to those with normal blood pressure. Fourth, smoking, as the incidence and mortality rate of coronary arteriosclerosis in smokers are two to six times higher than in non-smokers, and it correlates positively with the number of cigarettes smoked daily. Secondhand smoke is also a risk factor. Fifth, diabetes and glucose intolerance, where not only is the incidence of arteriosclerosis in diabetic patients several times higher than in non-diabetics, but the progression of the disease is also rapid. Sixth, obesity, defined as being more than twenty percent over the standard weight or a BMI greater than twenty-four. Obesity is also a risk factor for arteriosclerosis. Seventh, family history, where a family history of coronary heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia significantly increases the incidence of coronary heart disease. Various theories have been proposed to explain the pathogenesis of coronary arteriosclerosis from different perspectives. These include the lipid infiltration theory, thrombosis theory, and smooth muscle cell clonal theory. In recent years, the endothelial damage response theory has gained more support, suggesting that the disease results from various risk factors ultimately damaging the arterial intima, and the formation of arteriosclerosis lesions is an inflammatory, fibro-proliferative response of the arteries to endothelial damage.