Typical complications of atherosclerosis. Lipid cause of vascular atherosclerosis. Signs of damage to the cerebral vessels

The development of vascular atherosclerosis occurs in adulthood, and the manifestation of the disease occurs in large arteries and vessels. The chemical composition of the blood is disturbed, and the presence of an increased concentration of lipids slows down the flow of the biological fluid, reduces the permeability vascular walls. Progressive atherosclerosis of the arteries is a chronic diagnosis, so the patient's task is to prolong the period of remission.

What is vascular atherosclerosis

it chronic illness belongs to the category of cardiovascular pathologies, prone to periodic relapses in a weakened body. Since protein-lipid metabolism is disturbed in the walls of blood vessels, doctors talk about such unpleasant concepts as " bad cholesterol and atherosclerotic plaques. This disease often develops in the body of women, but men, under the influence of provoking factors, also fall into the risk group. More often it is atherosclerosis of the aortic arch, which leads to the development of incurable cardiac ischemia.

Symptoms

Clinical signs A characteristic ailment does not appear immediately; at first, atherosclerosis is an asymptomatic diagnosis. Further symptoms depend on the department of cardio-vascular system, which receives an insufficient amount of oxygenated blood with valuable nutrients. It is important to determine the blood-supplying organ - the focus of pathology. As a result - impaired activity of the myocardium, brain, other complications that are not always associated with human viability.

Atherosclerosis of the heart vessels

If a characteristic ailment occurs, the general well-being of the patient gradually worsens, and signs of atherosclerosis are bedridden, they are forced to issue a sick leave once again. It is recommended to pay attention to the following symptoms diseases that can be temporarily eliminated mainly by medication, alternative methods:

• sharp pain chest, localized in the myocardium;
• high blood pressure on the chest;
• signs of angina;
• pain when performing deep breath;
• kidney failure;
• the risk of developing a heart attack;
• decline and jumps blood pressure;
• pathological increase in heart rate.

Vessels of the lower extremities

The upper and lower extremities are equally involved in the pathological process against the background of abnormal narrowing of the lumen of the vascular walls of large and medium-sized arteries. Such internal sections are removed from the myocardium, however, the severity of symptoms negatively affects the general condition of the patient, limits his mobility. Signs of obliterating atherosclerosis of the lower extremities are as follows:

• pain in the legs during long walks;
• numbness of the lower extremities;
• the temperature difference between the body and legs, palpable;
• long-term healing open wounds;
• increased swelling of the lower extremities;
• violation of the pulse of the arteries of the legs;
• limited mobility.

Vessels of the brain

Large arteries are involved in the pathological process, in the structure of which the presence of atherosclerotic plaques is observed. As a result of disturbed blood flow, the usual origin of nerve impulses in the cerebral cortex is lost, oxygen starvation, the number of painful migraine attacks, dizziness and confusion increases. In modern cardiology, the symptoms of such dangerous disease the following:

• frequent dizziness and nausea;
• circles before the eyes;
• discomfort in a stuffy room;
• decreased memory, physical and mental abilities;
• sleep phase disorder;
• emotional instability;
• disturbed metabolic processes;
• signs of a mental disorder.

The reasons

Before treating atherosclerosis, it is necessary to study the etiology pathological process. It all starts with the formation of blood clots that narrow the lumen of the vessels, resulting in the formation of atherosclerotic plaques that block the vessels. The cause of the pathology is the accumulation of fat, a change chemical composition blood. The main causes of such pathogenic mechanisms and risk factors are presented below:

• presence bad habits;
• one of the stages of obesity;
• diabetes;
• dyslipidemia;
• malnutrition;
• hypodynamia;
• genetic factor;
• energy overvoltage;
• arterial hypertension;
• age-related changes in the body;
• sedentary lifestyle;
• transferred infectious diseases with complications;
• intoxication and infection;
• pathology endocrine system;
• prolonged exposure to stress.

stages

Having determined what can cause atherosclerosis, an individual consultation with a cardiologist is necessary. Before conducting clinical examinations and laboratory research, shown to explore existing stages a characteristic ailment, a high probability and severity of an acute attack. In modern cardiology, the following stages of atherosclerosis are distinguished:

1. First stage. Decrease in the rate of systemic blood flow, growth of a fatty spot, lack of painful symptoms.
2. Second stage. Liposclerosis is accompanied by the growth and spread of adipose tissue, a high probability of a blood clot and impaired systemic circulation.
3. Third stage. Atherocalcinosis is accompanied by thickening of atherosclerotic plaques, calcium deposition, vascular deformity and narrowing of the lumen with the risk of blockage.

Diagnostics

In modern cardiology to define coronary atherosclerosis it is impossible by collecting anamnesis data, in addition to examining the patient and studying his medical history, it is necessary to take tests, visit a number of highly specialized specialists, undergo comprehensive examination. The specifics and features of diagnostics include the following areas:

• biochemical analysis blood;
• duplex scanning brachiocephalic arteries and limbs;
• radiopaque angiography;
• ECG, stress ECG, echocardiography;
• Ultrasound, CT and MRI;
• ultrasound dopplerography vessels of the brain;
• radiography.

Treatment

With the manifestation of a characteristic ailment, it is required to start treatment of atherosclerosis in a timely manner. Intensive therapy can be provided through conservative methods and physiotherapy procedures. The main goal is to determine the pathogenic factor and eliminate it from the life of a clinical patient, normalize systemic blood flow, lower the level of bad cholesterol with the help of prescribed medications. It is allowed to carry out folk treatment, however, all the nuances need to be further discussed with the attending physician. If there is no effect, surgery is recommended.

Medical

The first step is to control your daily diet, exclude fatty and fried foods, limit the intake of salt, spices, animal fats, and fast food. Nutrition should be balanced, contain a sufficient amount of vegetable fiber. This will help control weight, treat obesity and remove the stomach, avoid another attack. As for taking medications, they are determined by a knowledgeable cardiologist strictly according to medical indications. These are the pharmacological groups:

1. A nicotinic acid and preparations with its content to provide anti-atherogenic properties, eliminate harmful cholesterol and triglycerides;
2. Bile acid sequestrants to reduce the concentration of lipids in cells. These drugs are Colestyramine, Colestipol, Colesevelam.
3. Beta blockers to eliminate unpleasant symptoms, reducing the severity of the pain attack. These are Carvedilol, Metoprolol, Betaloc.
4. Diuretics with a diuretic effect for high-quality cleaning of blood from cholesterol. These are Hypothiazid, Diakarb, Indapamide.
5. Blockers calcium channels represented by such medicines like Anipamil, Finoptin, Gallopamil.
6. Fibrates for the synthesis of own fats. These are Clofibrate, Bezafibrate, Fenofibrate, Bezafibrate, Gemfibrozil.
7. Statins to accelerate the breakdown and elimination of fats. These are Simvastatin, Atorvastatin, Rosuvastatin.

Surgical

If a conservative methods turned out to be ineffective in practice, the patient is prescribed an operation to eliminate all manifestations of atherosclerosis, ensuring high-quality cleaning of blood vessels and a long period of remission. Since such a disease poses a threat to the life of the patient, the doctor suggests one of the following surgical interventions in a hospital:

1. thrombolytic therapy. The pathogenic clot dissolves, while the systemic blood flow normalizes, the vessels are cleaned.
2. Angioplasty. The vascular lumen is expanded by injecting oxygen with a special medical balloon.
3. Shunting. Creation of a new blood flow with the help of vessels bypassing the potential lesion site.
4. Endarterectomy. High-quality cleaning of the vascular walls with special tools, there is a steady positive trend.

After the operation, the patient's sensations are not the most pleasant, so a long period of rehabilitation is required. To bring general state back to normal, the patient needs to undergo a medication course, exclude the impact of pathogenic factors, give up bad habits and normalize the daily diet. This will be promoted vegetable fiber, vitamins, proteins, exclusion from the daily diet of sugar and harmful lipids. With atherosclerosis, alternative medicine methods can be used, and then pathogenic factors easily removable.

Folk remedies

From atherosclerosis, doctors recommend using a rosehip decoction, which has a stable diuretic effect. The medicine productively cleans clogged vessels, removes harmful cholesterol, lipids, and toxic substances. For cooking healing decoction 1 st. l. dry grass steam 1 tbsp. boiling water, insist and strain, take orally after meals twice a day - in the morning and in the evening. Other folk recipes from atherosclerosis are presented below, useful for problem vessels:

1. Grind elecampane roots, ready mix in a volume of up to 1. h. pour 300 ml of water, add oregano, shepherd's purse, blackberries. Boil, boil for 5-7 minutes. Take the finished composition throughout the day in equal portions.
2. 50 g Japanese Sophora pour 500 g of vodka, insist in a dark place for 30 days. Take orally 1 tsp. three times a day, preferably before meals, drink plenty of fluids.
3. Place 50 g of cloves in a glass container, pour 500 ml of vodka, infuse the composition for 2-3 weeks. Take 1 tsp. infusion three times a day, while making sure that chronic diseases stomach are absent.

Onion juice with honey from atherosclerosis

it effective remedy against atherosclerosis, which can be prepared at home. It takes 300 g of grated garlic (onions) to combine with the juice of three lemons. Stir, place in a glass container, leave in the refrigerator overnight. 1 tsp. composition diluted in a glass of warm water, taken orally.

Complications

If atherosclerosis occurs in a complicated form, complications are not excluded even after long-term treatment. The consequences of the operation are especially dangerous, so you need to carefully prepare for surgical intervention, pass the diagnostics and hand over all necessary tests. Potential complications of atherosclerosis include: dangerous pathologies:

• heart failure;
• acute blockage of blood vessels;
• heart attack internal organs;
• sudden fatal outcome;
• arterial aneurysm rupture.

Prevention

To avoid atherosclerosis, productive cleaning of blood vessels requires the use of alternative medicine methods in order to reliable prevention. In addition, it is shown to change the habitual way of life, adhere to the basic rules proper nutrition play sports and do hiking outdoors. With a tendency to atherosclerosis, it will not be superfluous multivitamin complex to strengthen the vascular walls, it is supposed to drink enough water to normalize the body's water metabolism.

Video: atherosclerotic cardiosclerosis

Symptoms of atherosclerosis are characterized by diversity, their specificity depends on the localization of vessels affected by atherosclerotic plaques. During the development of the disease, asymptomatic and clinically pronounced periods are distinguished. For the period of an asymptomatic course, a significant level of lipoproteins and / or cholesterol is inherent in the unexpressed (absent) symptoms of the disease. Usually clinical manifestations are observed when the lumen of the vessel is narrowed by more than half.

The main attention should be paid to the signs of the disease specific to each localization, because the causes of atherosclerosis are the same for them.

Features of atherosclerosis of the heart and its vessels

Symptoms of atherosclerosis of the heart are manifested by the type of coronary heart disease and angina pectoris, according to the degree of damage to the heart vessels, which provide the myocardium with oxygen and essential nutrients.

The blood supply to the heart muscle is provided by coronary arteries. The defeat of their atherosclerotic process with the formation of plaques leads to coronary artery disease. In the stage of ischemia, the disease proceeds in the form of angina pectoris. In case of further progression of the disease, the thrombonecrotic stage occurs: in the area of ​​the damaged endothelium, a thrombus is deposited, vascular obstruction occurs, and a heart attack occurs. The next stage is fibrinous, characterized by the formation of connective tissue in the area of ​​insufficient blood supply - cardiosclerosis.

Symptoms of atherosclerosis of the heart vessels are identical to the manifestations of coronary artery disease. At the stage of angina pectoris, the patient feels a burning or pressing pain behind the sternum, which can extend to the left shoulder blade, give into the arm or lower jaw. Often, a painful attack is accompanied by a fear of death, there is a frequent heartbeat. excessive sweating, high pressure and pallor.

To reduce pain, the patient freezes, breathes shallowly and limits the movement of the chest with his hand. A number of patients have cough, shortness of breath (suffocation), weakness, nausea and vomiting are not excluded. The attack is removed by taking a nitroglycerin tablet. With the development of myocardial infarction, the intensity chest pain and the duration of the attack increases, nitroglycerin loses its ability to help the patient and its use becomes ineffective - immediate hospitalization is required. In the stage of formation of cardiosclerosis, the characteristic manifestations are shortness of breath and edema, limitation of physical activity.

It should be noted that the symptoms and treatment of atherosclerosis are directly related. Detailed study and questioning the patient contributes to making an accurate diagnosis and prescribing the correct therapy.

Features of the defeat of the carotid and cerebral arteries

Symptoms of atherosclerosis carotid arteries appear on late stages vascular damage. Signs of atherosclerotic lesions are periodic ischemic attacks, the appearance of which indicates an insufficient supply of oxygen to the brain. Symptoms of an ischemic attack include:

• feeling of weakness and numbness;
• sensory disturbance, itching or tingling in the lower or upper limb, in some cases in half of the patient's body;
• disorder of motor function and control over a certain limb;
• visual impairment up to its loss (blindness) in one eye;
• speech becomes slurred
• possible epileptic seizures.

The duration of such an attack can vary from an hour or several hours to a day, and it passes on its own. It is necessary to immediately consult a doctor and not wait for the next attack. Its appearance should be considered as a late sign of atherosclerosis and a precursor of stroke. In case of duration neurological manifestations more than a day, the patient's condition should be assessed as a stroke.

Violations brain activity or dysfunction of a certain part of the brain occurs when the corresponding cerebral vessels are damaged and is manifested by symptoms of cerebral atherosclerosis. The most typical and frequent signs serve:

• frequent headaches and depression,
• mental disorders,
• impaired attention and memory processes,
• problems with coordination and weakness in the lower extremities,
• sleep disorders and emotional instability (high susceptibility to stress, tearfulness),
• visual and hearing impairment,
• celebrated pathological reaction the patient to sound and visual signals, tastes are changed,
• increased sweating and redness of the face.

Symptoms of cerebral atherosclerosis, as in the case of atherosclerotic lesions of the carotid arteries, can be detected by the type of acute attacks of cerebral ischemia. They usually last no more than a day and are manifested by paresis and impaired sensitivity of the limbs, blindness, deafness, speech disorders, and epileptic seizures. Occur with varying frequency - from several attacks per day to 1 time per year, disappear without therapy.

From the higher nervous system there is a violation of intellectual processes and a decrease in mental abilities. Often there are changes in character, the patient becomes capricious, touchy, picky, falls into a state of depression.

If left untreated, the symptoms of cerebral atherosclerosis progress with the development of senile dementia. This state refers to irreversible processes. Over time, the severity of the lesion increases and there is a decrease in higher brain functions.

Not less than serious symptom atherosclerosis of cerebral vessels in the later stages serves as a stroke. Violation of the blood supply to a certain part of the brain leads to the necrosis of its tissues, by analogy with a heart muscle infarction, is characterized by high disability and mortality.

Atherosclerotic damage to the aorta and its departments

Symptoms of atherosclerosis of the aorta indicate the most frequent and characteristic place of "habitat" of atherosclerosis. It can completely affect the aorta throughout or some of its sections. The specificity of the signs is determined by the location and extent of the lesion.

Atherosclerosis thoracic aorta may not appear for a long time. Quite often there is the development of atherosclerosis of the thoracic aorta with a parallel lesion of the coronary and cerebral vessels. To characteristic symptoms include the presence of burning pain in the chest area and dizziness, there is difficulty in swallowing and an increase systolic pressure. Early gray hair is also noted, in the zone auricles increased hair growth, the appearance of wen on the face, a light strip along the outer edge of the iris.

Atherosclerotic lesion of the abdominal aorta long time remains unnoticed. Of all the signs of atherosclerosis, abdominal ischemic pain comes to the fore, the cause of which is a violation of the blood supply to the organs. abdominal cavity. The pain is characterized as paroxysmal, aching and not too intense, without a clear localization, occurs after eating and disappears on its own after a few hours. There are digestive disorders in the form of bloating, diarrhea or constipation, lack of appetite and, accordingly, weight loss. Damage to the renal arteries leads to hypertension and the occurrence of renal failure.

To grave consequences atherosclerosis abdominal aorta thrombosis of the visceral arteries should be attributed. The lack of blood supply to the loops of the intestines and peritoneum, as well as other organs of the abdomen, is manifested by significant pain sensations that increase with time and are not relieved by taking medications. The patient's condition worsens due to the death of the intestines, peritoneum and other affected organs, the development of peritonitis. The patient must be urgently hospitalized and operated on to save the intestines and life.

Atherosclerosis of peripheral vessels

Symptoms of atherosclerosis of the vessels of the lower extremities on early stage diseases do not appear until a significant violation of blood circulation. Signs and symptoms of atherosclerosis include pain in the course of the moves and intermittent claudication - the patient stops when walking to reduce the intensity of pain. An informative diagnostic sign of atherosclerosis of the lower extremities is the absence of a pulse in their arteries.

Insufficiency of blood supply to the legs causes pain during physical exertion, pallor and thinning of the skin of the lower extremities, nails are deformed and become brittle, muscles atrophy, trophic ulcers with the risk of gangrene.

There are 4 stages arterial insufficiency legs. In stage I, discomfort and pain occur with significant physical activity- Hiking for a distance of more than 1 km. In stage II, overcoming 200 m causes pain. Limitation pain symptoms patient movements up to 25 m and even at rest are characteristic of stage III. At the last stage, in addition to limited movement, there are serious trophic disturbances in the form of ulcers or the appearance of gangrene on the legs. Damage iliac artery and the lower part of the abdominal aorta, thrombosis leads to Leriche's syndrome - a disorder of the blood supply to the legs and organs of the small pelvis. The symptoms of atherosclerosis, in addition to the above, include impotence in men.

Thus, having learned the signs and symptoms of atherosclerosis, their versatility and possible risks and consequences, if you suspect the presence of the disease, you should consult a doctor to eliminate the cause of atherosclerosis, diagnosis and necessary treatment.

Video about atherosclerosis from Elena Malysheva: