As the epidemic in Taiwan heats up, many people are beginning to worry regarding the long-term impact on their health following being diagnosed. According to research, infection with the new coronavirus will increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, and the risk of severe cases is higher. It is obvious that in this post-epidemic era, both diagnosed and severely ill patients should pay attention to their cardiovascular health.
In severe cases, the risk of myocardial infarction and stroke increases by 1.55 times
Fang Xiuyu, assistant professor-level attending physician of Kaohsiung Chang Gung Cardiology Department, said that the new coronary pneumonia does not only affect the lungs. If patients with cardiovascular disease are infected with pneumonia, the heart and the human blood circulatory system will be affected by hypoxia or inflammation, resulting in the deterioration of cardiovascular disease. . According to a study in the United States, severe patients with new coronary pneumonia have a 1.55-fold increase in the risk of adverse cardiovascular events such as myocardial infarction and stroke within one year following discharge.
In addition, Fang Zhiyuan, an associate professor-level attending physician at the Kaohsiung Chang Gung Department of Cardiology, also mentioned that patients still need to face the problem of long covid following recovery from new coronary pneumonia. Seek medical attention as soon as possible. Those with a history of cardiovascular-related diseases should more actively manage related risk factors, follow doctor’s orders for medication and epidemic prevention, to avoid the harm of new coronary pneumonia.
Hyperlipidemia treatment The lower the bad cholesterol, the better Set the target value according to personal risk
Hyperlipidemia is one of the keys to cardiovascular disease, and lowering bad cholesterol is recognized as the primary treatment strategy for hyperlipidemia. Physician Fang Xiuyu said that in principle, the lower the bad cholesterol value, the better. According to research statistics, for every 1% reduction in bad cholesterol, the relative risk of cardiovascular disease can be reduced by 1-1.5%.
According to the practice of European and Taiwanese medical circles, the general public should control the bad cholesterol below 130mg/dL, and those who have had myocardial infarction and heart surgery should be controlled below 55mg/dL. factor, the lower the control target value.
Cholesterol-lowering injections can also be considered if oral medication is intolerant or the target is delayed
Physician Fang Xiuyu shared that he had met a male patient with hyperlipidemia with a history of myocardial infarction in clinic. He usually had irregular meals, and often smoked and drank alcohol. He was previously treated with oral statin (Statin). Cholesterol has always been around 110mg/dL, and the treatment target of 55mg/dL has been delayed for a long time. As a result, following half a year, unfortunately, he was sent to the hospital once more due to myocardial infarction. Later, he was treated with cholesterol-lowering injection combined with oral medicine, and the value was successfully reduced to 23mg/dL. There was no further myocardial infarction.
Physician Fang Xiuyu analyzed that for this male patient, he has poor living habits, irregular diet, and has experienced cardiovascular events. He belongs to the high-risk group of cardiovascular disease. Currently the most common oral cholesterol-lowering drugs, for patients who cannot tolerate the side effects of muscle pain, or who still cannot meet the standard using oral drugs, it is recommended to discuss with the doctor to use cholesterol-lowering injections for treatment to avoid the increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
Worried regarding going back to the doctor for a diagnosis?Physician warning: Self-discontinuation is a taboo
Physician Fang Zhiyuan said that since the outbreak of the epidemic, many patients did not return to the clinic to get medicine for fear of contracting the epidemic, but not taking the medicine is a taboo in the treatment of cardiovascular disease, especially for patients who have experienced cardiovascular events. Taking patients who have undergone cardiac stenting as an example, even if the surgical site has recovered, blood clots may still occur elsewhere in the body, so preventive medication is essential.
At present, antiplatelet drugs are most commonly used for secondary prevention in clinical practice, among which aspirin is the most common. Some patients may experience side effects such as gastric ulcer and gastric bleeding if they take it for a long time. Other treatment options.
In addition, the use of dual antiplatelet drugs has also been developed today, and physicians will evaluate the duration of medication according to the patient’s bleeding status and medical history. Clinically, the double-antibody therapy can shorten the bleeding risk by 1 to 3 months.”
If you are concerned regarding the interaction of drugs for pneumonia, please consult the attending physician first whether to change the medicine
In addition to being afraid of not taking the medicine, there are also confirmed patients who think that antiviral drugs will interact with antiplatelet drugs, so they stop taking them. Physician Fang Zhiyuan reluctantly said that recently a male patient of regarding 50 years old was diagnosed 3 months following the heart stent operation. Due to the severe symptoms, he immediately stopped antiplatelet drugs without asking the attending physician in advance. Re-thrombosis sent to hospital.
Dr. Fang Zhiyuan emphasized that “the risk of death in emergencies such as heart disease is higher than that of new coronary pneumonia, and the potential harm to patients is greater when stopping the drug.” Therefore, any problem of changing or stopping the medicine should be judged by the attending physician. Do not interrupt the treatment by yourself, so as to avoid the occurrence of heart and cerebrovascular blockage problems.
Reprinted with permission from “Health and Medical Network” / Reported by reporter Lin Yiting
