Blood Clot Treatments

blood clot treatments

Blood clotting is one of the most important mechanism of the body to help repairing injured blood vessels. When an injury happens, such as damaged blood vessels, platelets are transported to the injured area to form an initial plug. This process will activate a clotting cascade, using a series of clotting factors produced by the body. In the end, fibrin is formed. Fibrin is a protein that crosslinks with itself to make a mesh that completes the final blood clot.

The medical terminology for a blood clot is thrombus. Once it is formed, as a normal recovery process of the body, there will be little consequence. Unfortunately, there are times when thrombi (plural form of thrombus) will form but it is not needed, and it can make significant problems for the body itself.

In the US, approximately there are 2 million people develop blood clot symptoms every year. Most people are over age 40. Blood clots in the lung can cause death at least 650,000 people/year, making it the third most common cause of death. 

Blood clot, risk factors

The risk factor of blood clots are common with the risk factors to all diseases that cause narrowing of blood vessels, rupture of plaque, and also cholesterol plaque formation, such as:

• Hypertension
• High cholesterol levels
• Diabetes mellitus
• Family history of blood clot
• Cigarette smoking

Other conditions are also risk factors for blood clot formation:

• Recent surgery
• Prolonged immobility, bed rest or sitting (during flight, a long car ride)
• Heart attack
• Heart failure
• Fractures in the hip, thigh, or lower leg
• Live in high altitude
• Recent childbirth
• Obesity
• Contraceptive users
• Old age

Blood clot symptoms

There are 2 locations of blood clot formation:

1. Venous clots. The clots prevent blood not to return to the heart. Most often happening in the arms or legs. Symptoms are:
• Warmth
• Swelling
• Redness
• Pain
2. Arterial clots. The clots prevent blood not to get to the affected area. Injured body tissue becomes lack of oxygen and begin to die.

blood clot treatments

Blood clot treatments

The treatments depend on the location of clots, and it can be symptomatic or agressive treatment.

1. Venous blood clots
• Warm compresses 
• Drugs: ibuprofen, acetaminophen
• Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) needs special treatment called anticoagulation, such as: enoxaparin, warfarin. Patients need hospitalization.
• Blood clots below the knee have lower risks for emolization to the lung. It may need serial ultrasonography examinations to monitor the clot's growth.
• If pulmonary emboli occurs, the treatment is similiar to DVT and also need hospitalization to monitor patients' condition.
2. Arterial blood clots
• It should be more seriously treated.
• Surgery is needed to remove the clot
• Medications: tenecteplase, alteplase (TPA), especially for peripheral arterial disease to restore blood supply.
• If blood clots occur in the heart, cardiac catheterization is need to relocate blocked artery and a ballon is used to open the occluded area, restore blood circulation, and then a stent (ring) is placed to keep it open. If there is no contraindication, blood clots in brain (stroke) need TPA to restore brain blood flow and prevent more damage.

»»  Read more...

How to lower triglyceride level

how to lower triglyceride level

Triglyceride is a blood lipid substance that is stored in the fat cells. Increased triglyceride level is a risk factor for many metabolic disease. That's why, it is important for us to lower and to control our triglyceride level.

Excess calories will be stored in fat cells in the form of triglycerides. The function is to provide energy for body cells, to protect vital organs, and to help absorbing vitamins and minerals. Normal range of triglyceride level is less than 150 mg/dl.

These are some metabolic disease that is influenced by increased triglyceride levels:

1. Atherosclerosis. It is the basic mechanism of heart attack and stroke.
2. Diabetes. Increased triglyceride levels will stimulate the release of certain inflammatory cells called "cytokine" in the bloodstream. It will influence the body ability to control blood glucose levels.
3. Metabolic syndrome, that is formed of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, and hypertension.
4. Fatty liver disease. Increased triglyceride level cause excessive fat cells to be stored in the liver so it can promote fatty liver disease.
5. Xanthoma. Increased triglyceride levels stimulate itch and acne is hands, foot, and buttocks.

How to lower triglyceride level?

1. Choose the good fat, avoid red meat, butter, and trans fat that are contained in the fast food, such as french fries.
2. Choose the good carbo, such as wheat, oatmeals, brown rice, and avoid refined fluor such as pasta, bread, and noodles.
3. Choose the good protein, high omega-3 fat, that are important in controlling excessive triglyceride synthesis, such as salmon, tuna, sarden, and for vegetarians, you can try walnut and almond.
4. Eat more vegetables and fruits, because they contain fibers that help controlling body weight and lower triglyceride level.
5. Control your body weight. The more kilograms means the more triglyceride level.
6. Physical exercise, to help lowering fat levels.
7. No alcohol. Red wine may be good for health and prevent cardiovascular attack but we have to know exactly about the limit.

»»  Read more...

How To Increase HDL Levels

how to increase HDL levels

HDL cholesterol is a protective risk factor for cardiovascular disease, such as stroke, heart attack, and peripheral arterial disease. The higher HDL levels, the lower risk of cardiovascular disease. HDL levels below 40 mg/dl is considered an increased risk of coronary artery disease EVEN those people have normal total cholesterol level and LDL cholesterol level.

These are some steps about how to increase HDL levels:

1. Stop smoking. Cigarettes consist of many oxidants and harmful substances. Besides that, smoking alone is a major risk factor of cardiovascular disease.
2. More exercise. It is very hard to do, but still the best way to gain more HDL level. Exercise, especially the aerobic ones such as rapid walking, jogging, bike riding, for approximately 20-30 minutes per day can be an effective way to raise HDL levels. Duration of exercise is the more important factor than the intensity.
3. Gain normal weight. Obesity is a minor risk factor for cardiovascular disease because it tends to raise LDL levels and reduce HDL levels. Reducing weight can increase HDL levels for you who are in obesity. Important to know that if you have an excess weight especially in abdominal area, you have to pay attention to that. Calculate your waist to hip ratio is important when determining whether you want to concentrate on weight loss.
4. Alcohol. One or two drinks per day, especially red wines, can significantly raise HDL levels. Some studies conclude that red wine gives many advantages such as reduction in triglyceride levels and increase HDL levels, in people with normal body mass index (BMI). So you must keep in mind that you should in a normal BMI first before you can gain benefits from red wine consumption.
5. No more trans fatty acids. Gradually eliminate the consumption of trans fatty acids from your diet because it can increase you LDL levels and reduce HDL levels.
6. Eat more monounsaturated fats, such as avocado, canola oil, olive oil, peanut butter because it can increase your HDL levels without increasing total cholesterol levels.
7. Eat this food to gain more HDL levels:
• Foods containing omega-3 fatty acids, such as fish, salmon, etc
• Calcium supplementation
• Cranberry juice
• Tomato juice
8. More fibers to your diet, such as oatmeal, vegetables, fruits, legumes, at least two servings per day. 

Drugs for raising HDL

• Statins (simvastatin, rosuvastatin) is not effective to raise HDL. It is effective to reduce LDL levels.
• Fibrates (gemfibrozil, fenofibrates) is also not effective to raise HDL. It is effective to reduce triglyceride levels.
• Nicotinic acid (niacin) seems to be the most effective in raising HDL levels. Niacin is a one of vitamin B. This drug has side effects such as flushing, itching, and flushes. Because of that, taking niacin must be supervision of a doctor.

»»  Read more...

What Are The Symptoms Of A Silent Heart Attack

what are the symptoms of a silent heart attack

Silent heart attack is a very serious condition that can happen to anyone, especially people who have risk factors such as diabetes, high cholesterol, heavy smoker, obesity, high blood pressure, and history of prior heart attack. People with coronary heart disease who take regular medications can also experience silent heart attack. 

Generally, when there is a part of the heart that does not receive blood, that is called silent heart attack. Lack of blood flow can cause heart tissue die and for some cases, this is an irreversible condition and very life threatening.

What are the symptoms of a silent heart attack?

• Tiring easily
• Chest discomfort and followed by the same feeling in arms or jaw that seem to go away after you take a rest
• Shortness of breath
• Nausea
• Indigestion
• Flu-like symptoms
• Test: ECG, blood test (increased cardiac marker).

As quoted from Mayo Clinic, having a silent heart attack makes us have a greater risk of another heart attack that can be fatal.. Make sure to go to the emergency room if you experience those symptoms to get the proper treatment so you will not have another heart attack that can increase the risk of complications such as heart failure.

»»  Read more...

What Are High Cholesterol Symptoms

what are high cholesterol symptoms

High cholesterol, or known as hypercholesterolemia, is a condition where there is too much cholesterol in the body. Cholesterol is a fat-like substance that becomes part of body components. Our body makes its own cholesterol to support some important function. Added cholesterol from fatty food we eat, can make harm to our body if the level is too high.

It is already known that high cholesterol plays an important role in mechanism of stroke, metabolic syndromes, and heart attack. Too much cholesterol inside the blood can create plaque along the artery walls. In the next time, plaque that forms clot can block the blood flow to the heart (causes heart attack), the brain (causes stroke), and any other body parts.

Cholesterol is divided into 2 groups: good cholesterol (HDL, high density lipoproteins) and bad cholesterol (LDL, low density lipoproteins). Besides that, there is a third type of fatty substance, called triglycerides. This is considered as bad fat. The normal range of total cholesterol is between 140-200 mg/dl. If your blood cholesterol level is more than 200, it usually means that you have high levels of bad cholesterol, low or normal level of good cholesterol, and normal or high level of triglycerides. There is also a condition called primary hypercholesterolemia. It is a congenital condition that affects an individual's LDL cholesterol. This is a rare case. 

There are some risk factors that contribute in high cholesterol symptoms, such as: 

• Obesity
• Bad diet, consist of high trans fatty acids and saturated fat; less fiber
• Less physical exercise.
• Hypertension
• Smoking habit
• Alcoholism habit
• Diabetes mellitus
• Post menopausal women
• Having the same family history

What are high cholesterol symptoms? 

Most of people with hypercholesterolemia is generally asymptomatic, especially at early stages. They found hypercholesterolemia accidentally through medical check up. The only way to know about high cholesterol is having a blood test. Before doing this test (called lipid profile test), you should be abstain for food at least 12 hours before the test. Advanced stages of high cholesterol usually shows some organ-specific symptoms such as: transient ischemic attack (caused by brain vessel atherosclerosis), chest pain (caused by bad blood supply to the heart or coronary artery disease), bad vision, and a yellowish patch around the eyelid called xanthelasma palpebrarum.

Further reading please open: PubMed Health

»»  Read more...

High Cholesterol Foods To Avoid

high cholesterol foods to avoid

Cholesterol is a waxy steroid, fat-like substance that is found in all the body cells. Body needs cholesterol to make hormones, vitamin D, enzyme, and other bio-substances. Body makes all cholesterol every time it needs. However, cholesterol is also found in foods we eat. Cholesterol from food travels through the bloodstream, so high cholesterol foods will give impacts on high cholesterol level in our blood. People with high cholesterol have a greater chance of getting heart attack or coronary artery disease. So it is very important for us to know about high cholesterol foods to avoid.

There are some high cholesterol foods to avoid and their cholesterol contents (mg/100 g edible food portion), taken from Healthaliciousness:

1. Egg yolk (fresh, raw, frozen, sugared, salted). It contains 900-1,100 mg cholesterol/100 g food
2. Caviar (fish roe). It contains 588 mg cholesterol/100 g food.
3. Liver, pate, foie gras. It contains 255 mg cholesterol/100 g food.
4. Butter, common in cookies, bread, cakes, etc. It contains 215 mg cholesterol/100 g food.
5. Shrimp and prawns. It contains 195 mg cholesterol/100 g food.
6. Fast foods. They contain 172 mg cholesterol/100 g food.
7. Fish oil. It contains 132-140 mg cholesterol/100 g food.
8. Cheese. It contains 123 mg cholesterol/100 g food.
9. Processed meats such as sausage, lamb, duck. They contain 158 mg cholesterol/100 g food.
10. Shellfish and oyster. They contain 105 mg cholesterol/100 g food.

»»  Read more...

Treatment Of Acute Myocardial Infarction

treatment of acute myocardial infarction

By definition, acute myocardial infarction refers to a destruction process of heart tissue due to inadequate blood supply that causes lack of coronary blood flow. Acute myocardial infarction can be described as myocardial necrosis (tissue death) due to interrupted blood flow to the heart muscle.

Causes of acute myocardial infarction

Many factors lead to acute myocardial infarction:

• Decreased blood supply to heart tissue that disturbs oxygenation process: atherosclerosis, arterial spasm, arteritis, aortic stenosis, cardiac insufficiency, anemia, and hypoxemia.
• Increased cardiac output: unstable emotions, excessive activity, hyperthyroidism)
• Increasing of myocardial oxygen demand: myocardial damage, myocardial hypertrophy, diastolic hypertension
• Inflammatory vascular disease: emboli, endocarditis, artificial valves
• Severe coronary spasm: after cocaine using
• Increased blood viscosity
• Significantly increasing on oxygen demand at rest

Sign and Symptoms of acute myocardial infarction

1. Chest pain: suddenly, very painful like punctured-pin in left chest area, spread to shoulders, and continue down towards the left arm and neck, sternal region, and abdomen. The pain occurs more persistent and intensive than angina, more than 30 minutes, accompanied by increased heart beat, nausea and vomiting
2. Laboratory findings: increased CKMB, CK, lactat dehidrogenase, troponin, SGOT, SGPT
3. ECG findings

Treatment of acute myocardial infarction

According to European Society of Cardiology, there is a guideline in treatment of acute myocardial infarction:

• Relief of pain, breathlessness, and anxiety
• Morphine intravenously
• Oxygen 2-4 L/m, if there is breathlessness or other signs of heart failure
• Transquilizer, for very anxious patients
• Atropine, if there are hypotension and bradycardia
• Restoring coronary flow and myocardial tissue reperfusion
• Primary PCI (Percutaneous Coronary Intervention)
• Antiplatelet co-therapy: aspirin, NSAIDs/COX-2 selective inhibitors, Clopidogrel loading dose
• Antithrombin therapy: heparin, foundaparinux
• Adjunctive devices: thrombus aspiration
• Fibrinolytics therapy, if there is no contraindications
• Enoxaparin
• Streptokinase
• Rescue PCI, if fibrinolytics that performed after 12 hours is failed in patients with large infarcts

»»  Read more...

How To Improve Good Cholesterol Levels

how to improve good cholesterol levels

Good cholesterol here refers to high density lipoproteins, or known as HDLs. HDL is one of the major cholesterol carriers in the blood. It is a biosubstance produced by the liver to bring cholesterol and other fats from perifer tissues  back to the liver for further metabolism or degradation. The importance about how to improve good cholesterol levels is to lower the incidence of heart attack or heart disease, and other atherosclerosis-related disease, such as stroke. HDL has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, so it has protective effects from cardiovascular disease. Recent study also shown that high level of HDL has a neuroprotective effect to prevent dementia and Alzheimer's disease. The normal range of HDLs is between 40-60 mg/dl.

How to improve good cholesterol levels?

The higher you HDL level, the better health you have. Here some ways to improve good cholesterol level:

• Pharmacological
• Statins (simvastatin, atorvastatin, rosuvastatin). They are the most common anticholesterol drugs prescribed by doctors.
• Niacin, or nicotinic acid, known as vitamine B3. It also lowers bad cholesterol but not as effective as statins.
• Fibrates (fenofibrate, gemfibrozil). The most action of these drugs is lowering tryglyceride levels.
• Absorption inhibitors. There is only a mild elevation of good cholesterol by these drugs.
• Lifestyle modifications
• Physical exercise. Just 30 minutes of speed walking or aerobic exercise at least 4-5 times a week is enough to improve 
• Quitting smoking and even becoming a passive smoker. Once you stop smoking, your HDL level will elevate shortly. 
• Lose weight. Reduce your weight until you have a BMI index under 25.
• Healthy diet. Add more fiber, vegetables and fruit to your diet. Choose the better fat or monounsaturated fat, like olive oil, flaxseed, canola oil, etc. Avoid trans fat and saturated fat in junk food and fast food. Eat more cakes, cereals, and breads that are high-glycemic foods. More omega-3 acid like salmon and mackerel are positive for you good cholesterol levels.
• Mild alcohol consumption, such as once a day for women and twice for men can raise HDL level. But if you have underlying liver disease, please avoid.

»»  Read more...

Diet Soda And Stroke Risk

diet soda and stroke risk

A recent study has concluded that diet soda causes increasing in heart disease, stroke risk, diabetes, and other metabolic syndromes. As quoted from Glamour, a study presented in American Stroke Association in London concluded that people who consume a diet soda have risk of stroke attack and died from it.

The research was carried out for 9 years with more than 2,500 subjects. It has shown that 48 percent of subjects who drink diet soda everyday can easily have  heart attack, stroke, and end up as death. This group was compared with subjects who were rarely and didn't consume diet soda. 

Therefore we can conclude that diet soda is an alternative to regular soda, but it is not health so you should limit the diet soda consumption. Consuming diet soda is just like replacing the calories from sugar to chemicals which their goodness is still questionable.

»»  Read more...

Congestive Heart Failure Symptoms

Congestive Heart Failure Symptoms

Congestive Heart Failure is a condition or patophysiology when the heart as pump is no longer able to provide a good blood supply for the tissue metabolism.

Congestive Heart Failure symptoms often ends up as a fatal condition, because patients with congestive heart failure are just like entering a no-way-out phase. Congestive Heart Failure is the only one disease where the morbidity and mortality increases, even some researches have done to know the patophysiology and the proper treatments. In fact, 50% of patients will die in 5 years. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the prevalence of congestive heart disease is 22 million at 2002.

There are congestive heart failure symptoms :

1. The cardinal signs are weakness and shortness of breath.
2. Dyspneu d'effort: hard to breath (dyspnea) while having activities
3. Orthopnea: dyspnea while lying
4. Paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea: an acute episode of heavy dyspnea, occurs at midnight or while sleeping and make patients awake, followed by dry cough and sometimes wheezing.
5. Anorexia, nauseous, and a full feeling of the stomach are non specifics complains of the patients.

Congestive heart failure treatments:

There are three basic points of managing patients with congestive heart failure (congestive heart failure symptoms):  treatments to the heart itself, treatments of underlying diseases, and treatments to the triggering factors. Medical treatments' goal is to reduce sodium and fluid retention, to increase contractility and to decrease heart preload. General treatments include bed rest, regulation of temperature and humidity, oxygen administration when needed, and diet. Drugs like inotropics (digitalis, digoxine), vasodilators (hidralazine), venodilator (nitrat, nitroglycerines, ISDN), mixed dilators (prazosine, captopril, nitroprusid), diuretics, and antiarythmia drugs. Surgery will be done for some congenital cases (for palliative, corrective) and acquired heart disease (valvuloplasty, valve replacement).

»»  Read more...

Congenital Heart Disease In Children

Congenital Heart Disease In Children

I Have two children. My second child was 5 years old. His face often turn blue and has a slower growth compared to his older brothers at the same age. Her body was weak and emaciated. He does not like playing with each other kid. He has another symptom which his breath is wheezing and face seemed to turn blue when he run even though just 50 feet and not too fast. If he crying, so his face appears bluish. I've checked into the internist doctor and result said that he suffered from heart disease. I've started questioning whether it's Congenital heart disease in children.

The doctor advised me to bring him into a cardiologist for doing heart needed surgery. I become afraid because he is just a young child however should have heart surgery. I want to ask :

What exactly is my child's illness?

What causes them?

How much does it cost for surgery?

Are there any consequences if he doesn't take surgery?

Answer:

There are many kinds of heart diseases that affect children. One of the most important is Congenital heart disease in children. This heart disease is caused by rheuma, bacterial infection, etc.  

Types of congenital heart disease.

Congenital heart defects: tetralogy of Fallot, transposition of great vessels, persistent ductus arteriosus, atrial septal defect, stenosis of the aorta or atresi and others.

The heart is an important organ that the main function is to the channel part of the body to deliver oxygen and nutrients. Because of the cardiac abnormalities, there are some leaks so that the blood-containing acid is mixed with dirty blood that contains a lot of CO2. This causes blood that circulates throughout the body lacks oxygen and nutrients, while it's excess CO2.

Congenital heart disease in children is always weak, tired, irritability, listlessness, shortness of breath and face or body looks bluish. In addition, it causes the reduction of the heart's strength  so that blood is pumped around the body is not much, and results in acid and foods that are transported throughout the body is insufficient.

The treatment of congenital heart disease in children depends on the type of abnormality and the severity of these cardiac abnormalities.Tetralogy of Fallot and persistent ductus arteriosus (PDA) can be cured with surgery. But the total transposition of the great blood vessels difficult to cure because there is no effective way, including with surgery. Ventricular septal defect and atrial light and mild pulmonary artery stenosis do not need an operation, but when severe requiring treatment by surgery.

Now let us discuss your questions:

1. The examining doctor says that your child is suffering from heart disease. Most likely, it is a congenital heart disease. But I can't specify the type or name of congenital heart disease .
2. Congenital heart disease in children happens before the birth of your child while still in the womb. The changes to the heart began to occur at the time the fetus (weeks 2 and 8) at the start of the process of heart formation. Causes of congenital heart disease in children include: rubella (German measles) which contains a pathway to a mother during 1-2 months, heredity, mother's age more than 40 years, vitamin A deficiency in pregnant while containing baby, anoxia (oxygen deficiency) as pregnant women, and other factors.
3. As described above, several other severe heart disease and should be cured by surgery. Besides, there are even congenital heart disease in children that can not be treated even by way of operating. If the doctor recommends your child for surgery then treatment with surgery is the best for healing for the sake of your child's future.
4. The cost of heart surgery is relatively expensive. Please visit your surgeon, especially a cardiac surgeon in a big city. A small percentage of severe congenital heart disease in children may persist or decrease the symptoms, but most will be more severe with increasing age. Without further treatment your child will remain as it is now for several years or even be more crowded, more weak and more bluish.

»»  Read more...