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Angina V.S. Heart Attack

When the blood vessels supplying the heart muscle become significantly narrowed (stenosis), heart-related squeezing chest pain - angina occurs, but the blood is still flowing, which is partially blocked. As long as you rest, the narrowed blood vessels can still deliver oxygen to your heart at a slightly slower rate to make it beat. But when you start to do strenuous activities, the heart muscle needs more oxygen brought by the blood vessels to support a faster heartbeat and stronger contraction. At this time, because the speed of oxygen supply from the narrowed blood vessels slows down, a feeling of chest pain is produced. This shows that the heart muscle is in a state of oxygen supply shortage for a period of time, and angina will occur.


A heart attack is fundamentally different from angina!!


When a heart attack occurs, there is usually a rupture or tear in the endothelium of an atherosclerotic plaque inside a blood vessel . When the plaque ruptures, the body's immune system goes on high alert and sends platelets to seal the tear. The platelets then form a blood clot (thrombus) , which may suddenly and completely block blood flow.

When this happens in the coronary arteries that supply the heart, the blood flow to the heart is blocked, and the heart cannot get oxygen to itself, leading to the death of heart cells. If it happens in the brain, it is a stroke.


Angina vs. Heart Attack


Can angina cause a heart attack?

It is more likely. Researchers believe that this may be related to inflammation index, but modern technology still cannot screen blood vessels that are prone to inflammation and rupture. In addition, cardiologists have found that some people have narrowed blood vessels and recurrent angina, but they do not develop heart attacks - they may have stable plaques. On the other hand, some people have only mild or no disease in their arteries, but their first heart disease will be a severe heart attack.


Therefore, targeting the inflammatory index and stabilizing vascular plaques can be used as a principle of preventing cardiovascular diseases. Different Chinese medicines have proven their relevant effects. However, we must remember that syndrome differentiation and treatment is the soul of Chinese medicine diagnosis and treatment. Without syndrome differentiation, we must not buy medicine and take it on our own.


Listed below:

Improve lipid metabolism and plaque stability

• Representative Chinese medicine: Hawthorn, Gynostemma pentaphyllum

Regulate endothelial function and angiogenesis

• Representative Chinese medicine: Astragalus, Angelica, Ligusticum chuanxiong

Anti-inflammatory and immune regulation

• Representative Chinese medicine: Panax notoginseng, Coptis chinensis, Andrographis paniculata


Angina and heart attacks
心絞痛與心臟病發作一樣嗎?

 
 
 

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