Cardiovascular diseases
The most significant diseases of the cardiovascular system are high blood pressure and arteriosclerosis. Both are simultaneously risk factors for heart attack and stroke. These two – often fatal – events are also classified under cardiovascular diseases.
When the blood supply breaks down
The human heart muscle contracts about 70 to 80 times a minute to pump blood through the body. In this way, the heart supplies the organs with oxygen and important nutrients. But what if the blood supply to the heart muscle itself, or parts of it, fails? This is what happens, for example, when heart blood vessels get clogged up with blood clots. The consequence can be what is known as a myocardial infarction – a heart attack.
Most heart attacks begin slowly and are accompanied by slight pain, unease, shortness of breath, or outbreaks of sweating. Because such symptoms are not clear-cut, some people wait too long before seeking help. Yet a heart attack can be fatal. A doctor should therefore be consulted as quickly as possible. In principle there are also ways of reducing the risk of a heart attack.
Stroke - vascular occlusion in the brain
Such a vascular occlusion is also dangerous if it happens in the brain. If areas of the brain are cut off from the blood flow, the patient suffers an ischemic stroke, by far the most common form of stroke. Important brain functions are lost if the necessary supply of oxygen and nutrients is cut off. Stroke symptoms can therefore include impaired speech or vision, paralysis, or a dimming of consciousness.
If the interruption of supply continues, the affected nerve cells die and the damage becomes permanent. A stroke is also fatal in many cases. In the case of a stroke, the same applies as with a heart attack: a stroke should be treated quickly, and preventive measures can be taken to lower the risk.
Prevention is the best protection
The clots that cause a heart attack or a stroke are frequently preceded by deposits on the walls of the blood vessels. Such deposits can in turn be caused by high blood-fat levels. If the thin layer that separates these deposits from the bloodstream rips, the blood's coagulation system is automatically activated – leading to clot formation.
Active ingredients exist that impede this clot formation by disturbing the agglomeration of the blood platelets. Taken daily, they reduce the risk of a clot forming. Bayer Schering Pharma offers such a product. It has been specially designed to be well tolerated by the stomach when taken on a daily basis.
