Coronary artery disease or CAD is the name given to the heart condition in which the major blood vessels that supply your heart with blood, oxygen and nutrients, also called coronary arteries, get blocked, damaged or diseased.

Blockages usually happen when cholesterol-containing deposits called plaque deposit in your arteries. Plaque narrows the lumen of your coronary artery which means your heart gets lesser and lesser oxygen and nutrients to function properly.
Inflammation is also to blame for coronary artery disease.
Common symptoms of CAD include

Angina or pain in the chest
Shortness of breath
If the blockage is complete, you can get a heart attack.
Common Diagnostic tests
When you go to a heart specialist, she will ask questions about your medical history and follow it up with a physical exam and order routine blood and diagnostic tests to confirm CAD like:

Electrocardiogram (ECG): An ECG records electrical signals as they travel through your heart revealing evidence of a previous heart attack or one that s happening. Holter monitoring is a type of ECG where you wear a portable monitor for 24 hours as you go about your normal daily activities. Abnormalities in the results suggest reduced blood flow to the heart signaling CAD.
Echocardiogram: This test uses sound waves to produce images of your heart. It helps your doctor determine whether all parts of your heart wall are contributing to your heart's pumping activity. If certain parts are moving weakly it can mean damage to muscle due to a heart attack or because of receiving too little oxygen- again signaling CAD.
Exercise Stress test: This test is done by making you do exercises like walking on a treadmill or riding a stationary bike during an ECG. Sometimes, medication to stimulate your heart may be used instead of exercise.
This again detects areas in your heart that receive less blood flow.

Cardiac catheterization or angiogram. A special dye is injected into your coronary arteries to observe blood flow through your heart in a test known as an angiogram.
The dye is sometimes also injected into the arteries through a long, thin, flexible tube called catheter that is threaded through an artery in your leg to the arteries in your heart. This procedure is called cardiac catheterization. This test is very good in diagnosing CAD as the dye outlines narrow spots and blockages on the X-ray images of your heart.
Heart scans. Computerized tomography or CT can help your doctor actually see calcium deposits in your arteries that can be narrowing your arteries. If a substantial amount of calcium deposits are found, coronary artery disease could be the reason.
MRI scans are also done to diagnose CAD.

Common Tests For Coronary Artery Disease!

Angioplasty is the procedure of opening a coronary artery blockage with the help of wire balloon and stent. This procedure is done to open the blocked coronary arteries if they are causing symptoms or acute heart attacks.

HOW IT IS DONE?

The procedure is usually done in local anaesthesia. A wrist artery (radial) or a groin artery (femoral) is used to gain access to the coronary artery as is done in angiography. A hollow tube called a catheter is passed upto heart artery and through this, a guidewire is passed across the blockage and over this wire balloon is passed and blockage dilated.

After this balloon is removed and the metallic stent is passed over this wire. The stent is then inflated and it takes its shape of the hollow tube so that the flow in the coronary artery is restored.

WHAT ARE INDICATIONS OF ANGIOPLASTY AND STENTING:

An acute Heart attack is the most definite indication of angioplasty and stenting. At the time of the heart attack, there is an urgent need to restore the blood flow of block coronary artery which is usually not possible with medicines alone. Angioplasty is the most effective and definite way of opening the artery urgently in such situation.

SHOULD ALL BLOCKAGES BE OPENED UP BY ANGIOPLASTY AND STENTING?

NO, all blockages do not warrant this procedure. There is some amount of risk involved in the angioplasty procedure itself. When the risk of blockage is considered more than the risk of opening the artery then the procedure is indicated. Patients who are doing good on medicines may be followed up without angioplasty.

All About Angioplasty!

The heart pumps pure blood to all parts of the body through a network of arteries. These are thicker in the beginning and become finer and thinner as they reach the various organs. These arteries are lined by a layer of epithelial tissues and as blood flows through them, the heavier cholesterol / fat molecules settle down along the walls. 


This attracts more and more fat molecules to settle down.  This is known as atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). Over a period of time, the vessels circumference reduces and the blood supply to the target organ reduces. This impacts proper functioning of these organs and when this happens to the major organs like the heart, kidney or the brain, conditions like stroke or thrombosis or heart attack can occur.


This condition, known as coronary artery disease, is becoming a major cause of deaths.  While that is the bad news, the good news is that it is largely lifestyle dependent, and if steps are taken, it can be prevented, and in the early stages, the damage completely reversed.


Preventive measures: 
1. Diet: A low-fat, high-fiber, heart-healthy diet consisting of Omega-3 fatty acids is recommended by doctors, especially to people who are prone to develop heart disease.  This also requires reduced salt, increased unsaturated fats, reduced triglycerides and reduced sugar.  Include loads of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds and fish oils. Include multivitamins or other supplements after checking with your doctor.


2. Exercise:  Regular exercise in any form increases the efficiency of the circulatory system, keeps the cholesterol levels in check and helps in blood pressure management.  Exercise in any form is advisable, based on individual preference. A moderate physical activity of 30 to 45 minutes per day is advisable.


3. Smoking: This is one of the major risk factors for smoking, and quitting or controlling smoking is one of the best methods to prevent coronary artery disease.


4. Alcohol consumption:  While moderate alcohol consumption is believed to be healthy for the heart, excessive alcohol consumption is a strict no-no.  Binge drinking especially is shown to cause heart attacks.


5. Weight management: Check with your doctor on what is ideal BMI for you and work out a plan to keep your weight under check.


6. Regular medications: If you are on blood pressure or diabetes medications, ensure you do not miss them.  Keep a constant check to ensure your readings are managed well. 


7. Watch out:  Ask your doctor if there are specific symptoms that you need to watch out and seek medical support if you see any of them.


Coronary disease is not treatable fully, but can be prevented and managed effectively to improve the overall quality of life.

Coronary Artery Disease - 7 Ways You Can Prevent it 

If the blood flow between left ventricle and aorta is obstructed, it is known as Aortic Stenosis.
Aortic stenosis can occur in newborn, infants, children and adolescents. It is more common among boys than in girls.
Mild cases of this disorder do not need treatment. However, if a child has a severe case of aortic stenosis, then it requires treatment.

Aortic stenosis: Causes-

Blockage in the valve, mainly in the form of bicuspid valve stenosis (Aortic valve stenosis)
Muscular/fibrinous obstruction beneath the aortic valve (Subaortic stenosis)
Narrowing above the aortic valve in aorta itself (Supravalvular aortic stenosis)
Aortic valves regulate blood flow to the body parts. When aortic valve opens, it allows blood to go forward then it closed down so that blood will not come back to left ventricle.
However, if there is a problem with the aortic valve, it cannot open entirely and that restricts the passage of blood. The heart has to work extra hard to ensure that the entire volume of blood flow through the faulty valve.

Sometimes babies are born with deformed aortic valve in the form of bicuspid aortic valve that is prone for obstruction as compared to normal trileaflet aortic valve.

Aortic Stenosis: Symptoms-

Symptoms due to aortic stenos is depends on age of the child and its severity.
If occurs in newborn babies, it is generally severe in intensity and babies are generally in shock like state due to low cardiac output.
Infants are generally tired easily during feeding.
Children show signs of easy fatigue, chest pain, loss of consciousness and in late stages with shortness of breath.
Diagnosis of Aortic Stenosis-

Pre-natal testing like a fetal echocardiogram can reveal aortic stenosis if moderate to severe in intensity. That is why as soon as the baby is born, treatment is initiated.
Even if the child was not born with a problematic valve, this condition can arise a few years later.
For diagnosing this disease pediatric echocardiogram by pediatric cardiologist needs to be done from the chest of the child
Treatment of Aortic Stenosis-

If aortic stenosis is mild to moderate in intensity then we need to do follow-up of the child at regular intervals.
However, in severe aortic stenosis, treatment needs to be done
In valvular aortic stenosis, treatment of choice is by doing ballooning of aortic valve (Balloon aortic valvuloplasty, BAV) in any age group.

Balloon Aortic Valvuloplasty - This is not open-heart surgery. It is done in cardiac cath lab under fluoroscopic guidance by using vessels in thigh. We cross the valve with wire and catheters and we inflate a balloon across the stenosed aortic valve.

Open heart surgery: In subvalvular and supravalvular aortic stenosis, treatment is by open heart surgery.

Valve Replacement - An artificial valve or a donor valve is surgically attached at aortic valve location when valve is not amenable for ballooning. It is generally done in adolescent or adult patients.
Parents need to be alert and attentive to any physical discomfort that their child is suffering because that could be a symptom of aortic stenosis. The right treatment at the right time is necessary whenever required.

Aortic Stenosis - All You Must Know About It!

The body receives its source of energy and nutrition through the blood, which is the transport medium. The blood runs through a highly complex network of blood vessels, with the aorta being the largest one. It originates in the heart, the left ventricle precisely and supplies oxygenated blood to all parts of the body. Coarctation is a condition where there is a narrowing of the aorta. The heart, therefore, has to exert extra pressure to push out blood so that blood supply to the target organs is not affected.

The exact cause of aortic coarctation is not known, though it often develops at birth and so is known as a congenital disorder. Depending on the severity of the narrowing, symptoms develop at various times in life. While some infants demonstrate symptoms, some may not show any symptoms well into adulthood. Infants with severe narrowing may manifest the below symptoms quite early in life.

Difficulty in breathing may gasp
Difficulty in feeding
Be extremely irritable
Profuse sweating
Pale skin
When these symptoms are not noticed and treated in time, the child may have heart failure or even die. If the symptoms do not manifest early in life, the infant can grow into childhood quite normally. Symptoms may then manifest which would be different, as below.

Increased blood pressure
Headaches (frequent)
Weakness in the muscles
Nosebleeds
Chest pain
Frequent fainting spells
These are generic symptoms and it is difficult to suspect coarctation of the aorta. Therefore, further imaging would be required to rule out coarctation of the aorta. There are some risk factors, most related to the heart, which puts one at increased risk of developing aortic coarctation.

Bicuspid aortic valve
Aortic valve stenosis and/or regurgitation
Mitral valve stenosis and/or regurgitation
Patent ductus arteriosus
Treatment: Diagnosis is the first step in treating coarctation of the aorta. This would include a series of imaging tests including an echocardiogram, electrocardiogram, chest x-ray, CT scan, and MRI.
Surgery is often the most definitive mode of treatment, and the approach chosen depends on the severity and stage of identification. The most common approach is to open up the narrowed portion and keep it from collapsing again, so that blood flow is restored. This is known as a balloon angioplasty and stenting. Some of the other procedures used include:

Resection with end-to-end anastomosis
Bypass graft repair
Subclavian flap aortoplasty
Patch aortoplasty
In all affected individuals, after surgery, medications are prescribed to maintain blood pressure levels, which is often increased. In addition, lifestyle changes including exercise and healthy eating habits have to be developed.

Coarctation of the Aorta - Symptoms and Treatment

Coronary artery blockage is the most common heart disease and also causes of premature death in the present era. Comparatively, male sex is more prone to the Arterial Blockages than females. Heart muscles need a regular blood supply, oxygen molecules and nutrients to function properly. Heart muscles need a regular blood supply, oxygen molecules and nutrients to function properly. Coronary arteries are those which supply blood to the heart muscles, any blockage in the coronary arteries causes decreases the supply of blood to the heart muscles. Coronary artery blockage is caused due to the build-up of the cells, fat and cholesterol which is called as plaque, which leads to lack of blood supply to the heart muscles.

When the person is active and takes too much stress, the heart needs, even more, blood supply, but when the coronary artery is blocked then there will be a lack of blood supply to heart muscles, such a condition is known as ischemic heart disease. Common symptoms of ischemic heart disease are

Irregular heart rhythm

Shortness of the breath

Angina pain

Tightness in chest

These symptoms take time to appear, but with the gradual decrease in oxygen supplied by the blood the muscles of the heart can get damaged, sometimes even permanently and that is what happens in a heart attack. If someone is suffering from ischemia since long, then it can lead to irregular heartbeat and heart failure.

Tests conducted for detecting coronary artery disease:

Electrocardiogram

Exercise Stress

Nuclear Scan Test

Stress Thallium Test

Cardiac Catheterization

You doctor based on your medical history and symptoms will refer a particular test.

Treatments

If the coronary artery disease is diagnosed, then there are a number of ways it can be treated including lifestyle changes, medication, procedure or surgery

Lifestyle changes: It includes daily exercise, changes in the diet and strictly no smoking

Medication: In the allopathic system of medicine, medication can only help treat the symptoms of blocked coronary arteries, it cannot fix them.

Ayurvedic Approach: The way of understanding of medoroga prakarana according to yogaratnakara and other acharyas are unique. Even stoulya and medoroga is caused due to medo vruddi. Our acharya explains stoulya prakarana and medo roga prakarana in separately. It indicates that Stoulya includes fatty deposition in the adipose tissue. Likewise Medo roga including fat molecules and plasma cholesterol in the blood. Due to the more quantity of the fat molecules and plasma cholesterol in the blood, it can cause several disorders including coronary artery blockage, gallbladder stones, PCOD, Hypothyroidism, X-syndrome etc.

Clinically sometimes a person may be lean but can suffer from coronary artery disease or gallbladder stones, hypercholesterolemia, higher plasma cholesterol levels. Sometimes, we can t find these conditions in obese persons, but they are more at risk of suffering from these problems.

Ayurvedic Medication:

Line of treatment:

Hrudya vati 1000mg 2 times a day before food can be helpful

Anarsha Kshara 3 pinch before food.

Sukha virechana Churna 1tsb after food will surely help

Note:

At the plaque formation stage in arteries and before the thrombus (blood clot) formation, plasma cholesterol management is required and for this Hrudya vati is highly recommended
With the help of above mentioned ayurvedic medicines, we can easily treat coronary artery blockage of 10 to 100%, without any stent or bypass surgery
Anupana: Water, Honey or Ghrutha
Other indications

Prevention of heart attack

Increased blood cholesterol (Lipid Profile Abnormalities)

Gall Bladder Stones

PCOD

Hypothyroidism

Metabolic X-Syndrome.

Conclusion

Coronary artery Blockage is caused due to Medo Vruddi in the blood that may accumulate in the coronary artery vessels. And, will eventually cause ischemia in the heart muscles i.e. craving of the oxygen supply to the heart muscles. That may produce the symptom like irregular heart rhythm, shortness of the breath, angina. After that, it may lead to thrombus formation and can cause myocardial infarction.

Serological Study: Sometimes 100% blockage with cholesterol, fat molecules and cells i.e. Plaque may not show any symptoms, but sometimes even 20-30% of blockage can show all the symptoms. So in the higher cholesterol level or in the hypercholesterolemia conditions and in the early stages of the Plaque formation, one should take medication.

Scientific study:- By observing different scholar s scientific study of all the ingredients of Hrudya vati with respect to regularization of cholesterol level and break down of Plaque formation, we concluded that Hrudya Vati is the drug of choice for the coronary artery blockages.

Animal experiment: Also for further study we conducted an animal experiment on mice in Govt M-Pharma College Bangalore. Experiment result shows serum cholesterol level becomes normal. So that it can prevent the coronary blockage, and reverse the coronary artery blockages.

Clinical study: Through the Clinical study we observed that at the stage of plaque formation in the coronary artery and other arteries can be removed permanently that is 100% by advising Hrudya Vati. 

No need to go for any stunt or bypass operation. With this medication can clear the pathway of the blood vessels, also prevents the blockages & heart attack. In case, there is a family history of heart attack and your blood cholesterol is high, it is advisable that you take at least one course of Hrudya vati, once a year. So, everyone must try to understand the condition of the coronary artery blockage and prevent further complications based on the evidence.

Ayurvedic Treatment For Coronary Artery Blockage Without Surgery!

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