Is arteriosclerosis caused by garbage blocking blood vessels? Can regular infusions help unclog blood vessels in the elderly?

With the arrival of an aging society in my country, 2021 has entered a stage of in-depth aging, and the health of the elderly has also attracted much attention. Elderly friends often find words such as "atherosclerosis" and "carotid artery stenosis" in their physical examination reports. Some people understand that this is "garbage blocking the blood vessels, and regular infusion is needed to clean it up." Is this statement correct? Let me tell you.

First of all, the cause of arteriosclerosis is the well-known "plaque", not "garbage". These plaques are excess lipids in the body that are deposited on the damaged inner wall of the blood vessel. Together with other sugar substances, the inner wall of the blood vessel produces inflammatory factors, fibrosis or calcium deposition, and the artery gradually loses its elasticity, leading to arteriosclerosis, plaques gradually increasing in size, and narrowing of the blood vessel lumen [1]. Because the lipids accumulated in the intima of the artery appear yellow and porridge-like, it is called atherosclerosis. Disturbances in lipid metabolism in the body are the biggest cause of atherosclerosis.

The carotid artery is a common site for atherosclerosis. Arterial stenosis of less than 50% is mild stenosis, 50%-69% is moderate stenosis, and 70% and above is severe stenosis. If the plaque is not large, it will not cause physical impact, but as the plaque grows, various symptoms will appear. Generally, patients over 40 years old may experience dizziness and unstable gait, which may be related to cerebral ischemia caused by stenosis of the basilar artery; if there is a short-term sense of pressure or pain in the sternum or precordial area, it may be caused by coronary atherosclerosis; if the sensation in the lower limbs subsides, it may also be caused by lower limb arteriosclerosis; if there is an increase in nocturia, it is often an early symptom of renal artery atherosclerosis. If the plaque is unstable and falls off, it flows with the blood in the lumen, which is the culprit for acute stroke, acute myocardial infarction or macular degeneration of the fundus.

For mild arteriosclerosis and stenosis, doctors will prescribe lipid-lowering drugs for prevention and treatment, such as atorvastatin, rosuvastatin and other drugs. Secondly, they will choose corresponding drugs for treatment according to the condition. If drug treatment is not effective and organ diseases caused by plaque stenosis occur, you should seek medical attention in time. Doctors will choose treatment options such as infusion, combined Chinese and Western medicine treatment or surgical operation based on the assessment of risk factors.

In addition, the decision on infusion should be made by a professional physician based on the needs of the patient and the indications for medication. It cannot be given whenever one wants. Indiscriminate infusion not only fails to dredge blood vessels, but also produces side effects including the impact on water-electrolyte-acid-base balance, fever, excessive circulatory load, air embolism, phlebitis, etc., which seriously endanger human health[2]. Therefore, the idea of ​​"regular infusion to dredge blood vessels" is unscientific and undesirable.

What should I do if I want to unclog my blood vessels?

First of all, we should start with our lifestyle habits, control our mouths and move our legs: improve our diet structure, maintain a light diet, say goodbye to greasy and heavy-tasting foods, increase our intake of vegetables and grains, and lower our cholesterol levels. This is the premise and key to preventing thrombosis and atherosclerosis. The elderly can develop good habits such as doing Tai Chi and walking to promote fat decomposition and maintain blood vessel vitality; quit smoking and drinking, and have a regular work and rest schedule; the elderly should have regular physical examinations and pay attention to changes in their blood lipids and blood pressure. Controlling blood pressure fluctuations can effectively prevent the shedding of atherosclerotic plaques [3]. In addition, it is also important to take medication on time and maintain a good attitude.

This is the end of this episode of health rumor debunking. If you like this episode, please give us a thumbs up, or communicate with us in the comment section. See you next time.

References:

[1] Zhou Guangyan, Yu Bo, et al. Research progress on the mechanism of vulnerable coronary artery plaque formation[J]. Chinese Journal of Multi-Organ Diseases in Geriatrics, 2018, 02(v.17):79-81.

[2] Ma Xudong, Chen Wei, Du Guang. Harms and prevention of abuse of intravenous infusion[J]. Medical Herald, 2015, 34(002):279-281.

[3] Kang Jian, Zhao Xingshan, Ding Younan. Effect of blood pressure variability on carotid artery sclerosis in elderly female hypertensive patients[J]. Chinese Journal of Geriatric Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Diseases, 2015, 17(2):200-202.