DR SCOTT'S SURGERY; In association with the NHS.Byline: DR SCOTT THERE are almost one and a quarter million people in this country who have had a heart attack and are now living with a heart that has been damaged to some extent. How they live, and how their doctor cares for them, will make a significant difference to the length and quality of life that they will have. This is an area that has probably been researched more than any other. In Newcastle we are drawing up guidelines for the health professionals to use. I thought a simplified sneak preview for patients, their friends and relatives would be useful. If you have had a heart attack you need to know this: LIFESTYLE Regular physical exercise is of prime importance. Half an hour a day to the point of breathlessness is ideal. You may need to work up to this. Do not smoke. You are entitled to NHS NHS abbr. National Health Service NHS (in Britain) National Health Service help to stop; this is the most important step you can take for yourself. Go for a Mediterranean diet Mediterranean diet Nutrition A diet that differs by country, characterized by ↑ consumption of olive oil, complex carbohydrates, vegetables, ↓ red meat. See Diet, Mediterranean diet pyramid. Cf Affluent diet. , with plenty of bread, fruit, vegetables and fish. Cut back on animal fats, cheese and red meat. Alcohol in sensible amounts is fine. 21 units for men and 14 for women, but avoid bingeing MEDICATION There are four groups of drugs which almost all patients can benefit from if they have had a heart attack: Angiotensin-converting enzyme angiotensin-converting enzyme /an·gio·ten·sin-con·vert·ing en·zyme/ (-ten´sin kon-vert´ing en´zim) see peptidyl-dipeptidase A. angiotensin-converting enzyme n. inhibitors (Aceis). These drugs help maintain heart and kidney function. Examples are lisinopril and ramipril. Some people can develop a mild but irritating dry cough dry cough n. A cough not accompanied by expectoration; a nonproductive cough. on these in which case a similar type of tablet but ending in "sartan" makes a good substitute. Examples are Candesartan and Losartan. If you have had a heart attack and do not take one of these drugs ask your doctor why. Antiplatelet therapy antiplatelet therapy Hematology Any therapy that inhibits platelet adhesion and/or aggregation, both of which ↑ complications of ASHD. See Aspirin, Thrombolytic therapy. . The "wonder drug" here is aspirin. It helps prevent blood clots, which are what causes a heart attack. A small dose should be taken for life. Some people need to take it with medication to protect their stomachs. Clopidogrel does a similar job and may be prescribed for up to a year with aspirin. Beta-blockers. These very versatile drugs make having a second heart attack less likely. They also treat angina and high blood pressure. Statins. These drugs lower cholesterol. |
|
||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion