Generalized atherosclerosis is a vascular disease accompanied by the formation of atherosclerotic plaques. In this case, the lesion can be observed in several groups of vessels at once. Such a pathological process usually has a chronic form, it is based on impaired lipid metabolism. Complications arising from the disease threaten the he alth and life of the patient. Let's consider what kind of ailment it is, in more detail, and also we will figure out what the treatment is.
For what reasons does the disease develop?
The main cause of generalized atherosclerosis is considered to be excess cholesterol. Lipids are formed from fats that come with food.
This pathology will help develop due to:
- A diet high in cholesterol.
- Overeating.
- Overweight.
- Sedentary imagelife.
- Alcohol abuse.
- Smoking.
- High doses of steroid hormones.
- Chronic stress.
Other factors that are quite difficult to influence include:
- Diabetes mellitus.
- Hypertension.
- Age over 40.
- Thyroid dysfunction.
- Lack of sex hormones in women.
- Metabolic failure at the genetic level, when cholesterol is not completely oxidized in the liver.
- Increased clotting, blood viscosity.
About the reasons in more detail
Some causes of the development of the disease require more detailed consideration. Due to the predominance of fatty foods in the diet, lipids are excessively synthesized. Their deposition occurs not only in adipose tissue, but also inside the vessels. Many foods contain trans fats that the body cannot absorb, which becomes a direct cause of the formation of atherosclerotic plaques.
Generalized atherosclerosis (ICD-10 code - I70) is often detected in smokers. The fact is that there is an accumulation of harmful impurities inside the walls of the arteries. This leads to excessive cell division and plaque formation.
Who else is at risk?
In those people who move little, the risk of developing pathology increases significantly, this is facilitated by oxygen deficiency in the body. In the absence of physical activity, blood flow slows down. There is poor saturation of the bodyoxygen, as a result, the process of fat oxidation is hampered. So there are more and more of them.
Against the background of diabetes and excess glucose in the blood, fat metabolism is also disturbed, cells are destroyed and disease occurs. Generalized and unspecified atherosclerosis differ in that in the second case, the cause of the disease remains unidentified.
How does pathology occur?
Systemic damage to the body in generalized atherosclerosis occurs in several stages. Since the metabolism of lipids and proteins is disturbed, this leads to excessive synthesis of low density lipoproteins. They contain a lot of "bad" cholesterol, the deposition of which is usually observed on the walls of blood vessels.
High-density lipoproteins, on the contrary, contain "good" cholesterol, they improve the processes of its delivery to the liver.
Stages
Negative changes in metabolism provoke a violation of the ratio of phospholipids, cholesterol, and proteins.
- The first stage - the appearance of lipid spots in the walls of blood vessels is noted. The main provoking factors include microtrauma of the arteries and a slowdown in blood flow. Under their influence, loosening and swelling of the vascular walls occur. Detection of lipid stains is possible only with a microscope.
- The second stage is liposclerosis. In those places where fats are deposited, connective tissue and atherosclerotic plaques appear. Their main danger is that when they break, it can clogfragments of the lumen of blood vessels. Another problem is blood clots that form at plaque attachment sites.
- The third stage is characterized by atherocalcinosis - pathological formations grow. They become denser, calcium s alts are deposited in them. As the plaques grow, the lumen of the vessels becomes smaller, the blood supply to the organs suffers. Acute blockage of the vessel is not excluded. Due to poor blood flow to organs and tissues, complications such as stroke, heart attack, acute ischemia of the lower extremities occur.
Generalized atherosclerosis and its consequences are part of the systemic reaction of the human body, which is expressed in the form of pathological processes of lipid metabolism disorders. It is also called "lipid distress syndrome".
Localization of pathology
Localization of generalized atherosclerosis (according to ICD-10 I70) is observed in the following areas: in the brain, neck, coronary, peripheral vessels. There is a synchronous formation of foci of pathology. With the defeat of the coronary vessels, the situation is most severe.
Forecast
Prognosis will be negative for the most part, as many complications accompany the process. If there is damage to the peripheral vessels, as well as the vessels of the brain and neck, then the plaques are unevenly distributed. That is why the lumen of the affected arteries has a different diameter.
What are the symptoms of the disease?
Generalized atherosclerosis (ICD-10 code - I70) is accompanied by a variety of symptoms. It directly depends on which authoritieslack of oxygen and nutrients.
So, lesions can be found in:
- Vessels of the brain, neck.
- Aorte.
- Mesenteric arteries.
- Vessels of the lower extremities.
- Coronary vessels.
- Renal vessels.
What are the symptoms of generalized atherosclerosis?
When the arteries of the brain are damaged, there is a decrease in mental and physical performance, deterioration of attention, memory loss. Sometimes sleep is disturbed, dizzy. In particularly difficult situations, the possibility of mental disorders, acute circulatory disorders in the brain, hemorrhages, thrombosis is not ruled out.
When cholesterol plaques appear in the vessels of the neck, there are signs of impaired blood supply to the brain, which are accompanied by:
- Memory deterioration.
- Dizzy.
- Incoordination.
- Pain in the head.
- Disorder of vision, hearing, speech.
Signs of an aortic lesion include:
- High blood pressure.
- Pain in the chest, radiating to the neck, abdomen, arm, back.
- Dizziness.
- Swooning.
- Short of breath.
In the presence of a pathological process, an aneurysm occurs (protrusion of the artery wall).
Coronary vascular disease manifests itself:
- Chest pain.
- Irregular heart rate.
- Angina.
- Signs of heart failure.
A terrible complication of this type of illness is sudden death.
Against the background of the development of atherosclerotic plaques in the mesenteric arteries, the digestive system is disrupted (this is manifested by constipation or diarrhea, bloating). Some time after eating, sharp pains appear. Sometimes the patient suffers from hypertension.
In the presence of atherosclerotic deposits in the arteries of the lower extremities, symptoms such as constant fatigue, weakness, chilliness of the extremities, intermittent claudication occur (pain occurs while walking, it disappears at rest). In the future, there is a violation of the trophism of the skin, which is accompanied by the formation of ulcers. Great risk of gangrene.
Possible consequences of generalized atherosclerosis
The main consequence of the disease is the narrowing of the lumen of the arteries. There is insufficient blood supply to the organs, which is fraught with the following complications:
- Ischemia.
- Hypoxia.
- Small focal sclerosis.
There is a proliferation of connective tissue, all this is accompanied by dystrophic changes. If a vessel clogs a thrombus, an embolus, this situation will lead to acute vascular insufficiency or a heart attack. The main cause of death in generalized atherosclerosis is aneurysm rupture.
How is this disease diagnosed?
The diagnosis of "generalized atherosclerosis" is made based on the patient's complaints and research results.
To revealidentify signs of arterial disease conduct a general examination at the time:
- Weight reduction.
- Puffiness.
- Trophic disorders.
- The presence of wen.
Perform auscultation, in which the doctor listens to the sound phenomena that occur in the patient's body. Pathology can be indicated by the presence of systolic murmurs, changes in pulsation in the vessels.
As a diagnosis of lipid distress syndrome, a biochemical blood test is prescribed. With a generalized form of the disease, high cholesterol levels, the presence of low-density lipoproteins, and triglycerides are detected.
They also examine the liver, the microbiosphere of the gastrointestinal tract (they do a coprogram, bacteriological examination).
Functional diagnostic methods
Functional methods for diagnosing a disease include:
- Angiography.
- Coronary angiography.
- Aortography.
- Ultrasound.
- Duplex Scan.
Due to the wide variety of symptoms, a comprehensive examination is usually prescribed.
Therapy of this disease
Provided that the diagnosis is correctly made and the therapy started in time, it is possible to carry out an effective adjustment of the patient's condition. But if the form of generalized atherosclerosis (ICD-10 code I70) is running, the disease is treated much more difficult. Therapy is carried out in conservative and surgical ways.
The conservative option includes taking hypocholesterolemic drugs,the action of which is aimed at lowering the level of cholesterol in the blood.
The most commonly prescribed drugs are:
- Bile acid sequestrants (Cholestyramine, Colestipol).
- Nicotinic acid (Enduracin, Acipimox, Niceritrol).
- Statins (Simvastatin, Lovastatin, Pravastatin, etc.).
If generalized atherosclerosis of the lower extremities is observed, medications are prescribed that can maintain vascular tone and improve tissue metabolism. Dosages, duration of administration are determined by the doctor.
Due to non-drug therapy, the main risk factors are eliminated. These include:
- Lifestyle adjustments.
- Weight normalization.
- Increase physical activity.
- Get rid of bad habits.
- Control over the activity of the digestive systems.
- Stress avoidance.
- Therapy of concomitant ailments (hypertension, diabetes).
Generalized atherosclerosis is also treated surgically. They remove plaque, place a stent in the lumen of the vessel, expand the lumen of the vessel, etc. Thanks to this intervention, the risk of acute coronary syndrome or stroke is reduced.
Therapy with non-traditional means is allowed, but consultation with a specialist is needed.
In particular, with such a disease, traditional medicine advises to consume 3 tables daily. spoons of vegetable oil or drink the juice of 1 potato in the morning.
Effective is a mixture of honey, lemon juice, vegetable oil,taken in equal proportions. The remedy should be used 1 time per day (in the morning on an empty stomach) for 1 table. spoon.
Diet
It is important to maintain a balanced diet. Foods that are rich in animal fats are completely excluded from the diet:
- Fatty meat.
- Salo.
- Smoked meats.
- Offal.
- Canned food.
- Meat broths.
- Butter.
- Sour cream.
- Sausages.
Simple carbohydrates are also desirable to exclude (flour and sweet). The use of mayonnaise, caffeinated drinks is prohibited. You can use no more than 4 g of s alt per day.
What can and should I eat?
- Fish.
- Seafood.
- Bird.
- Low-fat meat (veal, beef, rabbit).
- Groats (especially buckwheat, millet).
- Vegetables, greens.
- Fruits and dried fruits.
- Garlic.
From drinks allowed weak tea, juice.
Preventive measures
Prevention of generalized atherosclerosis will be considered compliance with simple rules. It is important to lead a he althy lifestyle. Alcohol and tobacco are banned.
To help the body get rid of excess cholesterol, fat, exercise is used. You can work out in the gym, swim, run or just walk. An hour a day is enough. Sports loads significantly reduce the risk of generalized atherosclerosis, improve myocardial function, contribute toweight normalization.
It is necessary to check the blood every year to control hormones, including those included in the steroid group. They help increase cholesterol levels.
It is necessary to deal with the treatment of concomitant diseases (diabetes, hypertension). Stressful situations should be avoided. All these preventive measures are important for people over the age of 50.
