Česky
The most common heart disease is coronary artery disease, which affects the coronary arteries. The underlying cause of this disease is atherosclerosis, in which fat, cholesterol and calcium are deposited in the blood vessel wall. This creates a plaque that subsequently narrows the blood vessels. 'A serious and sometimes fatal manifestation of coronary heart disease is acute myocardial infarction, which affects 9 000 people a year and up to 3% of them die from it. Another relatively common heart disease is various arrhythmias. The most common is atrial fibrillation, the incidence of which increases with age in the population," says MUDr. Mgr. Romana Zajacová, deputy head of the internal medicine department at the Rehabilitation Hospital Beroun, points out that a serious consequence of untreated atrial fibrillation can be a stroke. The incidence of heart failure also increases with age in the population. This is a disease where the heart fails as a pump and can present as acute or chronic."
Cardiologists at the Beroun hospital also encounter valvular diseases, diseases of the heart muscle called myocarditis. These can have a number of causes, the diagnosis of which is often not easy and can also result in heart failure or more serious arrhythmias. Last but not least, it addresses heart defects in adult patients that may not have been detected in childhood, such as atrial septal defect.
"I would also like to mention arterial hypertension, which is also one of the most common cardiovascular diseases. Untreated hypertension can potentially lead to acute myocardial infarction, acute stroke or heart failure," adds Romana Zajacová.
Let's not underestimate the symptoms
A typical symptom of heart disease is a dull pressing pain behind the sternum, which usually lasts for several minutes. It may or may not shoot into the neck, jaw, left arm, or even the stomach or back. There is also shortness of breath - both exertional and resting, and palpitations - a sensation of an irregular pulse. Heart disease can also manifest itself as a feeling of weakness or even collapse. If we observe these health problems in ourselves, we should seek medical attention.
Prevention is essential
To prevent heart disease, it is important to take precautions and follow a healthy lifestyle. "I think it is important to learn how to manage your own health from a young age. This is partly the responsibility of parents, partly the responsibility of schools, paediatric GPs and also the responsibility of the media. We should learn how our bodies work, how to eat properly, get enough exercise, manage stress and avoid addictions to smoking, alcohol and drugs," explains Dr Zajacová.
In the Beroun hospital, the problem is addressed comprehensively
In the outpatient clinics of the Beroun hospital, doctors provide patients with comprehensive diagnostic and therapeutic care according to current recommendations, taking advantage of the possibility to cooperate with super-clinics. In addition to regular check-ups, where patients are adjusted to their current condition by adjusting their medication and indicating the necessary examinations, the specialists try to influence the risk factors mentioned above as part of so-called secondary prevention. "We are intensively developing the Cardiovascular Rehabilitation Programme, which involves doctors from our outpatient clinics, as well as nutritional therapists, rehabilitation doctors, physiotherapists and psychologists. We strive to encourage patients to lead an active and healthy lifestyle. They then have the opportunity to regularly visit the nutritional clinics, where therapists help them with their diets," concludes Romana Zajacová.
Patients have the opportunity to see psychologists for individual and now also group therapy (in cooperation with nutritional therapists) and, of course, to visit the hospital fitness centre, where they train and learn how to increase their physical activity under the supervision of physiotherapists. In this way, they effectively influence their metabolism, reduce excess pounds, train their heart and thus increase their fitness. It is proven that active people have a 30-40% lower risk of cardiovascular disease.
