Stents have been the saviour for many cardiac patients experiencing
chest pain. But a landmark study presented at the American Heart
Association’s annual meeting in Philadelphia, suggests that inserting
stents might be unnecessary in some of these cases. It points out that medication along with lifestyle changes may be enough for managing exercise-induced chest pain patients suffering from heart diseases.
What is exercise-induced chest pain?
Exercise increases our body’s oxygen requirement. Meeting this
requirement during a workout session gets hard for heart patients at
times, which causes chest pain. There are different types of heart
diseases. Focus group of this study included patients with ischemic
heart disease. In this condition the patients have plaque buildup in
their coronary arteries which transport blood to the heart. Accumulation
of plaque narrows the arteries down making it difficult for the
arteries to pump blood, especially during an exercise. This causes chest
pain and the condition is called angina. However, it subsides when the
patients rest. In the medical fraternity, this is known as stable
angina. Though this condition isn’t considered as a medical emergency,
it requires a cardiologist’s attention for sure.
What does the new research say?
So far, doctors have been recommending stent procedure in case of
exercise-induced chest pain caused by shortage of blood supply to the
heart. This is because lack of blood supply to the cardiac muscles may
lead to death. However, findings of the new study suggest that doctors
need to rethink their approach as medications such as aspirin and drugs
can treat these exercise-induced chest pains simply by managing high
cholesterol levels. Cholesterol is a fat-like substance that promotes
plaque build-up. The study looked at 5,179 patients in 37 countries. The
results showed that blood pressure drugs such as ACE inhibitors and
beta blockers taken for high cholesterol can work just as effectively.
For this condition, the study also recommended lifestyle modifications
like weight loss initiatives, cutting down saturated fat and quitting
smoking.
Stent procedure and its complications
Inserting stent in the heart arteries or any other part of the body
is a surgical procedure. It comes with all the complications of any
surgical intervention. A slight slack or mistake by the doctor can prove
to be dangerous. Moreover, the stent metal can also lead to an allergic
reaction. Other complications associated with inserting a stent are
internal bleeding, infection, breathing problems due to anesthesia,
blood clots and re-narrowing of the artery.
Lifestyle modifications for exercise-induced chest pain
The cornerstone of managing exercise-induced chest pain is
medication. However, as the new research already mentioned, lifestyle
modification is also important in handling the condition. If you are a
smoker, it is essential to join a smoking cessation programme as the
link between this habit and coronary artery issues is well-established.
Your body weight can be a significant contributing factor behind angina.
Consult a nutritionist for proper dietary guidelines. She may advise
reducing overall fat intake, and including a lot of fruits and
vegetables in your meals among others.