The death rate of heart failure is fourth higher than that of cancer! Eight tests must be done to check the health of the heart.

Liu Zhen, an artist, had an aortic stenosis operation a few days ago, but he died sadly.

Cai Congcong, the attending physician of Beitou Health Management Hospital, said that aortic stenosis belongs to valvular heart disease. Aortic valve stenosis is related to aging, which is common in the elderly, and the valve calcifies with age. If it happens to young people, it is related to congenital valve abnormalities.

From the perspective of heart structure, the heart is divided into four parts: left and right atria and left and right ventricles, of which the left ventricle is the most important and undertakes the main function of transporting blood to all parts of the body; The aortic valve is located between the left ventricle and the aorta. If the valve orifice is narrow, it will increase the heart load, which may lead to heart failure in the long run.

Cai Congcong further explained that heart failure is divided into four stages. In the fourth stage, the average five-year survival rate is only 50%, and the mortality rate is higher than that of cancer.

The American Heart Association divides heart failure into four stages:

1. There is a risk of heart failure, and it has not developed into heart failure. High risk factors include hypertension, arteriosclerosis, diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

2. The appearance of the heart structure began to appear abnormal, and it has not developed into heart failure without obvious symptoms. The appearance of the heart may include left ventricular hypertrophy, dilatation, decreased contractility, valvular lesions, myocardial infarction and so on.

3. In addition to the abnormal appearance of heart structure, symptoms of heart failure began to appear. Patients will have symptoms such as dyspnea, fatigue, burnout and exercise intolerance.

4. In addition to the abnormal heart structure, it began to be accompanied by severe symptoms of heart failure. Patients need to be hospitalized continuously for treatment, including medication, support for Yekman's cardiopulmonary bypass, heart transplantation or palliative care.

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According to the statistics of the Ministry of Health, among the top ten causes of death in China in 20 18, "heart disease" still ranked second on the list, claiming 2 1569 precious lives. Common heart diseases include hypertension, hypertensive heart disease, coronary heart disease (stenosis and myocardial infarction), valvular heart disease, arrhythmia, heart failure and congenital heart disease.

The attack of cardiovascular disease will affect the function of heart to transport blood, and in severe cases there will be the possibility of sudden death. Cai Congcong reminded that if the body is extremely tired and has symptoms such as chest tightness, chest pain, difficulty or shortness of breath, palpitation and unexplained syncope, it is necessary to be vigilant and be careful of heart problems!

Cai Congcong suggested that the following eight common examination methods can be used to check the health of the heart:

1. Physical examination: Through auscultation, judge whether there are heart failure, arrhythmia, valvular heart disease and other problems according to whether the heartbeat of the subject is normal or not.

2. Chest X-ray: Check the patient's heart to see if it gets bigger.

3. Electrocardiogram: hypertrophy of left atrium and left ventricle can be found, which can be combined with other diagnostic methods to increase accuracy.

4. Echocardiography: Echocardiography can show the structure of the heart, the thickness of the valve, the degree of relaxation and prolapse, and the severity of mitral insufficiency, and can also evaluate the contraction function of left ventricular muscles, whether the atrial ventricle is enlarged, and whether the heart pumping function is normal.

5. Exercise ECG: By observing the changes of ECG, heart rate and blood pressure when the exercise load increases, we can understand the state of myocardial hypoxia and arrhythmia, which can be used to evaluate the prognosis of myocardial infarction.

6. Cardiac Computed Tomography (CT): The use of ultra-high-speed coronary computed tomography can effectively detect cardiovascular diseases at an early stage and evaluate the degree of coronary artery calcification and stenosis.

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7. Coronary computed tomography (CTA): It is necessary to apply contrast agent and then perform computed tomography. The images after examination can be well developed, and diseases such as aneurysm, arterial dissection, arteriosclerosis, stenosis and embolism can be detected. Especially for people with "three high" problems or severe coronary artery obstruction, I may not have obvious discomfort symptoms, but I can clearly see the severity of cardiovascular obstruction by detecting images.

8. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a safe and accurate method for human examination, which does not require injection of contrast agent and has no radiation effect. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be used to analyze heart muscles and valves, measure the size of the heart, and accurately calculate the contraction force of the heart, which is superior to ultrasonic detection for heart tissue.

KingNet national network medicine authorized to reprint the original text for your heart health diagnosis! Medical Xu: These eight tests must be done.