What are the New Advancements in Heart Disease Treatments?

The heart is the main organ of the cardiovascular system in one’s body. It is a network of blood vessels that pumps blood throughout the body. It also coordinates with other organs to help maintain blood pressure and heart rate. The heart is a fist-size organ that pumps blood throughout the body. The heart has four main chambers made of muscle and operates via electrical impulses. The brain and nervous system direct the functioning of the heart. Working with other organs, the nervous system controls the heart rate while the endocrine system sends hormones instructing blood vessels to constrict or relax. A heart specialist or the best heart specialist in Mumbai can give details about the heart and its function.

Disorders that Affect the Heart

Heart conditions are the most generic type of disorder affecting people. Common conditions that affect the heart include:

• Atrial fibrillation (AFib):

Atrial fibrillation refers to irregular electrical impulses in the atrium.

• Arrhythmia:

The heart beats at an irregular rhythm or either too fast or too slow.

• Cardiomyopathy:

Cardiomyopathy is the thickening, stiffening, or enlargement of the heart. 

• Congestive heart failure:

This condition is when the heart is too stiff to pump blood properly.

• Coronary artery disease:

This disease is due to plaque build-up, which leads to the narrowing of the coronary arteries.

• Heart attack (myocardial infarction):

A heart attack is a sudden blockage that cuts off oxygen to the heart.

• Pericarditis:

Pericarditis is the inflammation of the heart’s lining.

How to Keep Your Heart Healthy?

One can incorporate many lifestyle changes to keep one’s heart healthy. One may achieve the correct weight based on gender and age. Alcohol consumption should be kept at a minimum, and one should quit smoking and be limited to passive smoking. One should include a heart-healthy diet that includes fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Exercising regularly and moderately is good for maintaining a healthy heart. One should also consider managing stress with yoga or meditation. Getting regular health screenings is also key which informs how well the body is doing.

Four Advancements in Heart Disease Treatments

1. TAVR treatment for patients with aortic stenosis:

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is a marginally invasive procedure to replace the narrowed aortic valve, which restricts blood flow to the body’s main artery. If left untreated, this can lead to heart failure. However, this procedure is only available for weak patients undergoing open heart surgery. The process involves inserting a catheter through the groin or chest and navigating via the arteries through imaging to replace the aortic valve with an artificial valve. This is a less complicated surgical procedure that does not require an extended recovery time.

2. Watchman treatment for patients with AFib:

The Watchman heart implant device reduces the risk of stroke for patients with Atrial fibrillation (AFib). Patients with AFib have an irregular heartbeat that may lead to blood clots and affect blood flow. Standard treatment for AFib patients is using blood thinners, but some cannot take blood thinners because of the side effects. The Watchman implant offers a permanent alternative. This device is parachute-shaped and self-inflating, which is used to close off the left atrial appendage, the area where the heart can clot. 

3. HeartFLow FFRct Analysis to better visualize heart disease:

HeartFlow FFRct (fractional flow reserve) Analysis is a diagnostic tool that helps doctors and physicians better assess a person’s arteries. It is combined with CT scans and 3D imaging of coronary arteries. This tool measures the blood flow through the coronary arteries allowing for a precise representation of the patient’s anatomy. Furthermore, this helps doctors and the best heart specialist in Mumbai to develop a treatment plan for the patient. A treatment plan includes either surgery, stent, medicine, or lifestyle changes.

4. MitraClip treatment:

The MitraClip procedure treats a common type of heart valve disease, which is the leaky mitral heart valve. This is an insignificantly invasive procedure to treat symptomatic patients who cannot have open heart surgeries. The MitraClip is attached to the mitral heart valve allowing the valve to close more and reduce the leakiness. If left untreated, this condition can be life-threatening. If the mitral valve leaflets cannot close properly, this may rush the blood backward, making the heart work harder. If left untreated for a long time, one can experience shortness of breath, fatigue, and heart failure.

Medications

There are advanced therapies offered to patients with heart failure. Another way to address heart failure is with medicines that lower blood pressure, improve the heart’s ability to pump blood, slow heart rate, and prevent scarring of heart tissues. Following are examples of current medications available:

• Anticoagulants
• Antiplatelet Agents and Dual Antiplatelet Therapy
• ACE Inhibitors
• Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers
• Angiotensin Receptor-Neprilysin Inhibitors
• Beta Blockers
• Calcium Channel Blockers
• Cholesterol-lowering medications
• Digitalis Preparations
• Diuretics
• Vasodilators

These medications work in a variety of manners. Particular drugs reduce clotting, improve blood pressure, improve artery opening and blood flow, and decrease the force of contraction of the heart. A combination of alpha and beta blockers helps treat high blood pressure and heart failure.

Conclusion

The heart is a sensitive organ and one of the most important ones controlling blood flow throughout the body. Being a common ailment, heart disease can be prevented, and recent advances in treatment options allow humans to live longer with heart ailments. Controlling cholesterol, managing blood pressure, and controlling sugar are additional factors for improving and maintaining cardiovascular health. One can consider booking an appointment with the best heart specialist in Mumbai to seek further options and prevention tactics for a healthy heart.