Medical news on November 28: Increased risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease in cold weather
Cold weather can easily lead to blood vessel constriction and sudden high blood pressure, which can lead to strokes and heart attacks.
Increased risk of stroke and heart disease in cold weather
Mr. Thang, 56 years old, had a stroke at a general hospital in Hanoi . The patient had a history of high blood pressure but still often got up early to exercise.
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| Cold weather can easily lead to blood vessel constriction and sudden high blood pressure, which can lead to strokes and heart attacks. |
On the same day he was admitted to the hospital, the weather was cold. Mr. Thang woke up at 5am to go to the park to exercise. After 30 minutes, he experienced severe headaches, dizziness, and difficulty speaking.
Mr. Khoa, 70 years old, has a habit of swimming at 7am every day regardless of the weather. In December, when the weather was cold, he still woke up early and planned to swim a few laps, but after only about 200m, he felt short of breath and chest tightness.
After he stopped swimming and resting, the symptoms did not improve, and even gradually worsened. He was taken to the emergency room, where doctors concluded that he had acute pulmonary edema, complete blockage of the left coronary artery, and myocardial infarction.
Both cases were treated by internal medicine and vascular revascularization by doctors during the golden hour.
According to doctors, weather changes are not the cause of strokes and heart attacks, but they are factors that promote the increase of this condition. When suddenly cold, the body will react defensively such as peripheral vasoconstriction, increased platelets, increased viscosity, making the blood more prone to clotting, leading to the formation of blood clots, causing vascular occlusion.
Decreased temperature also increases the activity of the sympathetic nervous system, the renin angiotensin system increases blood pressure, contributing to the event.
Blood pressure of 140/90 mmHg or higher can damage the blood vessels that supply blood to the brain, leading to stroke and heart attack. The higher the blood pressure, the greater the risk of stroke and heart attack.
In fact, many elderly patients are taking medication so they are subjective and do not monitor their blood pressure. They wake up early to exercise immediately. Indoors, the temperature is warm, outside the weather is cold, the clothes are not warm enough, the body temperature drops quickly, the body cannot adapt in time, causing blood pressure to increase dramatically.
The body has just changed from sleep to wakefulness, the hormones that control the cardiovascular system increase secretion, while some chemicals that affect the hemostasis process (Nitric oxide) are consumed after a long night. Unreasonable strenuous exercise in the morning can cause stroke, myocardial infarction.
Medical experts advise that on cold days, everyone needs to get enough sleep. After waking up, wait until the body is alert and can do light warm-up at home.
People should not exercise outdoors in cold weather, prefer to exercise indoors, if going out should wear enough warm clothes. Each person should exercise gently with exercises such as yoga, not strenuous exercise.
People with high blood pressure need to monitor their blood pressure daily and take medication as prescribed by their doctor. Do not exercise or do strenuous activities when blood pressure is high.
Associate Professor, Doctor, Doctor Nguyen Thi Bach Yen, Head of Cardiology Department, Tam Anh General Hospital, Hanoi, stroke and myocardial infarction can happen to anyone, including young people. Everyone should have regular health check-ups, screening for risk factors such as high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol, diabetes, etc.
In addition, some general preventive measures are to increase physical activity, avoid sitting in one place for long periods of time, adopt a diet low in salt and fat, increase green vegetables and ripe fruits, quit smoking, and limit the use of alcohol and stimulants.
According to the World Stroke Organization, stroke is the leading cause of death and disability worldwide . There are an estimated 12.2 million new strokes worldwide each year.
Vietnam is among the countries with the highest risk of stroke, with an estimated rate of over 218/100,000 people. According to this rate, with a population of 100 million, the number of stroke cases in our country is about over 200,000 per year.
According to the World Health Organization, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the world. An estimated 17.9 million people died from cardiovascular disease in 2019, accounting for 32% of all deaths worldwide, of which 85% were due to heart attacks and strokes.
Medical cooperation between Bach Mai Hospital and Hanoi Medical University
Bach Mai Hospital and Hanoi Medical University are special comprehensive strategic partners. The long-term and comprehensive cooperative relationship between the two units has gone down in tradition and history.
The signing ceremony of the cooperation agreement between the two units is a continuation and development of the relationship to a new level, towards a sustainable future. The contents of the cooperation agreement require the efforts and determination of both sides, continuing the deep connections from the past to connect scientific and humanistic values.
According to Director of Bach Mai Hospital Dao Xuan Co, the growth of Bach Mai Hospital and Hanoi Medical University has contributed to the overall development of the country's health sector for many years with the persistent contributions of generations of doctors, nurses and lecturers.
The achievements that both sides have achieved are partly inherited from the results of previous generations, the shining examples that have contributed to creating the appearance of the team of "Doctors - Teachers" with solid expertise and medical ethics.
Bach Mai Hospital always strives to fulfill its main tasks: Medical examination and treatment to serve the people; Training medical human resources; Scientific research and technology transfer.
In which, the Hospital is the largest practice facility of Hanoi Medical University in particular and medical human resource training units in general.
The Signing Ceremony just held between the two hospitals is a strong commitment with all the intelligence, heart and passion to continue deep and comprehensive cooperation towards the common development of the country's health sector in the present and future.
On the side of Hanoi Medical University Hospital, Prof. Dr. Nguyen Huu Tu, Rector of Hanoi Medical University, hopes that the contents of the cooperation agreement will continue to be developed strongly and effectively.
This requires determination and high responsibility from both units. The comprehensive cooperation between the hospital and the school is a factor that contributes to promoting the development of the country's medicine and high-quality human resources for the entire medical sector. Both units work towards the same main goals, with special attention paid to the essential, high-quality human resources for the medical sector.
Life-threatening typhus
After 2 weeks of experiencing symptoms of prolonged high fever and fatigue, Ms. Tan Lo M., 25 years old in Lai Chau, was taken to a medical facility for examination and treatment.
Through medical history, it was found that a month ago, Ms. TLM had participated in farming. In the last three days before coming to the hospital, her fever became worse, accompanied by severe difficulty breathing, making it almost impossible for the patient to breathe on her own.
Upon admission, due to the severity of the patient's condition, the patient was placed on a ventilator and necessary tests were performed. The results showed that the patient had scrub typhus. The patient was then transferred to the Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases.
MSc. Ha Viet Huy, Department of Intensive Care, Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases, said that TLM patient was bitten by a tick in a sensitive area of the genitals. This is a difficult location to detect, requiring careful and meticulous examination by the doctor.
Fortunately, the doctors at the lower level discovered the cause. Finding the sting in this case was the decisive factor in helping to diagnose the disease correctly and apply the initial treatment regimen.
For patients with scrub typhus, the use of specific drugs plays a decisive role in the treatment process. If detected early, the disease can be effectively controlled and the patient recovers quickly.
Currently, thanks to timely intervention at lower-level medical facilities and specialized treatment methods, the patient has a good chance of recovery...
MSc. Ha Viet Huy said that scrub typhus is an infection caused by bacteria of the Rickettsiacea family, often transmitted through the bite of the Leptotrombidium mite.
This is a dangerous disease if not detected and treated promptly, it can cause complications of multiple organ failure and death. Although a rare disease, scrub typhus usually causes few complications if detected promptly and treated properly. This is why early detection is so important.
According to Dr. Huy, tick fever has special identifying characteristics. The bite caused by the tick is usually characterized by a black scab measuring 2-3×3-5mm, painless, not itchy, with a red border and raised on the skin surface, often not healing, accompanied by symptoms such as high fever, fatigue, rash, swollen lymph nodes and in the severe stage, difficulty breathing will appear.
The disease is not transmitted through the respiratory tract or casual contact, but only through direct bites from mites. This makes the disease easy to miss in the early stages if not carefully checked.
People who live or work in mountainous areas are at high risk of getting scrub typhus. Therefore, it is important to protect yourself from ticks by wearing long-sleeved clothing, using insect repellent and avoiding exposure to high-risk environments.
When suspicious symptoms such as prolonged high fever, fatigue, or difficulty breathing appear, go to a medical facility immediately for timely examination and treatment.
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