TCM Acupuncture and Massage

Chapter 46 Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular System Diseases (4)
3. Diabetes The cardiovascular and peripheral vascular complications of diabetic patients are 2 to 4 times that of non-diabetic people.About 65% of diabetic patients over 13 years old have a history of cerebrovascular disease, which is significantly higher than that of non-diabetic people.The mortality rate of stroke in diabetic patients is almost three times that of non-diabetics.Severe carotid atherosclerosis caused by diabetes, leading to irreversible brain tissue damage.Therefore, active treatment of diabetes is of great significance to the prevention of cerebrovascular diseases.Due to the absolute or relative insufficient secretion of insulin, the utilization of glucose is inhibited in diabetic patients. They can only provide and supplement energy by decomposing fat in the body, which leads to lipid metabolism disorder and easily forms atherosclerosis.Diabetes can also lead to damage to microvessels and capillaries, as well as the formation of microvascular tumors, which are important factors causing stroke.

4. Heart disease The relationship between heart disease and cerebrovascular disease is very close, and it is a mutual causal relationship (for example, coronary heart disease and cerebrovascular disease have a common pathological feature-arteriosclerosis).Heart disease and cerebrovascular disease not only have a high incidence rate, but also are the main diseases causing death, seriously threatening human health.These two diseases are often mutual incentives, mutual influence, mutual aggravation, forming a vicious circle.Therefore, people with cerebrovascular disease should pay more attention to the prevention of heart disease; on the contrary, people with heart disease should pay more attention to the prevention of cerebrovascular disease, so as to control the serious harm these two diseases bring to people.

5. Dementia Dementia is mainly divided into senile dementia and vascular dementia.Among them, senile dementia, also known as chronic degenerative dementia, occurs unconsciously in old age and slowly progressively aggravates.Vascular dementia refers to dementia caused by or related to cerebrovascular disease.Cerebrovascular diseases mainly cause vascular dementia, among which ischemic cerebrovascular diseases are the main ones, and hemorrhagic cerebrovascular diseases have also been reported.

([-]) Prevention

Cerebrovascular disease is one of the leading causes of death and disability worldwide.The prevention of cerebrovascular diseases not only prevents people who have never suffered from cerebrovascular diseases from suffering from cerebrovascular diseases; it also prevents people who have already suffered from cerebrovascular diseases from recurring.Therefore, strengthening the prevention of cerebrovascular diseases is of great significance to improving the health level and quality of life of the whole human being.

1. Four cornerstones of health

The shortest human life expectancy is 100 years old and the longest is 170 years old.More generally accepted is 120 years old.The four cornerstones of health are: reasonable diet, moderate exercise, smoking cessation, alcohol restriction, and psychological balance.The four cornerstones of health can reduce stroke by 75%, hypertension by 55%, tumor by 35%, and the average life expectancy can be extended by more than 10 years.

2. Risk factors
(1) Hypertension is the most important and independent risk factor for stroke.Increased systolic blood pressure and (and) diastolic blood pressure will increase the incidence of stroke and have a linear relationship; moreover, blood pressure is positively correlated with the risk of cerebral hemorrhage or cerebral infarction, and controlling high blood pressure can significantly reduce the incidence of stroke .

(2) Heart disease can increase the incidence of TIA and stroke (especially ischemic), and is a definite risk factor for stroke. Effective prevention and treatment can reduce the incidence of cerebrovascular disease events.

(3) Diabetes is an important risk factor for stroke, and the possibility of stroke in patients with impaired glucose tolerance or diabetes can be doubled compared with the general population.Diabetes is associated with the occurrence of microvascular disease, macrovascular disease, hyperlipidemia and ischemic stroke.Hyperglycemia can further aggravate brain damage after stroke.

(4) TIA and stroke history are also risk factors for stroke. About 20% of patients with cerebral infarction have a history of TIA. The annual incidence of stroke in TIA patients is 1-15%. The more frequent TIA attacks, the higher the risk of stroke. higher.Those with a history of stroke have a disease recurrence rate four times higher than the general population.

(5) Both smoking and alcohol abuse are important risk factors for stroke.Smoking can increase the content of plasma fibrinogen, increase blood viscosity and damage the vessel wall; nicotine stimulates sympathetic nerves to constrict blood vessels and increase blood pressure.The risk of stroke is related to the amount and duration of smoking, and the risk of stroke will not decrease until 2 years after quitting smoking.The incidence of stroke in alcoholics is 4 to 5 times that of the general population, especially the risk of hemorrhagic stroke can be increased.But light alcohol consumption usually does not pose a risk of stroke.

(6) Hyperlipidemia can increase blood viscosity and accelerate the occurrence of cerebral arteriosclerosis.Hypercholesterolemia, especially increased low-density lipoprotein levels, has been associated with the development of ischemic stroke.Lower blood cholesterol levels can increase the risk of cerebral hemorrhage.

(7) Other risk factors for stroke, including reduced physical activity, diet, overweight, drug abuse, oral contraceptives, infection, blood disease, and increased blood viscosity caused by abnormal blood rheology, are also associated with stroke. related to the occurrence.All of the above risk factors can be intervened. If effective intervention can be performed on certain modifiable risk factors, the morbidity and mortality of stroke can be reduced.There are also some risk factors, such as advanced age, gender, race, climate, and family history of stroke, that cannot be intervened.

3. Daily life prevention
(1) Six-character formula for stroke prevention
① Steady: that is, to stabilize emotions.Extreme anger or nervousness can induce stroke, so patients should maintain an optimistic and happy mentality.Ecstasy, rage, depression, sadness, fear, and fright can all trigger a stroke.

②Prevention: prevent constipation.Dry stools can easily increase intra-abdominal pressure, increased peripheral resistance of blood vessels, and sudden increase in blood pressure, resulting in cerebral artery rupture and stroke. Patients should keep their stools smooth, have regular bowel movements every day, eat more vegetables and fruits, and avoid spicy and fried foods. .

③Low: low-fat and low-salt diet.Animal fat can easily increase blood lipids, cause atherosclerosis, and increase the possibility of stroke; too much salt can cause water and sodium retention and further increase blood pressure; prolonged blood pressure can induce stroke.

④ bogey: one bogey eating too much.Abdominal fullness affects cardiopulmonary function, and can also cause a large amount of blood to concentrate in the stomach, reducing blood supply to the heart, brain and other organs, which can easily induce stroke.Second, avoid watching TV for too long.Watching TV for a long time keeps the brain tense, which can increase the secretion of adrenaline, constrict the blood vessels, and further increase the blood pressure. Some TV plots are tense and the scenes are thrilling, which can easily cause emotional agitation and stroke.Three avoid sudden withdrawal of the drug at random, the patient should follow the doctor's advice to take the drug, if the drug is stopped without authorization, it can cause a sharp rebound in blood pressure and lead to stroke.

⑤Practice: Adhere to moderate exercise.Take a walk every day, do gymnastics or play Tai Chi to strengthen your physique and prevent stroke.

⑥Diagnosis: early treatment of "mini-stroke". The main manifestations of "mini-stroke" are conscious half-body weakness or numbness, sudden inability to speak or enunciate clearly, or even unable to speak, but the duration is short, and the longest does not exceed 24 hours.42% of patients who had a "mini-stroke" had a stroke within a year.We must attach great importance to "mini-stroke" and seek medical attention early.

(2) There are "three precepts" for stroke prevention

① quit drinking.From a medical point of view, drinking a small amount of low-alcohol alcohol (50 grams per person per day) is beneficial to the blood circulation of the heart and brain, but long-term alcohol consumption for hypertensive patients is harmful to health.Alcohol can aggravate blood lipid levels and atherosclerosis, and weaken the elasticity of cerebral blood vessels, which lays the pathological basis for hemorrhagic and ischemic strokes. If the level rises suddenly, the hardened and fragile cerebral blood vessels will rupture and bleed.

② quit defecation pressurization.Habitual constipation is more common in the elderly due to reduced activity and weakened bowel movements.Relief of constipation should begin with the regulation of life.Exercise properly, drink plenty of water and eat cellulose-rich vegetables and fruits, eat less irritating food, and use self-abdominal rubbing every day to relieve constipation.If necessary, lubricants such as Kaisailu can be used to help the stool to be discharged, or an appropriate amount of laxatives can be taken orally at the same time.

Quit passion.Excessive passion, such as distraught, belly laughing, or overactivity, can cause sympathetic nerve hyperactivity, increased norepinephrine secretion, vasoconstriction, rapid heartbeat, and sudden increase in blood pressure. People with high blood pressure may suffer from cerebral hemorrhage and die .Therefore, hypertensive patients should control their emotions, keep their emotions stable, cheerful, optimistic and magnanimous when encountering problems, and avoid excessive emotion.

(3) Basic necessities of life for stroke patients
①Cold, stuffy, and wet: Traditional Chinese medicine believes that seasons and weather have an impact on stroke.Most strokes occur in late autumn, early winter or early spring.Although cerebrovascular disease can occur throughout the year, it is generally more common in winter than in summer.Winter is dry and cold, stimulating the sympathetic nerves in the human body, constricting blood vessels, continuous spasm of small arteries, increasing blood viscosity, and sharply rising blood pressure, which can easily induce stroke.When the temperature, air pressure, and relative humidity change suddenly, strokes are more likely to occur.

②Day, night, and morning: around the early morning is the period of high incidence of ischemic stroke.Domestic statistics have confirmed that the peak incidence of ischemic stroke is between 6 and 8 in the morning, which is significantly more than other times in the day and night.This may be related to the rhythmic fluctuation of blood pressure within 24 hours, the heart with pathological basis, the arrhythmia when people wake up in the early morning, or the circadian rhythm changes such as the activity of the fibrinolytic system, the aggregation of platelets, and blood viscosity.

③Movement, stillness, and eating: It has been reported that people who are less active and have a lower metabolism are 1.41 to 1.9 times more likely to die of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases than those who are more active; on the contrary, excessive physical and mental work is also prone to stroke.Cerebral hemorrhage can be induced during strenuous physical and mental work (especially physical work) or daytime activities (called dynamic).On the contrary, the vast majority of cerebral infarction occurs under static conditions.For this reason, hypertensive patients should exercise appropriately, but strenuous physical and mental work, physical and mental fatigue and long-term excessive lying still are not suitable.In addition, food has a very positive effect on the prevention of stroke.

④ Tobacco, alcohol, tea: Tobacco contains nicotine (nicotine), which can constrict blood vessels, increase blood pressure, and accelerate the development of atherosclerosis.Smoking may also increase serum cholesterol, promote platelet aggregation, and increase blood viscosity.Therefore, smoking is a significant risk factor for ischemic stroke.Alcohol can significantly inhibit platelet aggregation, so drinking alcohol in hypertensive patients can easily induce cerebral hemorrhage.

Tea is the best drink. Green tea contains caffeine, catechins and tea phenols, which have the functions of sterilizing bacteria, strengthening the immune system and anti-cancer, and preventing cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, pollen allergies, preventing gene mutations, anti-aging, etc. Multiple roles.However, hypertensive patients should not drink strong tea on an empty stomach, especially those who do not have the habit of drinking tea at ordinary times, in order to prevent accidents.Recently, it has been reported that someone fainted after drinking strong tea on an empty stomach (commonly known as "drunk tea"), leading to cerebral hemorrhage.

⑤Happiness, anger, and sadness: There are many holidays at the end of the year, and weddings and celebrations are often arranged at the end of the year, all of which need to be arranged by middle-aged and elderly people. It is not a minority, so strokes occur frequently around the Spring Festival.Mental stimulation and emotional agitation are important risk factors for cerebral hemorrhage, because a sudden increase in stress blood pressure can lead to cerebral hemorrhage on the basis of hypertension or damage to the original blood vessel wall.Maintaining emotional stability and a regular life, and avoiding all kinds of bad stimuli are of great significance to the prevention of stroke.

⑥ Urine, stool, bath: due to constipation, strenuous effort when defecating, and holding back urine can cause blood pressure to rise sharply, and intra-abdominal pressure increases, resulting in increased intracranial pressure and cerebral blood vessel rupture and bleeding.Patients with high blood pressure should maintain a smooth bowel movement to prevent stroke.When bathing in winter, the air pressure inside and outside the bathhouse changes greatly, the temperature difference is large, and the humidity is high. Do not stay for too long to prevent strokes during bathing.About 5% of patients died of cerebral hemorrhage while taking a bath.

4. Diet prevention
Long-term experimental research by medical experts and clinical practice of medicine have found that regular and selective consumption of some foods may greatly reduce the incidence of stroke.

(1) Potassium-rich foods: Studies have found that potatoes are rich in potassium, and eating 4-5 potatoes a day can reduce the incidence of stroke by 40%.Bananas, citrus oranges, oranges, apricots, peaches, whole grains, beans, and vegetables are rich in potassium. Regular consumption of these foods can also prevent stroke.

(2) Foods rich in magnesium: Studies have found that people who often eat foods rich in magnesium have a greatly reduced incidence of stroke.Magnesium-rich foods include millet, beans, dried chili, dried mushrooms, mushrooms, tomatoes, kelp, seaweed, apples, carambola, longan, peanuts, walnuts, sesame paste, etc.Among them, the magnesium content of seaweed ranks first in the food list, and it can be called a good product for preventing stroke.

(End of this chapter)