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Prevention
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Lifestyle
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Changes in lifestyle are often difficult to make and even more difficult to maintain. But people should always be strongly encouraged to adopt these lifestyle modifications, particularly if they have multiple risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Particular emphasis should be placed on smoking cessation, stress reduction, weight management, and on healthy eating patterns.
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Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors
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Treatment with platelet aggregation inhibitors (antiplatelet drugs) is recommended to help to prevent the formation of potentially harmful blood clots. Acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) - which is the major active ingredient of Aspirin Cardio - is the most extensively studied substance of all antiplatelet drugs.
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It interferes with the formation of thromboxane A2 by irreversibly inhibiting the key enzyme cyclo-oxygenase. Thromboxane A2, a prostaglandin, intensifies platelet aggregation and constriction of blood vessels whereas prostacyclin acts antithrombotic and dilative in the arterial wall.
Once platelets have been in contact with ASA they become unable to produce thromboxane for the rest of their lifetime of 7 to 10 days while the endothelial cells regain their ability to produce prostacyclin after a few hours. Therefore, ASA helps to ensure the vessel's integrity and to prevent the formation of platelet-rich clots. Click here to view an animation.
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Antihypertensives
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First of all, it is of utmost importance to control and treat elevated blood pressure to protect your blood vessels and to prevent you from a bleeding. If you are concerned your blood pressure might be to high, please see your doctor and follow his or her professional advice - in particular if your are already under Aspirin® therapy.
The five major classes of commonly used antihypertensive agents are:
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Calcium antagonists, such as Adalat®, are widely used agents in the treatment of hypertension. They are effective and well tolerated.
Diuretics or diuretic-based regimens have clearly been shown to prevent major cardiovascular events in a variety of hypertensive patient groups.
Beta-blockers (beta-adrenoreceptor-blocking drugs) are effective for use as monotherapy or in combination with diuretics or calcium antagonists. Beta blockers should be avoided in patients with obstructive airways disease and peripheral vascular disease.
ACE inhibitors have been shown to be beneficial in patients with heart failure and in retarding the progression of renal disease in patients with insulin-dependent diabetes.
Angiotensin-II-antagonists are the latest major group of antihypertensive drugs to become available. They have many features in common with ACE inhibitors.
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Antihyperlipidemics
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Elevated blood cholesterol levels, particularly LDL cholesterol are regarded as an important risk factor in the development of arteriosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases.
Sometimes maximum dietary therapy, regular physical exercise, and weight loss are unsuccessful in lowering elevated blood cholesterol levels. Drug therapy should be considered in these patients to reduce cholesterol levels to the desirable range.
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Antidiabetic Agents
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The central goal of diabetes management is to keep blood sugar levels within the normal range. Maintaining a relatively normal level is inevitable to prevent long-term complications.
Losing weight - even a small loss - can decrease insulin resistance and restore normal ranges. If dietary control is not successful the combination of recommended lifestyle measures with certain oral antidiabetic drugs or even insulin are to be considered.
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The choice of medication depends on the person's medical condition. Please check out our website on Diabetes glucobay.com and see your doctor for medical advice.
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