Cardiac artery disease

A heart specialist had told me that I was very close to death. Those comments did not disturb me, but only made my eardrums ache when I was notified of the charges/costs for me to follow up by merely undergoing further tests.
At a leading hospital, where I visited for a routine check-up, I was told that I have an "abnormal" heart. I was then examined, x-rayed and made to undergo various tests to ascertain the extent of the damage to my heart. The final analysis was that my heart was 80% dead.
With only 20% of my heart working, my days were numbered and I was told to undergo further tests, and thereafter medication, to try and re-build the dead areas. This would have cost me a fortune just to make an assessment of what needed to be done.
After the tests and the analysis by the Doctor, I returned home with my ears full of a new episode in life. But I decided to keep the story to myself and not take the comments of the Doctor so seriously, but rather to lead a normal life -- I mean a life full of fun and activity, the same as always.
I tried AIT at the recommendation of a good friend of mine where she explained in detail the type of treatment she would administer to me. I agreed to go through the process, because it was Chinese acupuncture treatment, combined with injected herbal medication, which I knew would not do any harm to my already "broken heart".
Initially, I tried AIT for 7 days running and thereafter weekly. I felt I was becoming stronger each day and I was already feeling a lot better than when I started.
I continued AIT for almost 10 months and embarked on a fitness program where I did some light workouts and a little bit of everything in the way of exercise.
Now, almost a year and a half have passed since I visited any Doctor or underwent any checks or tests. I am now on a heavy weight-training program where I do a lot of strenuous exercises three times a week. I am now feeling much stronger in my twilight years.
I take this opportunity to recommend to anyone who learns of this episode to consult AIT, whether it is for a heart ailment or for any illness that has bothered you so much as mine.
Thanks to AIT so much giving me a new lease on life.
.
Best Regards as always,
Ex-Heart Patient

DOCTOR' S COMMENTS:

CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE (CAD)
The coronary arteries supply the heart with oxygen-rich blood. In order to perform the arduous task of pumping blood, the heart muscle needs a plentiful supply of oxygen-rich blood, which is provided through a network of coronary arteries. Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) is the end result of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), a process in which the arteries narrow because fatty deposits, called plaques, build up inside the coronary arteries. When the arteries narrow, less oxygen-rich blood flows to the heart. This lack of sufficient oxygen to the heart may cause angina or a heart attack. Oxygen deprivation in vital cells (called ischemia) causes injury to the tissues of the heart. If the artery becomes completely blocked, damage becomes so extensive that cell death, called infarction (a heart attack), occurs.
Atherosclerosis is triggered by excess amounts of unstable particles known as oxygen-free radicals, which bind with and alter other molecules (a process called oxidation). The particles are released as part of normal bodily processes. However, environmental toxins such as viruses or smoking can produce excessive amounts of these particles. When free radicals are released in artery linings, they react with and oxidize low-density lipoproteins (LDL, the so-called " bad cholesterol" ). LDL then deposits mushy layers of oxidized cholesterol on the walls of the artery. The cholesterol accumulates and eventually hardens into plaques. But that isn't the end of the story. The injuries to the arteries signal the immune system to release white blood cells (particularly those called neutrophils and macrophages) at the site. This initiates a process called the inflammatory response. Macrophages literally "eat" foreign debris (in this case oxidized cholesterol) and become foamy cells that attach to smooth muscle cells causing them to build up. The immune system, sensing further harm, releases other factors called cytokines, which attract more white blood cells and perpetuate the whole cycle. They also stimulate the liver to produce blood-clotting factors called fibrinogen and C-reactive proteins. Injured inner walls fail to produce enough nitric oxide, a substance critical for maintaining blood vessel elasticity. The arteries become calcified and lose elasticity. As this process continues, blood flow slows. A heart attack usually occurs when a blood clot forms, completely sealing off the passage of blood. This typically happens when the plaque itself develops fissures or tears. Then blood platelets adhere to the site to seal off the plaque and a blood clot (thrombus) forms.

ANGINA
Angina is not a disease itself but is the primary symptom of coronary artery disease. It is typically experienced as chest pain, which can be mild, moderate, or severe. But it is often reported as a dull, heavy pressure that may resemble a crushing object on the chest. Pain often radiates to the neck, jaw, or left shoulder and arm. Less commonly, patients report a mild burning chest discomfort, sharp chest pain, or pain that radiates to the right arm or the back. Sometimes a patient experiences shortness of breath, fatigue, or palpitations instead of pain. Classic angina is precipitated by exertion, stress, or exposure to cold, and is relieved by rest or nitroglycerin. Angina can also be precipitated by large meals, which place an immediate demand upon the heart for more oxygen. The intensity of the pain does not always relate to the severity of the medical problem. Some people may feel a crushing pain from mild ischemia, while others might experience only mild discomfort from severe ischemia. Some people have also reported a higher sensitivity to heat on the skin with the onset of angina.
Although atherosclerosis is far and away the leading cause of angina, other conditions can impair the delivery of oxygen to the heart muscle and cause pain. Such conditions include:
1. Spasm in the coronary artery
2. Abnormalities of the heart muscle itself
3. Hyperthyroidism
4. Anemia
5. Vasculitis (a group of disorders that cause inflammation of the blood vessels) and, in rare cases
6. Exposure to high altitudes
Many conditions may cause chest pains unrelated to heart or blood vessel abnormalities. High on the list are:
1. Anxiety attacks
2. Gastrointestinal disorders (gallstone attacks, peptic ulcer disease, hiatal hernia, heartburn)
3. Lung disorders (asthma, blood clots, bronchitis, pneumonia, collapsed lung)
4. Problems affecting the ribs and chest muscles (injured muscles, fractures, arthritis, spasms, infections).

STABLE ANGINA: Stable angina can be extremely painful, but its occurrence is predictable. It is usually triggered by exertion or stress and relieved by rest. Stable angina responds well to medical treatment. Any event that increases oxygen demand can cause angina, including exercise, cold weather, emotional tension, and even large meals. Angina attacks can occur at any time during the day, but a high proportion seems to take place between the hours of 6:00 AM and noon.
UNSTABLE ANGINA: Unstable angina is a much more serious situation and is often an intermediate stage between stable angina and a heart attack. A patient is usually diagnosed with unstable angina under the following conditions; a) pain awakens a patient or occurs during rest, or b) a patient who has never experienced angina has severe or moderate pain during mild exertion (walking two level blocks or climbing one flight of stairs), or c) stable angina has progressed in severity and frequency within a two-month period. Medications are less effective in relieving the pain of unstable angina.
PRINZMETAL'S ANGINA: A third type of angina, called "variant" or Prinzmetal's angina, is caused by the spasm of a coronary artery. It almost always occurs when the patient is at rest. Irregular heartbeats are common, but the pain is generally relieved immediately with treatment.

SILENT ISCHEMIA
Some people with severe CAD do not experience angina pain (a condition known as silent ischemia), which some experts attribute to heart pain being abnormally processed by the brain.

HOW SERIOUS ARE ANGINA AND CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE (CAD)?
In America, CAD is the leading killer of both men and women -- responsible for over 475,000 deaths in 1996. On the positive side, mortality rates from CAD have significantly declined in industrialized countries over the past few decades, although they are on the rise in developing nations. When the necessary life style changes are enacted, in combination with appropriate medical or surgical treatments, a person suffering from angina and heart disease has a good chance of living a normal life. For example, experts believe that unstable angina normally indicates a very high risk for death after a heart attack -- but a recent study indicated that, after the first year of treatment, such a patient's risk for death is only 1.2% above the risk in the non-CAD population. In fact, the onset of angina less than 48 hours before a heart attack is actually protective -- possibly by conditioning the heart to resist the damage resulting from the attack. In one study, people without chest pain experienced much higher complication and mortality rates than those with pain.

INDICATIONS OF A HEART ATTACK
1. If angina does not clear up when medication is taken, it is a signal to go to the hospital.
2. The pain before a heart attack is unexpected, worse than any experienced, and lasts longer than 20 minutes.
3. The degree of pain indicating a possible heart attack varies greatly between individuals. So, early-warning symptoms for a heart attack may be overlooked, because they are mild or may not even occur.
4. Sweating, a feeling of indigestion or heartburn, nausea and vomiting are common.
5. Some people report a great fear of impending death -- a phenomena known as angor animi.
6. Women are more likely than men to be nauseous and experience pain high in the abdomen or chest.
7. The first symptom may be extreme fatigue after physical activity rather than chest pain.
8. Because chest pain in men is more apt to signal a heart attack, while chest pain in women is more likely to be caused by other problems, it should be noted that physicians might not be as alert to a heart problem when a woman complains of chest pain.
Any chest pain should always be taken seriously. The patient should chew an aspirin and be sure that emergency health providers are informed of this so an additional dose of aspirin isn't given. Chest pain sufferers should go immediately to the nearest emergency room, preferably traveling by ambulance. They should not drive themselves.

ACUPOINT INJECTION THERAPY (AIT) FOR CAD:
Chinese herbs (such as Shen Mai, Dan Shen, etc. to improve the heart muscle function) and Vitamins (such as Vitamin C as an antioxidant) are directly injected into specific acupuncture points (NOTE: we must differentiate the diagnose first, then select suitable acupuncture points to treat the patient).
THE BENEFITS:
1. Balancing the Yin and Yang. The deficiency is adjusted to improve all the functions of the body's organs, in order to reduce the cholesterol level (especially LDL). The fatty deposits inside the coronary arteries will be reduced which slow down the atherosclerosis process and improve the blood flow.
2. Improving blood supply to the heart while increasing Oxygen and nutrition intake to the myocardiam to improve heart function. At the same time blood circulation is improved and can absorb the extra fatty deposits and soften the arteries.
3. Improving the liver and kidney functions to detoxify the body while balancing the immune system and generally improving the body's condition in order to reduce the causes of this disease.