Know about medicine with Chula Pharmacy: matters of (disease) of the heart

    February this year has many important festivals such as Chinese New Year, Valentine's Day, and Makha Bucha, but Chinese New Year has just passed. And it's about to enter Valentine's Day. As for Makha Bucha Day, it is at the end of the month.

    Today, I would like to invite you to talk about Valentine's Day or Valentine's Day first. When talking about love, you must think of the heart. Then I thought about heart disease and stroke. which is an important cause of morbidity and death at the global and national levels.

    If we don't count the heart defect from birth. Most of the reasons why a person has heart disease are factors that can be controlled or changed. Factors that include: not smoking Controlling body weight within the appropriate range Blood pressure control Blood lipid levels to be within the criteria Including people with diabetes who must use medicine to control their sugar levels so they don't get too high. Simply put, do whatever you can to keep your heart from working too hard.

    High blood pressure, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia are diseases that may be genetic. and lifestyle habits, so if our immediate relatives have such disease We should be more careful. and always be screened for these diseases If we find that we have an abnormality, we should treat it quickly. But in the present Humans are considered very lucky. Because people with this disease can use medicine to control the symptoms of the disease well, they can prevent heart disease. and atherosclerosis, which is a complication that leads to death. or cause severe limitations in living life The limitations are such as In the case of myocardial ischemia or heart failure, it may make you tired easily. Unable to do various activities, etc.

    Common problems are In the early stages of various diseases that lead to cardiovascular complications are rarely asymptomatic As a result, many patients do not see the importance of taking blood pressure medication. continuous diabetes medicine or lipid-lowering medicine In addition, some patients have a misconception that taking too much medicine has a negative effect on the liver and kidneys. which is not true Because data from research has confirmed that the benefits outweigh the risks that will be obtained from using the drug. And the use of medicine is under the supervision of a doctor who will evaluate both the effectiveness of the medicine and whether it controls symptoms well enough or not. And are there too many side effects from the medicine? Therefore, use the medicine as prescribed by the doctor. and go see the doctor regularly for appointments Therefore, it is the most correct practice to prevent diseases that will occur with the heart and blood vessels.

    In addition to taking medicine strictly according to the doctor's orders. Do not reduce or stop taking your own medicine. You must also be careful when buying medicine for your own use. Because some medicines can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. A common example is Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs Also known as NSAIDs for short, they are often used for joint, bone, and muscle pain, and patients with cardiovascular disease. or are at risk of cardiovascular disease, it should be used carefully under the supervision of a doctor. You should not buy medicine for your own use.

    For those who do not yet have congenital disease Including people with chronic diseases. You should manage your lifestyle habits that are good for your heart. and overall health, including reducing oily and sweet foods, increasing the consumption of fruits and vegetables Reduce alcohol and cigarettes It is important to exercise regularly. But in people who already have cardiovascular disease You should consult your doctor first about how much exercise you can do. for maximum safety

    In conclusion, if you want to cherish your heart We should take care of our health. and treat various congenital diseases early, taking medicines strictly as prescribed Eat food that doesn't impair your health. Reduce alcohol and cigarettes Exercise regularly and if there is a risk of heart disease and stroke You must be careful when using certain drugs. If we can do this completely, we can be sure that we will have a healthy heart throughout our lifespan.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nattada Areepiam and Asst. Prof. Dr. Bodin Tiwasuwan

Faculty of Pharmacy Chulalongkorn University