After bypass surgery, these are important (II): Controlling risk factors

  The main risk factors of coronary heart disease include high blood pressure, high blood lipid, excessive obesity, high blood sugar, poor living habits, psychosocial factors and family genetic factors. Therefore, heart bypass surgery is only the first step in the treatment of coronary heart disease, and the subsequent “risk control” is also crucial.  Blood pressure Generally, the ideal blood pressure for post-bypass patients should be within 130/80 mmHg. The main medications are beta-blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI), angiotensin receptor blockers, calcium antagonists and diuretics, depending on the doctor’s opinion.  Lipids As a rule, the ideal lipid profile for post-bypass patients should be less than 100 mg/dL (2.5 mmol/L) for LDL cholesterol and less than 70 mg/dL (2.0 mmol/L) for high-risk patients. Routine postoperative lipid-lowering therapy is recommended for all patients, even if lipid tests are not high in the early postoperative period.  Blood glucose Diabetes mellitus is an important cause of coronary heart disease, and strict control of blood glucose helps to ensure a good long-term outcome. Postoperative diabetic patients should control blood glucose through medication, diet adjustment and appropriate exercise under the guidance of their doctors.  Body weight For obese patients, the initial postoperative goal is to lose weight appropriately by adjusting diet and appropriate amount of exercise as required by the physician. The long-term treatment goal is to control the body mass index (BMI) below 25kg/m2, while the waist circumference should be less than 94cm for men and less than 80cm for women. Doctors suggest that surgery can only treat the coronary blockage that has already occurred, but cannot prevent the progression of future atherosclerosis. Therefore, post-operative patients need to control the above risk factors through medication, diet adjustment, scientific exercise and adjustment of lifestyle habits under the targeted guidance of doctors. This can help maintain good cardiac function after surgery, prevent restenosis of coronary vessels, and improve long-term survival rate.