How long a person can live with stenosis depends on many factors such as the location of the stenosis, the degree of stenosis, the presence or absence of other vascular compensations in the stenotic vessel, the patient’s age, physical condition, the time of starting the treatment, the treatment and so on. Some of them can be life-threatening and some of them will not be, so it is not possible to make a generalization.
1. If the stenosis is located in a non-fatal area such as an extremity, even if the stenosis results in a complete occlusion, it can be treated by removing the endings of the extremity without affecting life expectancy.
2. if the stenosis is located in a vital organ such as the heart or brain, in the absence of collateral circulation, severe stenosis may be life-threatening, e.g., severe stenosis of the left main stem of the coronary artery of the heart may lead to sudden death.
3. If the patient is in good physical condition and does not have underlying diseases such as hyperlipidemia, hypertension, diabetes, etc., the progression of stenosis will be slower than that of patients with underlying diseases; stenosis is not necessarily life-threatening if the patient receives timely treatment in hospital, actively controls the risk factors that aggravate the stenosis under the guidance of the doctor, undergoes regular review and follow-up, and improves the poor lifestyle.
If symptoms and signs of stenosis appear, it is important to go to the hospital in time and actively cooperate with the doctor to control the condition and avoid aggravation of the situation.