Two case studies serve as a warning: Proper treatment of coronary heart disease is essential; the dangers of smoking should not be underestimated.

Case: In less than a year, the stenosis of a blood vessel progressed from moderate to severe. Ms. Zhang, 63 years old, was admitted to the hospital due to chest pain. A coronary CT scan revealed 95% stenosis in the left anterior descending coronary artery. However, an examination conducted at our hospital a year prior showed 60% stenosis in the same vessel. How could the coronary artery stenosis have progressed so rapidly in just one year?

When Ms. Zhang first visited our hospital a year ago, her coronary artery stenosis was 60%. Dr. Zhou informed her that a stent was not necessary, but long-term medication was required. She was prescribed aspirin, rosuvastatin, and metoprolol, and instructed to adhere to the prescribed dosage and schedule, have regular checkups, and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

However, this patient had heard that aspirin and statins had severe side effects and that long-term use could damage liver and kidney function. They also believed a health product salesperson's claim that plaques could be dissolved without medication. Therefore, they stopped taking the doctor's prescribed medication and spent over 8,000 yuan on health products for nearly a year. Not only did this not alleviate their condition, but it worsened to the point where a stent implantation was necessary.

Failure to follow medical advice and receive proper treatment led to rapid progression of coronary artery stenosis in the patient. Ms. Zhang's case is not unique. Dr. Zhou reminds patients with coronary heart disease that after diagnosis, it is crucial to follow medical advice and undergo proper treatment. Avoid folk remedies and health supplements. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is equally important!

Case Study: Two patients suffered sudden acute myocardial infarctions. The causes warrant serious consideration. Patient one was a 26-year-old university student who presented to our department with sudden chest pain. After examination, he was diagnosed with acute myocardial infarction. He was fortunate to survive thanks to timely stent placement. However, unfortunately, he developed one of the most serious diseases in cardiology at such a young age. Due to extensive myocardial necrosis, he may develop heart failure in the future. The main reason this young patient suffered a myocardial infarction was smoking two packs of cigarettes a day.

Patient Two was a 48-year-old male who presented to our hospital with sudden chest pain for three hours. Examination revealed an acute anterior wall myocardial infarction. Coronary angiography showed severe vascular damage, with multiple vessels affected, and the vascular condition resembled that of a 70-80 year old diabetic patient. In addition to smoking one pack of cigarettes daily, this patient also had long-term high cholesterol and obesity.

During conversations with the two patients, it was discovered that they both knew smoking was harmful to their health, but since many people around them smoked long-term without developing any illness, they didn't take it seriously. This raises a common question: is the claim that smoking is harmful to health just alarmist rhetoric?

Scientific research and clinical data analysis show that smoking does not necessarily cause cardiovascular disease, but the incidence of cardiovascular disease in smokers is 8-10 times higher than in non-smokers. Most of the chemicals in cigarette smoke are harmful to the human body. Nicotine, a common and addictive component, directly damages vascular endothelial cells, while tar is a potent carcinogen, and long-term inhalation carries the risk of cell mutation and cancer.

This is similar to how everyone knows that running a red light can easily lead to traffic accidents, but when people see others running red lights without any problems, they may take a chance and run red lights themselves, which could result in tragedy.