Patients who experience chest pain, fatigue and shortness of breath with suspected heart disease usually undergo an examination in which the cardiologist often looks for narrowings in the large arteries of the heart. This form of diagnostics is the most common and proven method for almost all heart conditions caused by problems with the arteries.
Diagnosis of cardiovascular dysfunction
If such an abnormality is not found in the arteries, but the patient continues to have complaints, these can also be caused by cardiovascular dysfunction. This is a relatively unknown, and difficult to diagnose, condition. Because the correct diagnosis cannot be made, these complaints are often ignored. In coronary dysfunction, the large and small heart arteries appear to cramp much more often than thought (vascular spasm). During this cramping, too little blood flows to the heart muscle. Thickening and/or decrease in the number of capillaries can also cause oxygen deficiency in the heart muscle.
“It is now estimated that about 60,000 patients in the Netherlands are affected by the disease; 10,000 people suffer from serious complaints every day. Two-thirds of the cases involve women, often in the menopause,” says cardiologist Joan Meeder. He raised the topic of this condition nationally and trains cardiologists on how to diagnose and treat the disorder.
VieCuri has recently also been able to determine cardiovascular dysfunction via the so-called vascular function test. Cardiologists Filip Eerens and Wouter Remkes of the hospital have been trained to apply this diagnostic. “So solutions for the problems of small capillaries and cramping of the heart arteries are increasingly coming into view earlier and better. This greatly aids in making the correct diagnosis and treatment. Just making the diagnosis gives people peace of mind. Stress worsens the complaints and at the same time people get stress when they feel something. We can break this vicious circle with lifestyle advice and medicines,” says Meeder.
Recently, VieCuri hospital also started monitoring and supporting patients with heart failure. To this end, the hospital uses an e-health solution in which the patient is guided by a virtual coach.
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