Continuous warnings about blood filtration to prevent stroke and heart attack

Blood filtration cannot change the risk factors for stroke and heart attack. Blood lipid filtration can reduce some of the excess fat in the blood, but cannot completely eliminate the risk of stroke.

Medical news March 10: Continuous warnings about blood filtration to prevent stroke and heart attack

Blood filtration cannot change the risk factors for stroke and heart attack. Blood lipid filtration can reduce some of the excess fat in the blood, but cannot completely eliminate the risk of stroke.

Recently, the trend of “super-tech blood filtration” has emerged with the advertisement that it can prevent strokes, heart attacks and other cardiovascular diseases. However, this method has many potential risks and has no solid scientific basis, which can cause people to lose money and suffer from diseases.

Unpredictable dangers of blood filtration to prevent stroke and heart attack

Some posts on social media promote blood filtration services that cost up to tens of millions of dong, promising to remove blood fat, inflammatory substances, heavy metals and bacteria, thereby preventing diseases such as diabetes, kidney failure, stroke, cerebrovascular accident and myocardial infarction.

In Vietnam, stroke is one of the leading causes of death, with more than 200,000 cases each year.

This method of dialysis takes blood from a patient's vein, then filters it through two filters to separate the plasma and remove impurities. Once the plasma is clean, it is combined with blood and returned to the body.

However, according to Associate Professor, Dr. Pham Nguyen Vinh, Vice President of the Vietnam Cardiovascular Association, there is currently no scientific basis to prove that dialysis can prevent stroke or myocardial infarction. The main cause of myocardial infarction is atherosclerosis, which accumulates over many years due to risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, dyslipidemia, etc.

Atherosclerosis is a natural process in which plaques made of fat, cholesterol, and calcium build up in the walls of arteries. This process begins in childhood and continues into adulthood.

Importantly, dialysis cannot differentiate between different types of cholesterol, and can therefore reduce good cholesterol (HDL), which has a protective effect on the heart. Furthermore, dialysis can also remove albumin, an important protein in the blood, and disrupt electrolytes, which can affect health.

Dr. Nguyen Thi Minh Duc, a neurologist, emphasized that blood filtration cannot change the risk factors for stroke and heart attack. Filtering blood fat only helps reduce some of the excess fat, but cannot completely eliminate the risk of stroke.

Blood filtration is currently mainly indicated in the treatment of stage 5 chronic kidney disease and some other diseases such as pancreatitis, blood diseases, liver diseases, and severe sepsis.

Dialysis is only performed when other treatments are ineffective, and must be performed in specialized medical facilities with modern equipment. This requires close monitoring by doctors to ensure the dialysis process is safe, avoiding infections, accidents or other dangerous complications.

Dialysis performed in the wrong setting or at unsafe facilities can cause serious reactions such as anaphylactic shock, hepatitis infection, and even be life-threatening if not treated promptly.

To prevent stroke and heart attack, experts recommend that people maintain a healthy lifestyle, a scientific diet and regular health check-ups. Specifically, they should limit saturated fat, use healthy fat, increase physical exercise, do not smoke, and reduce alcohol consumption.

In particular, people with a family history of cardiovascular disease, stroke or risk factors such as high blood fat, diabetes, high blood pressure should proactively check their health regularly and perform screening tests for the risk of stroke and myocardial infarction.

In Vietnam, stroke is one of the leading causes of death, with more than 200,000 cases each year. Regular health screening helps detect these risks early, thereby providing timely treatment. Methods such as echocardiography, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging can help diagnose and provide effective treatment options.

Thought to be cured of hepatitis, patient shocked to discover cancer

Mr. Dung (47 years old, Hanoi) has chronic hepatitis C. After a test did not detect the virus in his body, he stopped regular monitoring and unexpectedly, just one year later, he was diagnosed with liver cancer.

Previously, Mr. Dung went to the hospital for a check-up because his liver enzymes were high and his platelets were low. Doctors diagnosed him with early-stage cirrhosis, chronic hepatitis C, and diabetes. An abdominal CT scan showed lesions less than 1 cm in size in the liver parenchyma. After prescribing medication, Mr. Dung was scheduled for a follow-up visit in 2 months, but he did not return.

“After using the medication for about 6 months, I went to a clinic near my house for a check-up and the test showed no virus in my blood. I thought I was cured so I decided not to go back for a check-up,” Dung shared.

However, in early 2025, after a year of hiatus from regular check-ups, Mr. Dung returned for a health check-up. Although the test results showed that the hepatitis C virus had decreased below the detection limit, the AFP and PIVKA indexes, which assess the risk of liver cancer, were abnormally high.

MRI detected a lesion in the liver, with the largest tumor measuring about 17x14mm, suspected of being cancerous. A biopsy later confirmed that Mr. Dung had moderately differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma on a background of cirrhosis.

Dr. Vu Truong Khanh, a gastroenterologist, said that Mr. Dung's case is a typical example showing the importance of regular check-ups and monitoring, especially for people with risk factors.

Mr. Dung was lucky that his liver cancer was detected at an early stage, with a small tumor, which gave him a good prognosis. After being consulted, Mr. Dung chose radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for treatment. Through follow-up visits, the lesions did not absorb the medicine, and the tumor showed signs of regression. The AFP and PIVKA indices also decreased gradually after each test.

After 24 weeks of hepatitis C treatment, Mr. Dung achieved sustained virological response (SVR 24), which is considered a cure for hepatitis C infection. Currently, Mr. Dung's health is stable and continues to be monitored and treated as prescribed by his doctor.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis C virus, which often has no obvious symptoms in the early stages. If left untreated, the disease can progress to cirrhosis, liver failure or liver cancer. Currently, thanks to direct-acting antiviral drugs, the cure rate for hepatitis C can reach over 95%, with a treatment time of 12 to 24 weeks depending on the patient's level of cirrhosis.

However, even after treatment, although the hepatitis C virus may be eliminated from the body, liver damage may still remain, especially when cirrhosis has already occurred. Therefore, regular follow-up is important to control the risk of recurrence or liver-related complications.

To monitor liver health after hepatitis C treatment, doctors will use tests to detect the virus, measure viral load, and evaluate liver function.

In addition, liver ultrasound and AFP and PIVKA tests are also performed to screen for or monitor liver cancer. CT scans or MRIs will also be ordered if necessary, depending on the health status of each patient.

4 million deaths each year due to obesity

Obesity can cause about 4 million deaths each year due to its association with more than 200 dangerous diseases, but unfortunately many people remain indifferent and lack the motivation to change.

At the regular scientific sharing session of the TAMRI Research Institute, Dr. Lam Van Hoang, Director of the Center, said that according to the GBD study (Global Burden of Disease Study, in collaboration with more than 12,000 researchers from more than 160 countries), the risk of death due to obesity ranks 6th globally with 3.71 million deaths per year.

However, many people still do not realize that obesity is a disease. They only treat the symptoms of other diseases that obesity causes, without addressing the root cause of being overweight.

A typical example is Mr. VMH (30 years old, Binh Duong), 1m68 tall, 90kg in weight, but he feels completely normal. Every day, he goes to work, drinks with friends and does not feel anything has changed until he gets married. It was his wife who forced him to go to the doctor to lose weight.

"He snores so loudly that I can't sleep. Every time he puts his feet on me, I have difficulty breathing," Mr. H's wife shared while waiting for her husband to see a doctor at Tam Anh General Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City.

The test results showed that Mr. H. had grade 2 obesity (BMI 31.9 kg/m²), grade 3 fatty liver and sleep apnea. After the doctor explained to him the dangers of obesity, especially sleep apnea which can lead to sudden death, Mr. H. became really worried and decided to start a multi-modal weight loss program, including nutrition, exercise and medication.

According to doctors here, Mr. H. is just one of many people who do not pay attention to the problem of being overweight or obese until the disease causes serious consequences. Discussing weight with obese patients is also very difficult. Although they are aware of the risks of the disease, they lack the motivation to change.

Dr. Lam Van Hoang said that obesity was not considered a disease in the past, but in 1990, the World Health Organization (WHO) officially recognized obesity as a chronic disease. In 1997, when the rate of obese people increased 3 times compared to 1975, WHO recognized obesity as a global pandemic. Since then, March 4th of each year has been chosen by WHO as World Obesity Prevention Day.

According to the International Obesity Federation, global obesity rates have tripled between 1975 and 2022. It is predicted that by 2035, 51% of the world's population, or more than 4 billion people, will be overweight or obese if no timely intervention is taken. That means 1 in 4 people will be overweight or obese.

“Obesity is becoming a risk factor for death no less than cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure,” said Dr. Hoang.

If in the past, obesity mainly appeared in developed countries, now the obesity rate is increasing rapidly in developing countries, including Vietnam.

Currently, Vietnam ranks 197th in the world in terms of overweight and obesity rate (according to WHO), but this rate is increasing rapidly from 3% to 15%, becoming one of the countries with the fastest increasing obesity rate in the world.

“Currently, 1 in 2 adults is obese,” said Dr. Hoang, while weight control and intervention have not received due attention.

Unlike common diseases, obesity is the culprit causing more than 200 different diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes, osteoarthritis, fatty liver and many cancers, especially gastrointestinal cancers.

However, because these diseases progress silently and do not break out immediately, many people are often subjective, do not go for health check-ups and do not control their weight properly. Therefore, raising awareness about obesity is very important so that people understand that this is a dangerous chronic disease.

Obesity is a complex disease with many causes, from biological and psychosocial factors to lifestyle and diet.

Therefore, to treat overweight and obesity, it is necessary not only to lose weight but also to reduce the risk of complications and improve overall health. Losing 5% - 15% of weight in 6 months has been proven to be beneficial for health, helping to prevent complications caused by being overweight and repelling co-morbidities.

“Treating obesity is like rowing a boat, both doctors and patients must work towards the same goal, otherwise, treatment will fail,” Dr. Hoang emphasized.

The American Heart Association (AHA) says that obese people with a high body mass index (BMI) are at higher risk of hospitalization, needing a ventilator, or dying than people of normal weight.

In particular, people with a BMI of 40 or higher are twice as likely to need a ventilator and 26% more likely to die than people of normal weight.

Regardless of age, obese patients are at increased risk of developing blood clots (venous thromboembolism) and needing dialysis. Therefore, rigorous, regular medical treatment is costly and necessary to reduce the risk of death.

Source: https://baodautu.vn/tin-moi-y-te-ngay-103-lien-tiep-canh-bao-tinh-trang-loc-mau-phong-dot-quy-nhoi-mau-co-tim-d251687.html