Myocardial infarction : Overview, Causes, Symptoms, treatment and diagnosis

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Myocardial infarction
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Myocardial infarction

• Myocardial infarction  is the medical name for
  a heart attack. Heart attacks occur when the flow
  of blood to the heart becomes blocked. They can
  cause tissue damage and can even be
  life-threatening.
• The heart requires its own constant supply of
  oxygen and nutrients, like any muscle in the
  body.
• The heart has three coronary arteries, two of
  them large, branching arteries that deliver
  oxygenated blood to the heart muscle.
• If one of these arteries or branches becomes
  blocked suddenly, a portion of the heart is
  starved of oxygen, a condition called "cardiac
  ischemia."
• If cardiac ischemia lasts too long, the starved
  heart tissue dies. This is a heart attack

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Symptoms

• Symptoms of myocardial infarction
• In many cases there may be no symptoms, but 25
  of the heart attacks show symptoms. Treating the
  symptoms at correct time can always rescue
  patients. Symptoms may include
• Tightness in the chest
• Pain in the chest, back, jaw, and other areas of
  the upper body that lasts more than a few minutes
  or that goes away and comes back (this may be the
  most early sign of heart attack)
• Shortness of breath
• Sweating
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Anxiety
• Dizziness
• Fast heart rate

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Diagnosis of myocardial infarction

• Physical test of the heart beat is the primary
  test which is done to know if the heart is
  working properly.
• Stress test may also be done to see the beating
  of heart during any intense physical exercise.
• Measuring of blood pressure
• An electrocardiogram, to measure the hearts
  electrical activity
• An angiogram, to look for the areas where the
  arteries are blocked
• An echocardiogram, to look for the areas of the
  heart that arent working properly.

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Causes of myocardial infarction

• Most of the heart attacks are the result of
  atherosclerosis or "hardening of the arteries," a
  condition that clogs coronary arteries with
  fatty, calcified plaques over time.
• Inflammation may also be the cause of heart
  attack, coronary artery walls become inflated
  over time, further increasing the build up of
  fatty plaques.
• Bad cholesterol- Bad cholesterol, also
  called low-density lipoprotein (LDL), is one of
  the leading causes of a blockage in the arteries.
• Saturated fat-Saturated fats also contribute to
  the build up of plaque in the coronary arteries.
  This fats are mostly found meat and dairy
  products, including beef, butter, and cheese
• Trans fat- Another fat which can lead to the
  clogging of arteries are trans fat or
  hydrogenated fat which is artificially created.

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Risk factors of myocardial infarction

• Though anyone can have myocardial infarction, but
  there may be some risk factors. This may include
• High blood pressure
• Hugh cholesterol level
• High triglyceride level
• Age (Men are at higher risk after age 45 and
  women after 55)
• Obesity
• Diabetes/ High blood sugar level
• Family history
• Smoking

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Treatment

• Treatments of myocardial infarction
• Heart attack in most cases are emergency, in such
  cases surgical methods are used
• Procedure called angioplasty may be used to
  unblock the arteries that supply blood to the
  heart.
• In some cases coronary artery bypass graft
  (CABG) is done. In this procedure, the surgeon
  will reroute the veins and arteries so the blood
  can flow around the blockage.
• Certain medications can also be used to treat
  heart attack, which may include
• Blood thinners, such as aspirin, are often used
  to break up blood clots and improve blood flow
  through narrowed arteries.

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Treatment
Continue

• Thrombolytics are often used to dissolve clots.
• Antiplatelet drugs, such as clopidogrel, can be
  used to prevent new clots from forming and
  existing clots from growing.
• Nitroglycerine can be used to widen the blood
  vessels.
• Beta-blockers lower the blood pressure and relax
  the heart muscle. This can help limit the
  severity of damage to the heart.
• ACE inhibitors can also be used to lower blood
  pressure and decrease stress on the heart.

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Complications of myocardial infarction

• Depending on the severity of the heart attack,
  certain other complications can alaso occur, such
  as
• Heart failure
• Arrhythmias or abnormal heart rhythms
• Cardiac arrest or sudden cardiac death, where the
  heart stops beating.
• Cardiogenic shock, where the heart is so damaged
  from the heart attack that a person goes into
  shock, which may result in damage of other vital
  organs like the kidneys or liver
• Death
• Myocardial infarction can be treated, and
  certain fatality can be minimized if the symptoms
  are treated as early as possible.

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