Heart Attack
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What Is a Heart Attack?A heart attack occurs when the supply of blood and oxygen to an area of heart muscle is blocked, usually by a clot in a coronary artery. Often, this blockage leads to arrhythmias (irregular heartbeat or rhythm) that cause a severe decrease in the pumping function of the heart and may bring about sudden death. If the blockage is not treated within a few hours, the affected heart muscle will die and be replaced by scar tissue. Each year, over a million people in the U.S. have a heart attack and about half of them die. About one-half of those who die do so within 1 hour of the start of symptoms and before reaching the hospital. Most of these sudden deaths (within 1 hour) are due to arrhythmias that cause a severe decrease in the pumping function of the heart. A heart attack is a life-threatening event. Everyone should know the warning signs of a heart attack and how to get emergency help. Many people suffer permanent damage to their hearts or die because they do not get help immediately. Each year, more than a million persons in the U.S. have a heart attack and about half (515,000) of them die. About one-half of those who die do so within 1 hour of the start of symptoms and before reaching the hospital. Emergency personnel can often stop arrhythmias with emergency CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation), defibrillation (electrical shock), and prompt advanced cardiac life support procedures. If care is sought soon enough, blood flow in the blocked artery can be restored in time to prevent permanent damage to the heart. Yet, most people do not seek medical care for 2 hours or more after symptoms begin. Many people wait 12 hours or longer. What Are the Signs and Symptoms of a Heart Attack?The warning signs and symptoms of a heart attack can include: * Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts for more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back. The discomfort can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain. Heart attack pain can sometimes feel like indigestion or heartburn. * Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Can include pain, discomfort, or numbness in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw, or stomach. * Shortness of breath. Often comes along with chest discomfort. But it also can occur before chest discomfort. * Other symptoms. May include breaking out in a cold sweat, having nausea and vomiting, or feeling light-headed or dizzy. Signs and symptoms vary from person to person. In fact, if you have a second heart attack, your symptoms may not be the same as for the first heart attack. Some people have no symptoms. This is called a silent heart attack. How Can I Prevent a Heart Attack?Most heart attacks are caused by coronary artery disease (CAD). You can help prevent a heart attack by knowing about your risk factors for CAD and heart attack and taking action to lower your risks. You can lower your risk of having a heart attack, even if you have already had a heart attack or are told that your chances of having a heart attack are high. To prevent a heart attack, you will most likely need to make lifestyle changes. You may also need to get treatment for conditions that raise your risk. You can lower your risk for CAD and a heart attack by making healthy lifestyle choices: * Eat a healthy diet to prevent or reduce high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol, and maintain a healthy weight * If you smoke, quit * Exercise as directed by your doctor * Lose weight if you are overweight or obese What Conditions Influence Heart Attack?In addition to making lifestyle changes, you can help prevent heart attacks by treating conditions you have that make a heart attack more likely: * High blood cholesterol. If you have high cholesterol, follow your doctor's advice about lowering your cholesterol. Take medications to lower your cholesterol as directed. * High blood pressure. If you have high blood pressure, follow your doctor's advice about keeping your blood pressure under control. Take blood pressure medications as directed. * High blood sugar (diabetes). If you have diabetes, follow your doctor's advice about keeping your blood sugar levels under control. Take medications as directed.
Source: National Institutes of Health
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Study findings on heart attack are outlined in reports from University of Padua
2007 NOV 19 -- Data detailed in 'Morphologic validation of reperfused hemorrhagic myocardial infarction by cardiovascular magnetic resonance' have been presented. According to a study from Padua, Italy, "The purposes of this study were to assess the ex vivo cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) signals of pathologically proved hemorrhagic myocardial infarction (MI) and to correlate these with in vivo CMR findings. Late gadolinium hypoenhancement within a hyperenhanced area in reperfused acute MI is ascribed to severe microvascular obstruction." "The hearts of 2 patients, who died from cardiogenic shock after acute MIs and who had undergone coronary recanalization and in vivo CMR, were examined by T(2) and T(1) late enhancement sequences as well as by gross and histologic investigation. Four corresponding short-axis slices of each cardiac specimen from the base to the left ventricular apex were selected to assess the extent of MI and hemorrhage and were compared with the in vivo T(2) and late enhancement CMR scans. On pathologic examination, the extent of MI was 57 ±30% and 44 ±24%, and the extent of hemorrhage was 23 ±13% and 19 ±8% of the left ventricular area, respectively, showing progressive increases from the base to the apex. The low-signal intensity areas observed by ex vivo T(2) CMR strongly correlated with the hemorrhage quantified on histology (R=0.93, p=0.0007). Using ex vivo late gadolinium sequences, bright areas surrounded by thin dark rims, consistent with magnetic susceptibility effects, were detected, corresponding with hemorrhage," wrote C. Basso and colleagues, University of Padua. The researchers concluded: "On in vivo CMR images, low-signal intensity and hyperintense areas with peripheral susceptibility artifacts were observed within the MI core on T(2) and late gadolinium sequences, respectivelyin reperfused MI, CMR hypointense T(2) signal and susceptibility effects within the late gadolinium hypoenhanced areas are consistent with interstitial hemorrhage due to irreversible vascular injury, as proved by pathologic study." Basso and colleagues published the results of their research in American Journal of Cardiology (Morphologic validation of reperfused hemorrhagic myocardial infarction by cardiovascular magnetic resonance. American Journal of Cardiology, 2007;100(8):1322-7). For additional information, contact C. Basso, University of Padua Medical School, Dept. of Medic-Diagnostic Sciences and Special Therapies, Padua, Italy. The publisher of the American Journal of Cardiology can be contacted at: Excerpta Medica Inc., 650 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10011, USA. Keywords: Italy, Padua, Cardiology, Cardiovascular, Heart Attack, Myocardial Infarction. This article was prepared by Cardiovascular Week editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2007, Cardiovascular Week via NewsRx.com.
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