Myocardial Infarction

A myocardial infarction, commonly known as a heart attack, is usually caused by a blood clot that stops the flow of blood in the artery of the heart. Blockage of a coronary artery deprives the heart of blood and oxygen. If blood is not restored within 40 to 60 minutes, the heart muscle will die, resulting in acute heart failure or death.

Symptoms can include chest pain or discomfort in the center of your chest that comes and goes for minutes at a time, pain or discomfort in the upper body, including the arms, left shoulder, back, neck, jaw or stomach, difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, sweating, a feeling of fullness, indigestion or choking, nausea or vomiting, light headedness or dizziness, extreme weakness or anxiety and rapid or irregular heartbeats.

Angioplasty or Surgery

The primary treatment for a heart attack is either a coronary angioplasty or bypass surgery. During angioplasty, a catheter is run through the artery in either your groin or arm and guided to the artery that is blocked. A small balloon is inflated to reopen the blocked artery. Often, a stent is installed to keep the artery open.

If the artery cannot be adequately reopened, bypass surgery may be needed. A short piece of blood vessel is harvested from another part of the body and is attached so that blood can flow around the blocked artery. Each blocked artery can be bypassed, resulting in the familiar “quadruple bypass” reference to someone who has had all four major arteries bypassed.

Medical Management

Prescribed medications can supplement surgery, treat symptoms or lower the risk of a heart attack in the first place. These medications include:

ACE inhibitors: Lower blood pressure so the heart doesn’t have to work as hard to pump blood. It is very useful in post heart attack care.

Aspirin: Thins the blood and serves as an anti-coagulant. It reduces the tendency of your blood to clot, which can lead to an initial or subsequent heart attack.

Beta-blockers: Serve to slow the heart down, reduce the heart’s demand for oxygen and decreases blood pressure.

Calcium channel blockers: Reduce high blood pressure and opens the arteries so blood can flow more easily.

Nitroglycerin: Nitroglycerin (prescribed in tablet, spray or patch form) helps relieve chest pains by opening the blood vessels and improving blood flow to the heart. Nitrates serve the same purpose, but are longer lasting.