Medication
Medications that may be given during or after a heart attack
- ACE inhibitors to lower blood pressure and slow down the process that weakens the heart
- Anticoagulants, otherwise known as blood thinners, to prevent clots from forming or getting larger
- Beta blockers to decrease the workload the heart needs to do, to relieve chest pain, to help prevent another heart attack, and to treat irregular heartbeats
Procedures
Treatment - Heart attack
- Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is the term for emergency treatment of an STEMI. ...
- Medicines to break down and prevent blood clots. ...
- Coronary artery bypass graft. ...
- Treating non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) and unstable angina. ...
Therapy
- About 86% of people survive their first heart attack.
- Immediate treatment usually involves opening the clogged artery to restore blood flow.
- Many people will go be back to normal within a week but sometimes it can take months to recover.
How does a doctor treat a heart attack?
Prescription drugs that may put you at increased likelihood of AMI include:
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which affect blood flow through water and salt retention;
- Diabetes medications, some of which cause fluid retention and weight gain;
- Prescriptions for blood pressure drugs, particularly calcium channel blockers;
- Medications used for chemotherapy and other cancer treatment;
- Stimulants; and
- Antidepressants.
What are the surgical treatments for a heart attack?
What happens to my medical after a heart attack?
What medications cause heart attack?
How to prevent heart attack?
Exercise. Regular exercise helps improve heart muscle function after a heart attack and helps prevent a heart attack. Get at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity a week, or a combination of moderate and vigorous activity. Maintain a healthy weight.
What to do after a heart attack?
Having a heart attack is scary, and you might wonder how it will affect your life and whether you'll have another one. Fear, anger, guilt and depression are all common after a heart attack. Discussing them with your doctor, a family member or a friend might help.
How does an echocardiogram help?
An echocardiogram can help identify whether an area of your heart has been damaged. Coronary catheterization (angiogram). A liquid dye is injected into the arteries of your heart through a long, thin tube (catheter) that's fed through an artery, usually in your leg or groin, to the arteries in your heart.
How long does it take to recover from a cardiac rehab?
Most hospitals offer programs that might start while you're in the hospital and continue for weeks to a couple of months after you return home. Cardiac rehabilitation programs generally focus on four main areas — medications, lifestyle changes, emotional issues and a gradual return to your normal activities.
How long does it take to recover from a heart attack?
If possible, however, you might have bypass surgery after your heart has had time — about three to seven days — to recover from your heart attack.
What is the purpose of a cardiac MRI?
Cardiac MRI uses a magnetic field and radio waves to create images of your heart. For both tests, you lie on a table that slides inside a long tubelike machine. Each can be used to diagnose heart problems, including the extent of damage from heart attacks.
What is the best medicine for heart failure?
Beta blockers. These medications help relax your heart muscle, slow your heartbeat and decrease blood pressure, making your heart's job easier. Beta blockers can limit the amount of heart muscle damage and prevent future heart attacks. ACE inhibitors.
What is the primary goal of treatment for a blocked artery?
Cardiac surgery. The primary goal of treatment is to quickly open the blocked artery and restore blood flow to the heart muscle , a process called reperfusion.
What is the name of the death of a heart muscle?
Share Your Story. A heart attack (also known as a myocardial infarction or MI) is the death of heart muscle from the sudden blockage by a blood clot in a coronary artery that supplies blood to the heart. Blockage of a coronary artery deprives the heart muscle of blood and oxygen, causing injury to the heart muscle.
What drugs inhibit ADP?
Thienopyridines such as ticlopidine (Ticlid), clopidogrel ( Plavix ), and prasugrel (Effient), inhibit the ADP receptor on the surface of platelets. Inhibiting the ADP receptors on the platelets prevent the platelets from aggregating and causing blood clots to form. The theinopyridines are more potent antiplatelet agents than aspirin. Clopidogrel (Plavix) and prasugrel (Effient) are used far more commonly than ticlopidine (Ticlid) because ticlopidine can, in rare instances, cause low platelet and/or white blood cell counts. These agents play an important role in the treatment of heart attacks and are used in the following situations:
How do antiplatelets work?
Antiplatelet agents are medications that prevent blood clots from forming by inhibiting the aggregation of platelets. Platelets are fragments of cells that circulate in the blood. Platelets begin the formation of blood clots by clumping together (a process called aggregation). Platelet clumps are then strengthened and expanded by the action of clotting factors (coagulants) that result in the deposition of protein (fibrin) among the platelets. Aggregation of platelets occurs at the site of any injury or laceration, but it also occurs at the site of rupture of cholesterol plaques in the walls of coronary arteries. Formation of clots at the site of an injury or laceration is desirable because it prevents excessive loss of blood, but formation of clots inside coronary arteries blocks the arteries and causes heart attacks.
What are the different types of antiplatelet agents?
There are three types of antiplatelet agents -- aspirin, thienopyridines, and the glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors. These agents differ in their mode of action, antiplatelet potency, speed of onset of action, and cost. For more, please read the Aspirin and Antiplatelet Medications article.
How is nitroglycerin used in heart attacks?
Nitroglycerin is the most common nitrate used in the treatment of heart attacks. It can be given sublingually (under the tongue), as a spray, as a paste applied over skin, and intravenously. Intravenous nitroglycerine has a rapid onset of action and is commonly used in the initial (first 48 hours) treatment of heart attacks. Nitroglycerine is a vasodilator (blood vessel expander), that opens arteries by relaxing the muscular wall of the artery. Nitroglycerine dilates coronary arteries as well as other blood vessels throughout the body. By dilating blood vessels, nitroglycerine lowers blood pressure, decreases the work that the heart must do to pump blood, lowers the demand by the heart for oxygen, prevents coronary artery spasm, improves blood flow to the heart muscle, and potentially minimizes the size of the heart attack. Nitroglycerine is especially helpful in patients with heart attacks who also have heart failure or high blood pressure.
How long does it take for a heart muscle to die?
If blood flow is not restored within 20 to 40 minutes, irreversible death of the heart muscle will begin to occur. Muscle continues to die for 6 to 8 hours at which time ...
What is the treatment for a heart attack?
This is called dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT).
What is a heart attack called?
The type of heart attack (also called myocardial infarction, or MI) you experienced determines the treatments that your medical team will recommend. A heart attack occurs when a blockage in one or more coronary arteries reduces or stops blood flow to the heart, which starves part of the heart muscle of oxygen.
What is a heart attack?
Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is when the arteries that carry blood, oxygen, and nutrients get blocked. Heart attacks are a form of ACS. They occur when your heart doesn’t get enough blood supply. A heart attack is also known as a myocardial infarction.
How long does it take to recover from a heart attack?
Your recovery from a heart attack will depend on its severity and how it was treated. It can take anywhere from one week to several weeks before you can return to all your regular activities, especially anything involving heavy lifting.
What is the procedure to graft a blocked artery?
Grafting: A blocked artery may also be treated with coronary artery bypass grafting, sometimes referred to as bypass surgery. In this procedure, a blood vessel is taken from elsewhere in the body and attached, or grafted, onto the blocked artery. With this, blood flow can be rerouted around the blockage.
What does it mean when you feel pain in your chest?
A STEMI has the classic symptom of pain in the center of the chest. This chest discomfort may be described as a pressure or tightness rather than a sharp pain. Some people who experience STEMIs also describe feeling pain in one or both arms or their back, neck, or jaw.
What to do if you have a mild heart attack?
If you have suffered a mild heart attack, your doctor may recommend some lifestyle and health changes in order to reduce your risk of experiencing a secondary cardiac event. These tips include:
What is the best test to check for a mild heart attack?
A blood test may also be able to confirm whether the patient has suffered a mild heart attack, as can an echocardiogram, ultrasound of the heart, angiogram, or x-ray of the coronary arteries. To treat a mild heart attack, doctors may prescribe medications such as nitroglycerin, which widens the blood vessels.
What is the difference between a mild heart attack and a massive heart attack?
What is the difference between a mild and massive heart attack? Heart attacks occur when there is a blockage in the artery that impedes the flow of blood into the heart. A massive heart attack may happen if blood flow is completely cut off by the blockage and can cause permanent heart damage, cardiac arrest, or death.
How do you know if you have a heart attack?
Signs and symptoms of mild heart attack. The symptoms of a mild heart attack are similar to those of unstable angina and include chest pain that may radiate to the arms and jaw, difficulty breathing, nausea, light-headedness, cold sweats, and feeling as though your heart is racing. These symptoms may last for a few minutes.
How to prevent heart failure?
Avoid these foods and increase your consumption of foods that are low in cholesterol and saturated fats like fruits, vegetables, white meat, and fish. ...
Why does my chest hurt after a heart attack?
You may also experience some discomfort in your chest, as damage to the heart impairs blood flow and can result in chest pain. Depression is another side effect of experiencing a mild heart attack, as after such a traumatic event, you may feel a fear of death or mortality as well as a loss of control over your life.
How to lower cholesterol and blood pressure?
Check for diabetes: Be sure to get screened for diabetes, as both type 1 and type 2 diabetes can increase your risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke. Exercise: Exercising regularly—especial ly cardio activities— can help make your heart stronger and lower your cholesterol and blood pressure. Jogging, running, walking, bicycling, ...
Diagnosis
Treatment
Clinical Trials
Lifestyle and Home Remedies
Specialist to consult
Coping and Support
Preparing For Your Appointment
- Each minute after a heart attack, more heart tissue is damaged or dies. Urgent treatment is needed to fix blood flow and restore oxygen levels. Oxygen is given immediately. Specific heart attack treatment depends on whether there's a partial or complete blockage of blood flow.