Heart Attack: Causes and Treatment

A heart attack, known clinically as a myocardial infarction, is a life-threatening event that requires immediate medical intervention.

At CardioVascular Health Clinic, we provide complete heart care for people who have had heart attacks or are at risk for heart attacks. If you believe that you or someone you know is having a heart attack, call 911 or go to the nearest Emergency Room.

In the United States, approximately 635,000 people experience their first heart attack every year. While living a full and healthy life after experiencing a heart attack is possible, an estimated one in seven fatalities in the United States is related to heart disease. 

Knowing the risks and symptoms is crucial to avoiding or overcoming heart attacks. 

What Causes a Heart Attack?

Most heart attacks are caused by arterial blockages that prevent the flow of blood to the heart. Such obstructions are known as atherosclerosis, the buildup of fatty deposits called plaques. Plaques consist of calcium, cellular waste, cholesterol, clotting material called fibrin, and fatty materials.

Over time, the plaque buildup can break away and become lodged in the artery, completely blocking blood flow. When the heart is denied a blood supply, a heart attack can occur.

However, not every heart attack is caused by a blockage. In roughly 5% of all heart attack cases, the cause is one of the following:

• Arterial spasm: When blood vessels involuntarily restrict blood flow to the heart.
• Unexplained narrowing of blood vessels: Certain medical conditions might cause blood vessels to narrow.
• Trauma/injury: Any ruptures or splits within the coronary arteries that compromise the flow of blood.
• Eating disorders: Eating disorders (anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating) can lead to serious cardiac complications, electrolyte imbalance, and irregular heartbeat.

When the blood flow to the heart is interrupted, the heart muscle cannot pump blood throughout the brain and the body. When the heart cannot function, cardiac arrest occurs, effectively stopping the function of other vital organs. Cardiac arrest can lead to death in only a few minutes. 

What Are Heart Attack Symptoms?

Common symptoms of a heart attack include:

• Angina (chest pain): Chest pain can be severe and sudden or a dull discomfort. The pain can start as a pressure or squeezing sensation in the chest and spread to the back, arms, shoulders, and waist.
• Digestive discomfort: Sometimes, symptoms of a heart attack are misidentified as heartburn or indigestion. Nausea and stomach upset are very common indications of a heart attack.
• Irregular heartbeat: Rapid heartbeat or heart palpitations often accompany a heart attack.
• Dizziness: Dizziness can occur during a heart attack due to restricted blood flow to the brain.

While both men and women experience heart attacks and coronary artery disease, the symptoms can differ depending on the sex of the patient. 

Common Heart Attack Symptoms Among Women

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Sleep disorders before onset of heart attack
• Shortness of breath 

Who is At Risk for a Heart Attack?

Numerous lifestyle factors, health conditions, and genetic contributors can put you at risk of a heart attack. 

Lifestyle Issues

• Sedentary/little physical exercise
• Diet high in calories, sodium, and fat
• Smoking
• Heavy alcohol consumption
• Drug misuse/addiction

Family History

• Mother or sister with diagnosed heart disease before age 65
• Father or brother with diagnosed heart disease before age 55

Health Conditions

• Obesity
• Hypertension (high blood pressure)
• High LDL cholesterol 
• Disordered eating (bulimia, anorexia, binge eating)
• Diabetes

How Are Heart Attacks Treated?

Your medical provider will conduct a series of tests to determine whether your symptoms are indicative of a heart attack. These tests might include the following:

• Discussing your medical history
• Blood lab work
• Heart imaging exams

Your treatment options will depend upon the severity of the heart attack and if there are potentially dangerous associated symptoms, like trouble breathing. Your treatment might include:

• Angioplasty: Angioplasty is a surgical intervention to open clogged or narrowed arteries. It involves inserting an inflatable balloon device into a blocked artery to facilitate the flow of blood. 
• Bypass surgery: Bypass surgery is the surgical redirection of the blood flow around a blocked artery using a section of a healthy blood vessel from another part of the body. This surgical intervention might be performed as a minimally invasive keyhole surgery or a traditional open-heart surgery, depending upon the patient’s condition.
• Medications: Medications administered after a heart attack include blood thinners, nitroglycerin (to widen blood vessels), blood pressure medications (ACE inhibitors), thrombolytic drugs (to dissolve blood clots), and statins (cholesterol-lowering drugs).

If you are concerned about your risk of heart attack or heart disease, please contact our representatives to schedule a comprehensive evaluation today.