Acute myocardial infarction

Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow to a part of the heart is blocked for a long enough time that part of the heart muscle is damaged or dies. This is most often caused by a blockage in one or more of the coronary arteries due to plaque (a mix of fat, cholesterol, and other substances). AMI is a medical emergency, and immediate treatment is crucial to prevent death and minimize heart damage.

Causes

The primary cause of an acute myocardial infarction is the rupture of an atherosclerotic plaque within a coronary artery. This leads to the formation of a blood clot that blocks blood flow to the heart muscle. Other causes may include spasm of a coronary artery, tearing of the artery (dissection), and less commonly, blockage by a clot that has traveled from another part of the body (embolism).

Symptoms

Common symptoms of an acute myocardial infarction include:

• Chest pain or discomfort, often described as aching, pressure, tightness, or burning
• Pain radiating to the jaw, neck, shoulders, back, or arms
• Shortness of breath
• Nausea, vomiting
• Sweating
• Light-headedness or sudden dizziness

Diagnosis

Diagnosis of AMI primarily involves:

• Electrocardiogram (ECG) to detect electrical changes in the heart
• Blood tests to detect increased levels of certain enzymes or proteins, such as troponins
• Imaging tests, such as echocardiography, may also be used to assess heart damage.

Treatment

Treatment for AMI aims to restore blood flow to the heart and may include:

• Medications such as aspirin, thrombolytics (clot busters), anticoagulants, and beta-blockers
• Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), a procedure to open blocked coronary arteries
• Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery in more severe cases

Prevention

Preventive measures for AMI include lifestyle changes such as eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, avoiding tobacco, and managing stress. Medications may also be prescribed to manage risk factors such as high blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes.

Prognosis

The prognosis after an AMI depends on the extent of heart damage and the immediate treatment received. Early treatment significantly improves outcomes. Rehabilitation, including physical therapy and lifestyle modifications, is crucial for recovery.

Epidemiology

Acute myocardial infarction is a leading cause of death worldwide. Risk factors include age, smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, and a sedentary lifestyle.

Cardiovascular disease A-Z

Most common cardiac diseases

• Cardiac arrhythmia‎
• Cardiogenetic disorders‎
• Cardiomegaly‎
• Cardiomyopathy‎
• Cardiopulmonary resuscitation‎
• Chronic rheumatic heart diseases‎
• Congenital heart defects‎
• Heart neoplasia‎
• Ischemic heart diseases‎
• Pericardial disorders
• Syndromes affecting the heart‎
• Valvular heart disease‎

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

A

• Accelerated idioventricular rhythm
• Acute decompensated heart failure
• Arteriosclerotic heart disease
• Athletic heart syndrome
• Atrial flutter
• Atrioventricular fistula
• Cardiovascular disease in Australia
• Autoimmune heart disease

B

• Brown atrophy of the heart

C

• Ebb Cade
• Cardiac allograft vasculopathy
• Cardiac amyloidosis
• Cardiac asthma
• Cardiac tamponade
• Cardiogenic shock
• Cardiogeriatrics
• Cardiorenal syndrome
• Cardiotoxicity
• Carditis
• Coronary artery aneurysm
• Coronary artery anomaly
• Coronary artery disease
• Spontaneous coronary artery dissection
• Coronary artery ectasia
• Coronary occlusion
• Coronary steal
• Coronary thrombosis
• Coronary vasospasm
• Cœur en sabot
• Coxsackievirus-induced cardiomyopathy

D

• Duke Treadmill Score
• Duroziez's disease

E

• Eisenmenger's syndrome
• Embryocardia
• Endocardial fibroelastosis
• Eosinophilic myocarditis

H

• Heart attack
• Heart failure
• Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction
• Heart to Heart (1949 film)
• High-output heart failure
• Hyperdynamic precordium

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

I

• Idiopathic giant-cell myocarditis
• Interventricular dyssynchrony
• Intraventricular dyssynchrony
• Isolated atrial amyloidosis

K

• Keshan disease

L

• Loeffler endocarditis

M

• Mydicar
• Myocardial bridge
• Myocardial disarray
• Myocardial rupture
• Myocardial scarring
• Myocardial stunning
• Myocarditis

N

• Nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis

O

• OLR1
• Ostial disease

P

• Papillary fibroelastoma
• Pathophysiology of heart failure
• Postpericardiotomy syndrome
• Pulmonary vein stenosis

R

• Right axis deviation
• Roemheld syndrome

S

• Saturated fat and cardiovascular disease
• SCAR-Fc
• Shone's syndrome
• Strain pattern
• Subacute bacterial endocarditis
• Sudden cardiac death of athletes

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

T

• Traumatic cardiac arrest

V

• Ventricular aneurysm
• Vibroacoustic disease
• Viral cardiomyopathy

W

• Waon therapy