Myocardial infarct

Myocardial Infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, is a medical condition that occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to a part of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may travel into the shoulder, arm, back, neck, or jaw.

Causes

The primary cause of MI is coronary artery disease (CAD), in which the arteries that supply blood to the heart become hardened and narrowed due to the buildup of cholesterol and other material, called plaque, on their inner walls. This process is known as atherosclerosis. As the plaque builds up, the coronary arteries can become too narrow for enough blood to reach the heart muscle.

Symptoms

The most common symptom of MI is chest pain or discomfort, typically in the center or left side of the chest, which may last for more than a few minutes, or go away and come back. This discomfort or pain can feel like a tight ache, pressure, fullness or squeezing in your chest lasting more than a few minutes. Other symptoms include shortness of breath, nausea, feeling faint, a cold sweat, or feeling tired.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis of MI is based on symptoms and electrocardiogram (ECG) changes. Blood tests for biomarkers such as troponin or cardiac enzymes are commonly done. An echocardiogram, coronary angiogram, or cardiac stress test may also be useful.

Treatment

Treatment for MI includes medications, lifestyle changes, and, in many cases, surgical procedures. Medications may include aspirin, beta blockers, statins, and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors). Lifestyle changes include diet, exercise, and quitting smoking. Surgical procedures may include coronary artery bypass surgery or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Prognosis

The prognosis for MI depends on the extent of the heart muscle damage and the timing of treatment. Early treatment can prevent or limit damage to the heart muscle, and improve the chances of survival.

See also

• Angina
• Cardiac arrest
• Cardiovascular disease
• Heart failure

References

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