Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI), also known as a heart attack or heart attack, corresponds to the interruption of blood flow to the heart, which causes the death of cardiac cells and causes symptoms such as chest pain that can radiate to the arm.
The main cause of infarction is the accumulation of fat inside the vessels, often resulting from unhealthy habits, with a diet high in fat and cholesterol and low in fruits and vegetables, in addition to physical inactivity and genetic factors.
The diagnosis is made by the cardiologist through physical, clinical and laboratory exams and the treatment is done with the objective of unblocking the artery and improving blood circulation.
Causes of AMI
The main cause of acute myocardial infarction is atherosclerosis, which corresponds to the accumulation of fat inside the blood vessels, in the form of plaques, which can hinder the passage of blood to the heart and thus cause the infarction. In addition to atherosclerosis, acute myocardial infarction can happen due to non-atherosclerotic coronary diseases, congenital changes and hematological changes, for example. Find out more about what can cause a heart attack.
Some factors can increase the chances of a heart attack, such as:
- Obesity, smoking, physical inactivity, diet high in fat and cholesterol and low in fiber, fruits and vegetables, these factors being risk factors that can be modified by lifestyle; Age, race, male gender and genetic conditions, which are considered risk factors non-modifiable; Dyslipidemia and hypertension, which are factors modifiable by drugs, that is, which can be solved through the use of medications.
To prevent heart attack, it is important that the person has healthy lifestyle habits, such as exercising and eating properly. Here's what to eat to lower cholesterol.
Main symptoms
The most characteristic symptom of acute myocardial infarction is pain in the form of tightness in the heart, on the left side of the chest, which may or may not be associated with other symptoms, such as:
- Dizziness; Malaise; Feeling; Cold sweat; Paleness; Feeling of heaviness or burning in the stomach; Feeling of tightness in the throat; Pain in the armpit or in the left arm.
As soon as the first symptoms appear it is important to call SAMU because the infarction can result in loss of consciousness, since there is a decrease in the blood supply to the brain. Learn how to identify the heart attack.
If you watch a heart attack with loss of consciousness, ideally, you should know how to do a cardiac massage while waiting for the SAMU to arrive, as this increases the person's chances of survival. Learn how to do a cardiac massage in this video:
Diagnosis of Acute Myocardial Infarction
The diagnosis of AMI is made through physical examinations, in which the cardiologist analyzes all the symptoms described by the patient, in addition to the electrocardiogram, which is one of the main criteria for the diagnosis of infarction. The electrocardiogram, also known as ECG, is an exam that aims to assess the electrical activity of the heart, making it possible to check the rhythm and frequency of heart beats. Understand what the ECG is and how it is done.
To diagnose infarction, the doctor may also order laboratory tests in order to detect the presence of biochemical markers that have an increased concentration in infarction situations. Typically requested labels are:
- CK-MB, which is a protein found in the heart muscle and whose concentration in the blood increases 4 to 8 hours after the infarction and returns to normal after 48 to 72 hours; Myoglobin, which is also present in the heart, but has its concentration increased 1 hour after the infarction and returns to normal levels after 24 hours - Learn more about the myoglobin test; Troponin, which is the most specific infarction marker, increasing 4 to 8 hours after the infarction and returning to normal levels after about 10 days - Understand what the troponin test is for.
Through the results of cardiac marker exams, the cardiologist is able to identify when the infarction occurred from the concentration of the markers in the blood.
How the treatment is done
The initial treatment for acute myocardial infarction is performed by unblocking the vessel through angioplasty or through a surgery called a bypass, also known as cardiac bypass or myocardial revascularization.
In addition, the patient needs to take medications that reduce the formation of plaques or make the blood thinner, in order to facilitate its passage through the vessel, such as Acetyl Salicylic Acid (AAS), for example. Learn more about the treatment of heart attack.
