Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in the adult population in Spain.
Acute myocardial infarction, acute coronary syndrome or “heart attack” is the presence of necrosis or myocardial death, that is, the death of a set of heart cells, which become inert, which causes a disruption in functioning normal heart.
It is produced by the obstruction of the arteries of the heart. The arteries that carry blood, which irrigates the heart. These arteries are almost always blocked by cholesterol plaques. By clots that form from a cholesterol plaque that breaks in the artery. This clot clogs the artery and that causes the heart attack. Every day there are patients with heart attack.
What are the symptoms of a heart attack?
This condition occurs in a patient through various clinical manifestations. “While there are infrequent forms of myocardial infarction, chest pain is most common. That is why the recommendation for all people who have pain in this area is to consult an emergency service as quickly as possible.
The infrequent forms in which myocardial infarction occurs (less than 10%), are: arm pains, nausea, vomiting, digestive conditions, epigastralgia (stomach mouth discomfort), pain difficult to locate, especially in the elderly and diabetic patients
Risk factors for suffering a “heart attack”
Heart attacks usually occur in those patients with risk factors for the development of arteriosclerosis, such as:
• The advanced age
• The male sex
• Elevation of bad cholesterol (LDL)
• Decrease of good cholesterol (HDL)
• Smoking
• diabetes
• Hypertension
These factors are called cardiovascular risk factors.
How is a heart attack diagnosed?
Before a patient with symptoms suggestive of infarction, an electrocardiogram and various blood tests should be performed immediately.
The treatment consists in detecting the arteries that are blocked, to arrive with medical procedures to unblock or permeabilize the artery, recover the blood circulation in that part of the heart and avoid permanent heart damage.
What should I do to not have a heart attack?
The risk of having a heart attack can be reduced with measures to prevent the development of cardiovascular diseases, that is, if a healthy diet, frequent physical exercise is carried out, a weight close to the ideal is maintained, smoking is avoided and factors are adequately controlled at risk (cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes).
The most important thing in cardiovascular diseases, mainly myocardial infarction and stroke, due to the serious consequences of these, is to prevent and control risk factors.
In Gran Alacant Family Doctors 24h we have a team of doctors very trained in assessing cardiovascular risk, as well as controlling and monitoring in the case of certain diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, cholesterol alterations. We have our family doctors who perform general check ups and disease monitoring.
We have our cardiologist Miguel Ángel López Aranda, an excellent doctor who performs complete cardiovascular evaluation, being able to detect heart problems and treat them.
For more information visit Gran Alacant Family Doctors
www.familydoctors24h.com or our clinic on Calle Holanda 9, MASA Square, Gran Alacant T: 865 789 554
