Pointing out that one in every five sudden deaths is due to a heart attack, experts emphasize that early diagnosis is very important in heart attacks. Stating that loss of time for intervention will not only increase the amount of destroyed heart muscle but also increase the possibility of losing life, experts said, "There is no compensation for destroyed heart muscle. In a heart attack, time equals heart muscle."
Early diagnosis and timely intervention gain importance in heart attack, which came to the agenda with the death of İbrahim Çağlar, Chairman of the Board of Directors of ITO, who died in the hospital where he was hospitalized after a heart attack in his home.
Üsküdar University NPISTANBUL Hospital Cardiology Specialist Prof. Dr. Mehmet Baltalı gave information about heart attack.
Prof. Dr. Mehmet Baltalı said that a heart attack is a disease that develops due to blockage of the vessels supplying the heart and results in various degrees of cell death in the heart muscle supplied by that vessel.
Heart attack is the cause of one out of every 5 sudden deaths
Stating that one out of every 5 sudden deaths occurs due to heart attack, Prof. Dr. Mehmet Baltalı said, "Preventing the loss of patients from heart attacks depends on reaching a hospital with an interventional cardiology department as soon as possible from the first moment of the event."
Stating that most heart attacks are caused by clots formed in the coronary arteries, the arteries that carry blood and oxygen to the heart muscle, Prof. Dr. Mehmet Baltalı said, "Clots usually form in narrowed coronary arteries. The atherosclerotic plaque inside the artery wall sometimes cracks and this triggers clot formation. Clots in the coronary arteries block the flow of blood and oxygen to the heart muscle, which leads to the death of heart cells in that area. The damaged heart muscle loses its ability to contract and the rest of the heart has to do the work of the damaged part."
The biggest symptom is chest pain
Referring to the symptoms of a heart attack, Prof. Dr. Mehmet Baltalı said, "The biggest symptom is chest pain. When cardiac arrest occurs, it is necessary to take it to the intensive care unit and intervene immediately. If chest pain is due to a heart attack, the blocked coronary artery should be intervened in a center that can perform angiography. This network is now widespread in Turkey. The patient should be processed quickly. In other words, angiography should be performed. Thus, the condition of the heart vessels is determined, then the blockage there is opened with a stent and the heart muscle is re-nourished."
Hypertension and diabetes are the most important risk factors
Prof. Dr. Mehmet Baltalı also mentioned the risk factors for coronary artery disease and heart attack and listed these risk factors as age, male gender, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, smoking and a family history of coronary heart disease at an early age.
Pay attention to chest pain and changes in ECG
Stating that three important findings are used in the diagnosis of heart attack in the emergency unit, Prof. Dr. Mehmet Baltalı said, "The first is the patient's complaint, which is mainly chest pain. The second is ECG (Electrocardiogram). In the majority of heart attacks, ECG shows changes specific to heart attack. The third is blood tests in the laboratory. By measuring the level of certain enzymes (especially Troponin I) that enter the bloodstream with infarction, the diagnosis is made definitively."
Painless heart attack is more dangerous
Emphasizing that chest pain can be seen in different ways, Baltalı said, "Chest pain behind the breastbone is the most important symptom of a heart attack. In heart attacks, which are also defined as silent heart attacks, this pain may be very vague or may not be felt at all, especially in diabetic patients and the elderly. Chest pain often radiates from the chest to the shoulders or arms, neck, teeth, jaw, abdomen or back. Sometimes the pain is only felt in one of these areas. Whether a heart attack is painless or painful has no effect on its severity. In fact, painless ones can be more dangerous as the patient may not be aware of the disease," he warned.
Prof. Dr. Mehmet Baltalı listed other symptoms besides chest pain as follows: "Shortness of breath, coughing, dizziness and dizziness, fainting, nausea and vomiting, the feeling that "the apocalypse is coming" and distress."
Prof. Dr. Mehmet Baltalı, who also mentioned what to do in a heart attack, said, "A heart attack is an emergency. It requires hospitalization and intensive care. Because fatal rhythm disorders (arrhythmias) are the main cause of death in the first few hours of a heart attack. The goals of treatment are to stop the progression of the heart attack, minimize heart damage, reduce the demands on the heart so that it can recover and prevent complications."
No compensation for damaged heart muscle
Underlining that early diagnosis is very important in heart attack, Baltalı said, "As time passes, the possibility of losing life from rhythm disorders will increase and the amount of destroyed heart muscle will increase. There is no compensation for the destroyed heart muscle. In a heart attack, "TIME = HEART MUSCLE"," he warned.
Pay attention to these suggestions to prevent heart attack!
Prof. Dr. Mehmet Baltalı, who also made recommendations to patients to prevent the recurrence of a heart attack and to prevent heart attacks, made the following recommendations:
"Check your blood pressure. If necessary, use the medications recommended by your doctor.
Check your cholesterol levels. If necessary, use the medications recommended by your doctor.
Stop smoking if you smoke. If you have difficulty in this, get support from smoking cessation clinics.
If you have diabetes, keep it under control. If necessary, use the medicines recommended by your doctor.
Follow a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and low in animal fats.
Lose weight if you are overweight.
Exercise your body by walking or doing other exercises every day or at least 4 days a week to protect your heart health, but consult your cardiologist first.
Avoid stress and seek professional help if necessary. Yoga, meditation, psychiatrist, etc.).
If you have one or more risk factors for heart attack, ask your doctor if you should take aspirin to help prevent heart attack. Remember that unintentional use of aspirin can have negative consequences, such as stomach bleeding."