Angina pectoris and myocardial infarction are diseases in which early detection and early treatment are important because the time from onset to deterioration of the condition is short.
Due to recent advances in treatment, the fatality rate from myocardial infarction is low. However, the signs of myocardial infarction do not always appear, and it often strikes suddenly, so it is important to prevent illness in your life.
In your daily life, if you feel even the slightest change, check your symptoms, and if applicable, go to your family doctor or a nearby hospital immediately.
This time, we will explain the symptoms and prevention methods that are likely to appear for early detection and early treatment of angina pectoris and myocardial infarction, so please check it out yourself.
table of contents
1. What is angina
Angina is a disease in which the blood vessels of the heart, called coronary arteries, narrow for some reason.
It is classified into the following three types according to the process of development and how symptoms appear.
- Atypical angina (coronary angina)
- unstable angina
- exertional angina
Symptoms of angina pectoris include chest pain, chest tightness, and a feeling of pressure that last for several to 15 minutes.
Myocardial infarction is a disease similar to angina pectoris, but early treatment is necessary because angina pectoris can progress to myocardial infarction if left untreated.
1-1. Atypical angina or coronary spastic angina
Atypical angina is also known as coronary spastic angina.
Atypical angina (coronary angina) is a temporary contraction of smooth muscle in the walls of coronary arteries. Or it refers to a state in which the lumen narrows due to spasms. People who smoke or drink alcohol are at particularly high risk of developing angina.
It is said that seizures are more likely to occur at rest and from night to dawn.
Symptoms are similar to those of other angina pectoris and include chest pain, tightness, shortness of breath, and shoulder pain, usually lasting a few minutes to 15 minutes.
1-2. unstable angina
Unstable angina is a very dangerous disease if left untreated.
If the number of blood clots increases in a state just before myocardial infarction, there is a high possibility that it will progress to myocardial infarction.
Unstable angina is a condition in which blood clots (blood clots) block the arteries of the heart, resulting in rapid narrowing of the arteries.
2. About myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction is one of the leading causes of death in Japan, and is a very dangerous disease that can easily cause sudden death.
A myocardial infarction can be caused by a blood clot blocking a blood vessel in the heart, resulting in heart failure. Necrosis of the heart slows down movement, causes arrhythmia, and prevents the flow of blood to the whole body, so the function of the brain and other organs of the whole body also stops.
Like unstable angina, it is caused by the elderly, smoking, dyslipidemia, diabetes, and hypertension, and symptoms include severe chest pain and tightness that persist for more than 20 minutes even at rest.
3. Difference Between Angina Pectoris and Myocardial Infarction
Angina pectoris is a temporary narrowing of the blood vessels of the heart (coronary arteries) that reduces blood flow.
A myocardial infarction, on the other hand, causes the heart to stop functioning because blood flow to the heart is completely blocked.
In angina pectoris, the blood flow is only temporarily reduced and heart function is preserved, but in myocardial infarction, the blood flow is blocked, and if not treated early, the possibility of cardiac arrest increases.
4. How to treat angina pectoris and myocardial infarction
Both angina pectoris and myocardial infarction should be treated as soon as they are detected.
The following methods of treatment are common.
- drug therapy
- catheter therapy
- surgical therapy
- regenerative medicine
A definitive diagnosis is made through examination, and treatment methods vary depending on the condition.
4-1. drug therapy
A common treatment for angina is drug therapy.
Drug therapy for angina pectoris is performed for the purpose of preventing progression to myocardial infarction and preventing deterioration. Medicines that dilate the blood vessels of the heart or thin the blood are used either orally or by intravenous drip.
The main goal of drug therapy for myocardial infarction is to preserve the function of the heart.
Myocardial infarction is a condition in which the heart is necrotic, so if the heart is overloaded, it may rupture. Thrombolytic therapy (a method of dissolving blood clots with drugs) is also effective.
4-2. catheter therapy
Catheterization is an effective method for unstable angina and myocardial infarction.
Among catheter therapies, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is performed as the first choice. Catheterization is performed under local anesthesia, so the patient remains conscious during the treatment and has fewer complications than open-heart surgery.
Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) involves inserting a catheter through a blood vessel in the wrist, elbow, or groin and following the bloodstream to the heart's artery.
4-3. surgical therapy
Surgical treatment includes a technique called coronary artery bypass grafting.
Coronary artery bypass grafting is a procedure in which a narrowed blood vessel in the heart is connected to another blood vessel to assist blood flow to the heart. It is performed when blood clots are hardened or when multiple blood vessels are blocked.
Since the surgery is performed under general anesthesia through open-chest surgery, you will not be conscious during the surgery.
4-4. regenerative medicine
Regenerative medicine is a treatment method that maximizes the patient's ability to naturally repair and regenerate the body.
The mechanism of regenerative medicine is to extract “stem cells (cells that generate cells)” from cells and artificially increase cells. Since organs are made from proliferated cells, it is a treatment method that repairs "organs that have lost their function" by transplanting them into one's own body.
Stem cells can be broadly classified into the following two types.
- Tissue stem cells: Create cells that are the same as your own
- Pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells, etc.): can create any kind of cell
Some diseases are caused by cell depletion and there is no cure. However, regenerative therapy is attracting attention as a treatment method that is expected to fundamentally cure diseases by using cells.
5. Causes and prevention methods of angina and myocardial infarction
Lifestyle is the main cause of angina pectoris and myocardial infarction.
Although there are cases in which myocardial infarction develops secondary to congenital heart abnormalities, most cases are caused by lifestyle habits. Therefore, the improvement of lifestyle habits leads to the prevention of angina pectoris and myocardial infarction.
Angina pectoris and myocardial infarction are mostly caused by arteriosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is caused by smoking, obesity, lack of exercise, stress, and aging.
Angina pectoris and myocardial infarction are diseases with a high fatality rate and have few warning signs. When symptoms appear, it is already an emergency, so please review your lifestyle and prevent it.
6. Summary: Correct eating habits and lifestyle habits are important for angina pectoris and myocardial infarction
Angina pectoris and myocardial infarction are serious heart diseases with high mortality rates.
In modern times, various treatments have been established and all diseases can be treated, but it is not uncommon for heart diseases such as myocardial infarction to be too late.
Even if you have angina pectoris or myocardial infarction, it is important not to think that it is okay because you can treat it, but to work on prevention by adjusting your lifestyle. In particular, angina pectoris and myocardial infarction are diseases that have no warning signs and have a high mortality rate if left untreated. With reference to the causes and preventive methods introduced this time, let's live by paying attention to our daily habits.