Myocardial Infarction

What is a Myocardial Infarction?

Myocardial infarction (MI) - more commonly known as a heart attack - is a condition that generally occurs when there is a blockage of blood flow to the heart, resulting in the heart not receiving the oxygen and nutrients it needs.

Am I at risk for having a heart attack?

Anyone over the age of 25 should be screened on a routine basis for heart attack risk, especially if the patient's family has a history of heart disease.

What can be done to prevent having a heart attack?

"Studies in recent years have shown that taking an aspirin every day may reduce the risk of having a heart attack or a stroke caused by a blood clot forming in an artery. However, it is important that you first consult your doctor before beginning aspirin therapy.

Other steps which can help you to prevent (and also recover from) a heart attack include:

Get regular checkups
Control your blood pressure
Check your cholesterol and use medication for it if indicated
Don't smoke and avoid second hand smoke
Maintain a healthy weight
Eat a heart healthy diet, including adequate amounts of folic acid (found in greens, leafy vegetables, citrus fruit and whole grains)
Manage stress
Use alcohol in moderation
Engage in physical activityExercise regularly and reduce the amount of time you spend in sedentary activities such as watching TV

Some studies have shown that the risk of a heart attack during or just after heavy physical exertion is two to six times greater than the risk during less strenuous physical activities or no activity, but performing regular physical activity over time diminished the added risk to practically none at all.

Normally sedentary people who try something strenuous like shoveling snow, sprinting to catch a bus, playing tennis or pushing a car out of a snowdrift, may be especially at risk.

Among the cardiovascular benefits of regular of regular physical activity are a diminished tendency of blood to form clots, an improved cholesterol profile, more efficient use of oxygen by the muscles, a larger volume of blood pumped with each heartbeat, and during periods of exertion, greater dilation of the arteries, a lower heart rate and lower blood pressure.

Reasonable advice includes the following:

While it is almost always safe to engage in moderate levels of physical activity such as walking, make sure to discuss any intensive, new exercise program with your physician first.

Start slow and easy - For the first week or two, exercise at an easy pace for no more than 10 to 20 minutes at a time.
Build up gradually - As a general rule, do not increase either the intensity, frequency or duration of your exercise sessions by more than 10 percent each week.
Engage in physical activity often - It is safer to get modest amounts of physical activity several times a week than to try making up for days or weeks of inactivity with a single, prolonged workout.
Do not overexert - Beginners should avoid pushing their heart rate higher than 70 percent of its maximum. (Your maximum rate equals roughly 220 minus your age).
Warm up - Begin every workout with a gentle warm-up to boost circulation to the heart muscle. Jog in place, ride a stationary bicycle or do callisthenic exercise for a few minutes. Then stretch to reduce the risk of injury.
Cool down - Rapid muscle movement helps pump blood back to the heart. If you stop exercising abruptly, the heart's blood supply may drop abruptly.
Do not eat and run - During and after a meal, the body sends extra blood to the digestive organs, leaving less blood for the heart and muscles. Try to wait at least two hours after a heavy meal before exercising.
Watch the weather - Blood vessels in the skin and the limbs constrict when it is cold outside, making it more difficult for the heart to pump blood throughout the body. If you exercise outdoors in frigid weather, dress in warm layers and do not push yourself too hard. Working out in hot weather can also threaten the heart, since heavy sweating decreases the total volume of blood, and in turn, the amount flowing to the heart muscle.
Take pollution to heart - Exercising in polluted air increases blood levels of carbon monoxide, which raises the risk of heart attack by replacing oxygen in the blood.