Acute Heart Disease

According to the American Heart Association, acute coronary syndrome is sometimes used to describe a person who has suffered a heart attack (acute myocardial infarction) or chest pain due to an inadequate blood supply to the heart muscle (acute myocardial ischemia) that results from coronary heart disease. When it receives a prompt diagnosis, acute coronary syndrome is highly treatable.

Causes

• Acute coronary syndrome can progress gradually over time as plaque (fatty deposits) builds in the arteries of the heart. Plaque makes it hard for blood to flow freely through the arteries.

  In time your heart is no longer able to pump enough oxygen-rich blood to the rest of your body. This inability results in chest pain (angina) or a heart attack.

Risk Factors

• Men who are over age 45 and women older than 55 are more apt to suffer from acute coronary syndrome. Other risk factors include high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, cigarette smoking, inadequate exercise and a family history of heart problems.

Symptoms

• The warning signs of acute coronary syndrome are often similar to those of a heart attack. Symptoms include a burning chest pain (angina) that continues for several minutes. You may also experience pain in the upper arm or jaw. Other possible symptoms include nausea, vomiting, shortness of breath, excessive sweating and feeling lightheaded.

ECG & Blood Tests

• If you have symptoms of acute coronary syndrome and your doctor suspects you're having a heart attack you will undergo an electrocardiogram. An ECG test monitors the electrical activity of your heart through electrodes attached to your skin. It may indicate that you are in the midst of heart attack or that one has already taken place.

  If your heart has been injured by a heart attack, specific heart enzymes trickle into your blood. Blood tests will identify the presence of these enzymes.

Medicinal Treatment

• Medications used to treat acute coronary syndrome will depend on the severity of your blocked arteries as well as your symptoms. Aspirin is usually given since it works to keep blood running freely through constricted heart arteries.

  Nitroglycerin is often prescribed to relieve chest pain. It also temporarily expands restricted blood vessels and improves blood flow to and from your heart.

  Beta blockers help loosen your heart muscle, reduce your heart rate and lower your blood pressure. Since beta blockers can improve blood flow through your heart, there is less potential for damage to your heart during a heart attack.

Angioplasty & Surgery

• If medications fail to return blood flow through your heart, your doctor may suggest surgery or a procedure known as an angioplasty and stent.

  An angioplasty involves the insertion of a long slender tube (catheter) into the blocked section of your artery. A wire with a collapsed balloon is passed through the catheter to the narrowed area. Once inserted, the balloon is inflated to compact the deposits against your artery walls.

  A mesh tube (stent) remains in the artery to help keep it clear.

  During coronary bypass surgery an alternative path is made for blood to go around a blocked coronary artery. Your surgeon will remove the blocked portion of the artery and replace it with an artery from another part of your body.

Preventing Acute Coronary Syndrome

• There are steps you can take to prevent acute coronary syndrome or improve existing symptoms. The Mayo Clinic suggests you keep a close eye on both your blood pressure and cholesterol levels, consume a healthy diet that is low in saturated fat and salt, watch your weight and get 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week.