By Dr. Marc Louie Del Rosario, Head, Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory, Interventional Cardiologist at Asian Cardiovascular Institute, Asian Hospital and Medical Center
Because of social media, we easily get updates on the lives of our friends, acquaintances, and famous personalities—from getting a new job and settling down, to giving birth or having an illness, and sometimes, even death. And when we hear about deaths, especially sudden ones, not only do we feel sadness and the pain of loss, but we also worry. We become anxious with the thought—what if this happens to me or my family?
When accidents are not the cause, sudden deaths are often due to medical emergencies such as heart attacks or cardiac arrests. Although it natural to be fearful and anxious of such events, it should be reassuring to know that there are ways to turn our worry into actions that can decrease one’s chances of having a heart attack.
Heart attack
A myocardial infarction, more commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow to the heart is reduced or blocked—which usually happens when there’s a pre-existing cholesterol blockage in the heart arteries that gets clogged by a blood clot. Symptoms usually include sudden onset of chest pain, which can feel like a tight or squeezing sensation on your chest, as well as difficulty breathing and having cold sweats. In certain instances, dizziness or fainting may be experienced. Without proper treatment, heart attacks can lead to complications including cardiac arrest or sudden death.
The risk of a heart attack varies from person to person. It is important to look into your family history of medical problems. Often, if you have first-degree relatives who have suffered from heart attack, a stroke, or had a history of heart procedure such as bypass surgery or angioplasty, it may mean that you are genetically predisposed to having coronary atherosclerosis or cholesterol plaques in the heart arteries, the condition that leads to heart attacks. Other cardiovascular risk factors contribute to coronary atherosclerosis thus increasing one’s risk of having a heart attack. These include chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidemia/high cholesterol, and cigarette smoking.
Listen to your heart
Since you that that your risk is based on both on genetics and lifestyle, it is important to listen to your heart and accurately evaluate its true health. Monitor for signs of chest pain, shortness of breath, or fatigue when you are performing strenuous physical activity. And even if you do not have symptoms yet, medical screenings are often needed to thoroughly “listen” to your heart when you have some of these cardiovascular risk factors. These screening tests include blood chemistry, electrocardiogram (ECG), and chest x-ray. Other diagnostic exams that your doctor may deem necessary depending on your risk are 2D-Echocardiogram, Treadmill Exercise Test, Carotid Duplex Scan, CT Coronary Calcium score and 24-Hr Holter Monitoring.
The Asian Cardiovascular Institute at the Asian Hospital and Medical Center offers packages that focus on heart-health screenings. As an advanced cardiovascular care facility, it provides comprehensive cardiovascular screening using a holistic approach to heart and vascular assessment. You are guaranteed state-of-the-art equipment in a safe and comfortable environment, performed by well-trained and compassionate health professionals.
Un-break your Heart
If cardiovascular screening unfortunately suggests that your heart needs further evaluation, such as the presence of significant atherosclerosis or plaque, you can shower it with more love and attention by doing steps to help fix this “broken” heart. The first step is to usually to adopt a healthier lifestyle: heart-healthy diet, avoiding alcohol and tobacco, appropriate exercise. The next step is taking medications that decrease your chances of a heart attack and that help improve symptoms of chest pain and difficulty breathing. If medications don’t work and you continue to have symptoms, or if screening shows that your arteries have severe narrowing from atherosclerosis, your doctor may recommend a coronary angiogram and possible angioplasty to confirm the presence of blockages and to fix the arteries if needed. Coronary angioplasty is a minimally invasive procedure from the wrist or the groin that involves the insertion of a small balloon catheter into a blocked vessel in the to widen it or restore blood flow. A coronary stent (wire-mesh in the shape of a tube) is inserted into the newly-opened segment of the artery, restoring normal blood flow to help improve symptoms, and to minimize the risk of it narrowing again. The patient is usually discharged in a day or two, and can usually return to their typical day-to-day activities in a week.
Don’t go breaking your heart
If you happen to receive good news from the screening, know that it is important to remain vigilant. You don’t want to go breaking your heart so there are lifestyle modifications you can adopt to keep the heart strong.
Apart from undergoing annual executive check-ups, adopting a healthier lifestyle has been proven beneficial. Go for cardio exercises like dancing, biking, brisk walking—activities that increase your heart rate and metabolism for at least 30 minutes a day. Prioritize a heart healthy diet, consuming less saturated fats like fried foods and red meat, and consuming more heart-healthy fat sources like big saltwater fish (tuna, salmon, etc), nuts, avocado and olive oil. Also make sure to consume at least three to five servings of fruits and vegetables per day.
How to save a life
While we do the steps necessary for tragedy not to happen, we still need to be prepared in case we ourselves, or someone close to us, suffers from a heart attack. Time is of essence when it comes to a myocardial infarction, because opening the blockage quickly can help decrease the chance of cardiac arrest and minimize the long-term damage to the heart muscles. It is important to recognize the symptoms of a heart attack early and ask for help. Go to the emergency room of the nearest hospital. If you happen to live near the Asian Hospital and Medical Center, we have a dedicated team of healthcare professionals that will provide prompt care for patients with heart attack symptoms. If a patient is indeed having a heart attack or an MI, the hospital has a Code STEMI program from the ER to the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory that will guarantee the fastest and safest intervention.
Listen to you heart. Keep your heart in shape. And don’t let your heart break. Know more about the Asian Cardiovascular Institute here.