Why does myocardial infarction occur when the physical examination is normal? What should we pay attention to in preventing myocardial infarction?

In the evening, the 120 ambulance brought in a patient, a man in his 50s. As soon as he was taken off the ambulance, his breathing and heartbeat stopped. Despite a series of rescue efforts such as defibrillation and cardiopulmonary resuscitation, he was ultimately unable to be saved. The patient's family found it difficult to accept the fact, saying that the patient had just had a physical examination not long ago and there was nothing wrong with him. How could he suddenly pass away?

The patient's cause of death was massive myocardial infarction. In fact, he had chest pain in the morning and later vomiting. The patient always thought he had just ordinary gastroenteritis, but after a whole day, when his symptoms became more serious, he called 120.

1. Physical examination cannot prevent myocardial infarction. The question that the family members of patients are entangled in is, why can myocardial infarction still occur when the physical examination is fine? This is because normal health examinations only have electrocardiograms and cardiac ultrasound. However, when the disease is not yet active, generally only a normal electrocardiogram can be obtained. And cardiac ultrasound can only see whether there are any abnormalities in the structure and morphology of the heart.

Neither of these two tests can reveal problems with the coronary arteries, and myocardial infarction is mainly caused by atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries, rupture of hardened plaques, platelet aggregation, formation of blood clots, and myocardial infarction. Therefore, even if the health examination is normal, myocardial infarction may still occur.

2. How to check the coronary artery Huazi once asked a cardiologist how to check the coronary artery? The expert replied that with the current medical technology, coronary CT is a relatively convenient way to check. By injecting contrast agent, the coronary artery can be visualized under CT, so that the lesion site can be observed more intuitively, the degree of stenosis of the coronary artery can be confirmed, and the degree of danger can be judged.

However, coronary CT scans are expensive, require exposure to radiation, and the contrast agent used is irritating and may cause adverse reactions such as allergies and kidney damage, so it is not a routine health check-up item. Only people with severe heart symptoms will be recommended to undergo this examination.

3. How to prevent myocardial infarction 1. Quit smoking: The biggest cause of myocardial infarction in young and middle-aged people is smoking. Smoking is the biggest risk factor for cardiovascular damage besides the "three highs". Therefore, people who have the habit of smoking must quit smoking.

2. Control the "three highs": High blood pressure, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia are the main causes of atherosclerosis. People with the "three highs" must take medication regularly under the guidance of a doctor to keep the indicators within the normal range.

3. Control your weight: Maintain a normal weight and keep your BMI index below 24. The waist circumference of men should not exceed 90 cm and that of women should not exceed 85 cm.

4. Taking medication: People who have been diagnosed with atherosclerosis or coronary heart disease need to take statins regularly, as well as antiplatelet drugs represented by aspirin, to prevent the occurrence of acute accidents.

4. Pay attention to the signs of myocardial infarction. For people who have never had angina pectoris, there is a 10% chance of myocardial infarction when they have angina pectoris for the first time. The typical symptoms of angina pectoris are oppressive chest tightness, chest pain, and dyspnea, which cannot be relieved even after adequate rest. If the chest pain lasts for more than 15 minutes, beware of myocardial infarction. It is recommended to call 120 emergency number in time and seek medical treatment as soon as possible.

Be alert to atypical chest pain. Some people do not experience typical chest pain when they suffer a myocardial infarction, but instead experience pain in the abdomen, left shoulder, back, left fingers, neck, jaw, etc., and even toothache.

People who have already experienced angina pectoris should also be on guard against myocardial infarction if their existing angina pectoris suddenly worsens. The stomach is adjacent to the heart, and when it is stimulated by substances released when myocardial cells die, symptoms such as nausea and vomiting may occur.

To sum up, ordinary health check-ups cannot prevent myocardial infarction. A coronary CT scan is required to assess the risk of coronary artery disease. Maintaining healthy living habits and controlling the "three highs" are important ways to prevent myocardial infarction. It should be noted that gastroenteritis will only cause abdominal pain. If you feel chest pain, you must be alert to whether there is a problem with your heart. I am pharmacist Huazi, welcome to follow me and share more health knowledge.