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Myocardial infarction; Other names: Acute myocardial infarction (AMI), heart attack: A myocardial infarction occurs when an atherosclerotic plaque slowly builds up in the inner lining of a coronary artery and then suddenly ruptures, causing catastrophic thrombus formation, totally occluding the artery and preventing blood flow downstream to the heart muscle.
Certain individuals such as women, diabetics, and the elderly may present with more varied symptoms. [8] If blood flow through the coronary arteries is stopped completely, cardiac muscle cells may die, known as a myocardial infarction, or heart attack. [9] Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common cause of coronary ischemia. [7]
Cardiovascular disease in women is an integral area of research in the ongoing studies of women's health. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is an umbrella term for a wide range of diseases affecting the heart and blood vessels, including but not limited to, coronary artery disease, stroke, cardiomyopathy, myocardial infarctions, and aortic aneurysms.
The word infarction means that some area of tissue has died due to a lack of blood flow, and therefore a lack of oxygen. “Myo” refers to the muscle, and “cardial” refers to the heart tissue. So with a heart attack, or MI, you have death of heart muscle cells because of a lack in blood flow, a process called necrosis.
In adults who go to the emergency department with an unclear cause of pain, about 30% have pain due to coronary artery disease. [29] Angina, shortness of breath, sweating, nausea or vomiting, and lightheadedness are signs of a heart attack or myocardial infarction, and immediate emergency medical services are crucial. [28]
Ischemic cardiomyopathy is a type of cardiomyopathy caused by a narrowing of the coronary arteries which supply blood to the heart. [4] Typically, patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy have a history of acute myocardial infarction, [5] however, it may occur in patients with coronary artery disease, but without a past history of acute myocardial infarction.
Also known as 'effort angina', this refers to the classic type of angina related to myocardial ischemia.A typical presentation of stable angina is that of chest discomfort and associated symptoms precipitated by some activity (running, walking, etc.) with minimal or non-existent symptoms at rest or after administration of sublingual nitroglycerin. [11]
SCAD is the most common cause of heart attacks in pregnant and postpartum women. Over 90% of people who develop SCAD are women. [25] It is especially common among women aged 43–52. [17] With angiography and improved recognition of the condition, diagnosis of SCAD has improved since the early 2010s.