TREATING HEART ATTACK
by Jinky C. Mesias
There are various ways of treating heart attack however, the
primary goal of these treatments is to quickly open the blocked
artery and then restore the blood flow in the heart muscle in a
process called reperfusion. And then, once the artery is open
the damage in the heart muscle ceases and with it ceases
the pain that an individual feels. Aside from that, early
reperfusion helps in minimizing the extent of heart muscle
damage by preserving the pumping function of the heart. Maximum
benefit may be derived from reperfusion if it can be applied
within the first 4 to 6 hours of the heart attack. Moreover,
delay in administering reperfusion may result to a severe
damage to the heart muscle as well as a reduction in the
ability of the heart to pump blood all throughout the body. Not
only that, patients who have been found out to have hearts that
are unable to pump sufficient blood tend to develop heart
failure, a decreased in the ability to exercise and often times
experience abnormal heart rhythms. The amount of remaining
healthy heart muscle after a heart attack becomes a vital
factor in determining the future quality of life as well as the
longevity of an individual.
There are many ways of treating a heart attack and these are as
follows: anti-platelet medications, anti-coagulant medications,
coronary angiography, clot-dissolving medications, supplemental
oxygen, medications to decrease the need for oxygen as well as
the medications to prevent abnormal heart rhythms. The
anti-platelet agents are medications that are administered to
prevent blood clots from forming in the arteries of the heart
by inhibiting the aggregation of platelets. However, the
formation of blood clots in areas wherein there is laceration
or injury is favorable since it will prevent excessive blood
loss. There are three types of anti-platelet agents and these
are the aspirin, thienopyridines and the glycoprotein llb/lla
inhibitors.
The aspirin is the one that inhibits the activity of the enzyme
cyclo-oxygenase inside platelets. Moreover, aspirin was found
out to improve the survival among patients with heart attack.
And aside from that, aspirin is also easy to use, and since it
is low dosage it is safe to used for anti-platelet action.
Aspirin are also fast acting and relief can be obtained within
30 minutes and it is also affordable. On the other hand, the
thienopyridines such as ticlopidine and the clopidogrel inhibit
the ADP receptor on the surface of the platelets. This action
of the thienopyridines of inhibiting the ADP receptors on the
platelets prevents the platelets from aggregating and causing
blood clots to form. The third anti-platelet agent is the
glycoprotein llb/lla inhibitors which are considered to be the
most potent anti-platelet agent, approximately nine times more
potent than aspirin and three times more potent that the
thienopyridines. Moreover, it is also the most expensive
anti-platelet agent.
About the Author
Author’s Bio: Jinky C. Mesias is a lover of simple things
and of nature. She spend most of her time reading and writing
poetry.
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coronary
heart disease risk factors
coronary heart disease statistics
2006
coronary heart disease statistics
2007
cost of coronary heart
disease
cure for coronary heart
disease
cures for coronary heart
disease
death from coronary heart
disease
deaths from coronary heart
disease
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