Transcript Heart Attack (Myocardial Infarction)

The inflammation of the
heart muscle.
Myocarditis can virtually have no noticeable
symptoms, but the most frequent symptom of
myocarditis is pain in the chest. When
myocarditis is more serious, it leads it leads the
heart muscle to weaken. After Myocarditis
causes heart failure, it has symptoms of
shortness of breath, fatigue, fluid
accumulation in the lungs, etc., and the heart
rhythm begins to have irregularities due to the
inflammation and/or scarring of the electrical
system of the heart.
Myocarditis can be caused by a variety of
infections and conditions such as viruses,
sarcoidosis, and immune diseases, like
systemic lupus, etc., pregnancy, and others.
The most common cause of myocarditis is
infection of the heart muscle by a virus. The
virus invades the heart muscle to cause local
inflammation. After the infection subsides, the
body's immune system still continues to inflict
inflammatory damage to the heart muscle.
Because of this immune response the
myocarditis is actually going to be prolonged.
In 25% of adults, the first sign of
heart disease is sudden death
from a heart attack. Heart
attacks strike approximately
865,000 people in the United
States each year, causing more
than 179,000 deaths.
Because most heart attacks result from atherosclerosis, the risk
factors for heart attack and atherosclerosis are basically the
same:
 An abnormally high level of blood cholesterol
 An abnormally low level of HDL, a.k.a. "good cholesterol“
 High blood pressure (hypertension)
 Diabetes
 Genetic coronary artery disease at an early age and/or
Obesity
 Cigarette smoking
 Physical inactivity (too little regular exercise)
In the early middle age, men have a greater risk of heart attack
than women. However, a woman's risk increases once she
begins menopause. This could be the result of a menopauserelated decrease in levels of estrogen, a female sex hormone
that may offer some protection against atherosclerosis.
Myocarditis is diagnosed when signs of
irritation of the heart muscle are detected.
Blood tests for heart muscle enzymes,
called CPK levels, can be elevated.
Electrical testing, called EKG, can suggest
irritation of heart muscle and can show the
irregular beating of the heart. Nuclear
heart scan testing can show irregular areas
of heart muscle.
Except in systemic sarcoidosis and immune
inflammation, from systemic lupus
erythematous, where myocarditis can
respond to corticosteroids, no proven
effective medications are currently available
for treating active myocarditis. Treatment
measures mainly involves alleviating heart
failure (salt restriction, water pills, ACE
inhibitors, beta blockers, etc.) and treating as
well as monitoring heart rhythm abnormalities.
"Heart Attack (Myocardial Infarction)."
Heart Attack (Myocardial Infarction). 23
Aug. 2013
<http://www.healthcentral.com/heartdisease/guide-154383-75.html?ic=506048>.
2. "Myocarditis Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis,
and Treatment - MedicineNet."
MedicineNet. 23 Aug. 2013
<http://www.medicinenet.com/myocarditi
s/article.htm>.
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