How an untreated heart attack leading to the death of a person?

Introduction

              Heart is that organ of human body which pump blood to all over the body as a result every cell and tissue perform their activity and that blood of heart is oxygenated and all requirement of every cell is present there those they require e.g nutrients. It mean it is responsible to transport that requirement and this require high protecting and pumping power.

Heart is made-up of three muscles called epicardium, myocardium and endocardium and also the heart contain its own circulation with the help of those arteries they can receive blood the heart to nourish its self that is called coronary artery.

Coronary artery is that kind of artery which enable the heart to perform its activities by transporting the blood to the muscles of heart in the condition of heart attack there will be clot or any thing in the coronary artery that become a resistance for blood that is toward  the cells and heart of artery after this clot and resistance the cells of heart will not receive a sufficient amount of blood to perform its activity. When these clot stay at their location or in the coronary the cessation of blood toward the heart gradually slow down at last stage the heart unable to pump blood towards the body due to deficiency blood toward the cells and organ of the body they will not continue their activity at the end they will die.

for more about the structure of  human heart https://www.healthduhs.org/2026/05/what-is-human-heart-and-its-function.html

e.g

Heart is like a tank of water which is keep in the roof of a building from this tank peoples around the building using this water for their survival they have  no another source of water and the tank transport water with the help of generator  to the peoples who are living at long distance.

Normally generator start and enable the tank to flow water towards the peoples with the help of pipelines.

Once a day the generator doesn’t provide energy to the tank to pump water due to malfunctioning in the generator as a result peoples who are dependent on this tank not will not receive water for their survival as a result gradually all the peoples will die due to thirst.

In medical point of view what is heart attack?

              In the coronary artery there will be a formed clot which is a resistant for blood toward the heart its self gradually the clot block the coronary artery as a result reduced supply of oxygen and blood toward the cells of heart this leads toward the ischemic and death of myocardial cell. if this  clot will stay for long time,  myocardial cell injury become myocardial infarction which cover the whole tissue of heart muscle. Damaging to the muscles of heart mean make the heart disable to flow the blood toward the body at last the whole body and cells of become ischemic first and later this lead toward the infarction of the body.

How many types of MI?

According to current studies MI is categories into five  

·       Type I MI (Atherothrombotic MI)

First plague form later on they rapture and form clot they progress toward MI

·       Type II MI

Heart need more oxygen than it receive due  to insufficient of oxygen they will die

·       Type III MI

Suddenly death of an individual  before conformation of MI

·       Type IV MI]

The suffer one will die during angioplasty

·       Type V MI

Suffered one will die during heart bypass surgery

 what are Most common causes that enhance the risk of heart attack or MI.

These are those causes which enhance the risk for MI

·       Smoking

Smoking contain different agent some of them cause damage to the lining or endothelium of the blood vessels and cause the formation and rapture of plague. Damage to the endothelium  cause the inflammation of blood vessels  and also damaged to the formed plague  cause the formation of clot at that area which enhance the resistivity for blood toward the heart if this happen in the coronary artery.

·       Hypertension

In the hypertension the heart itself is in the mechanical stress  and the coronary artery its self exposed  to this stress  as a result the formed plague or endothelium get damage due to  the mechanical stress of heart here the platelet start the formation of clot at this area which enhance MI. fore more hypertension https://www.healthduhs.org/2026/01/hypertension-and-who-is-at-higher-risk.html

·       Diabetes

Diabetes its self is not a cause of MI but it will make the environment suitable for  MI. e.g high blood sugar in the diabetes cause the damage to the endothelium of the blood vessel which promote the formation of clot.

High glucose in the blood which will uptake by the endothelial cell of blood vessel without insulin and high glucose in the cells of blood vessels cause the production of the reactive oxygen which damage the structure of the endothelial cell. for more about diabetes https://www.healthduhs.org/2026/01/diabetes-and-its-impact-on-human-being.html

·       Genetic factor

 It is the genetic code that transfer parents to offsprings or from family to family which enhance the formation of plague and lead to MI.

·       Obesity

In the condition of obesity there is high amount of fat inside the body. It mean high amount of fat and cholesterol increase the risk of formation of clot which lead toward MI.

·       Physical inactivity

Physical activity enhance the body normal and healthy growth  when someone doesn’t active physically there will be increase the risk of obesity, diabetes, hypertension and abnormal cholesterol level which enhance the formation of clot in the coronary artery and leads toward the death.

·       Older age

 In the older age the risk for coronary arteries forming clot and arteries disease enhance and they become physical active due to older age being physical inactive promote formation of clot in the coronary and artery and leads to MI.

·       High LDL cholesterol

High level of LDL ( low density lipo protein )  in the artery get absorbed in the cells of artery and here LDL begin to oxidized as a result inflammation occur here due to inflammation defense system of body  activate and promote the mobilization of macrophages and other defense cell there. At the inflammation site macrophage  ingest LDL and formed a foam cell this foam cell progress to clot which promote MI.

How a heart attack shows its sign and symptoms?

These are the sign and symptom which show the malfunctioning of heart but in some peoples there will be no obvious sign and symptoms but still that is effected from MI that is mostly common In diabetic patient and older adult.

1. ·       Chest pain usually at the center or left side of the chest
2. ·       Chest pain will radiate towards other parts e.g
3. #            Upper abdomen
4. #            Jaw
5. #            Neck
6. #            shoulder
7. #            left arm or both
8. ·       Sudden sweating that is cold
9. ·       Vomiting and nausea
10. ·       Dizziness
11. ·       Palpitation ( the beat of heart is irregular and fast)
12. ·       Feeling of anxiety
13. ·       Shortness of breath
14. ·       Fainting in severe case
15. ·       Rapid breathing in severe case
16. ·       Hypotension
17. ·       Pale skin in later

 

 Which type of diagnostic test exposed MI?

·        Chief complaint of the patient if the obey  all the symptoms of MI  it is clear message for MI

·       If there is any confusion, ECG will clear it.

·       Troponin test that is cardiac blood test ( Muscle contain troponin protein when muscle get damage they release troponin in the blood by testing blood troponin if troponin is present  with these sign and symptoms it mean there is problem of heart muscle)

Which type of emergency treatment for heart attack?

When the heart attack is diagnosed our aim is to maintain the flow of blood toward the heart itself for that purpose we will initiate these type of treatment

•        Aspirin
•        Heparin
•        Morphine
•        Nitroglycerine
•        Oxygen if patient is hypoxemic
•        Fibrinolytic drug e.g  Alteplase, Tenecteplase
•        Angioplasty ( procedure )
•        Long term therapy also important that individual

The above procedure and  drug will prescribe according to the situation  not simultaneously

How to get prevention from heart attack?

1. ·   Control blood pressure
2. ·      Maintain your body with exercise for more about exercise https://www.healthduhs.org/2026/01/benefits-of-exercise-and-its-impact-on.html
3. ·       Stop smoking
4. ·       Control diabetes
5. ·       Control LDL

·       Maintain healthy food junk and fat high in fat may increase the risk of heart attack

·       Maintain the routine your sleep

·       Manage the level of your stress

·       Do not intake alcohol

·       Regular medical checkup

 reference
WHO -World Health Organization
NIH- National Institute Of Health)

 CDC- Centre for Disease Control and prevention