Can you predict death after a heart attack? There is one important symptom

The research was published in the American Heart Association. The treatment of myocardial infarction is based, among other things, on administering statins and beta-blockers to patients. Cardiac surgery is often necessary. However, scientists point out that the success of the therapeutic process does not guarantee survival. Patients are at risk of premature death. Scientists have discovered a factor that significantly increases the likelihood of death.

The pain after a heart attack is worse than smoking cigarettes

Swedish scientists looked at medical data from over 18,000 people (average age 62) who had a heart attack between 2004 and 2013. They conducted observations for 8.5 years. They asked the subjects to fill in a questionnaire and describe the symptoms they experienced and their intensity. Almost 45 percent of participants reported moderate to severe pain one year after the cardiac event. Patients struggling with it were more likely to die prematurely than those who did not have such problems. The risk increased with the intensity of the discomfort experienced.

In the case of moderate pain, it was 35 percent, while its extreme (extreme) severity was associated with more than twice the likelihood of death. Pain turned out to be a much stronger predictor (prognostic) of death than tobacco addiction. The lead author of the study, Linda Vixner, associate professor of medical sciences at the School of Health and Welfare at Dalarna University in Falun, draws attention to the relationship between the discomfort experienced by patients and their daily functioning and subsequent recovery.

It is important to understand that the pain experienced after a heart attack is an important risk factor. It may hinder rehabilitation and carrying out cardioprotective activities, such as regular exercise (reducing or refraining from physical activity increases the likelihood of diseases and irregularities within the cardiovascular system). For patients with pain, it is especially important to eliminate other risk factors, such as smoking, high blood pressure or high cholesterol, he says.

What are the symptoms of a heart attack?

The main symptom of a heart attack is a burning or crushing pain behind the breastbone. Other symptoms may also appear, such as shortness of breath, weakness, dizziness, abdominal pain and palpitations. These signs are usually quite non-specific, so they can be easily underestimated or attributed to fatigue or stress. Disregarding the alarming signals from the body can end tragically. It should be remembered that the sooner we take appropriate steps, the greater the chance of saving the heart muscle from irreversible damage. The best prognosis is given by treatment started within 60 minutes from the onset of the first symptoms (the so-called golden hour).