Woman’s Weekly New Zealand – August 05, 2019

54 NewZealandWoman’s Weekly

openbloodvesselsandincrease

bloodflowtotheheart.You’ll

alsobegivendrugstorelieve

pain,relaxtheheartandlower

bloodpressureandcholesterol.

In somecases,youmayneed

surgery.Angioplastyopens

blockedornarrowedcoronary

arteriesandthesurgeonmay

putin a stent,a smallmeshtube

thatcankeepthearteryopen.

Anotherpossibilityis coronary

bypasssurgery,whichtakes

a bloodvesselfromanother

partofthebodytobypassa

blockedornarrowedartery.

HOWLONGDOESIT

TAKETORECOVER?

Thatdependsonhowsevere

yourheartattackwasandhow

muchdamagewasdonetothe

heartmuscle.Peoplewhoget

immediatetreatmenttendto

recovermorequickly.

Yourheartstartstohealitself

aftera heartattack,formingscar

tissuein theareasthatwere

deprivedofoxygen.Because

scartissuedoesnotcontractas

wellashealthytissue,yourheart

maynotbeabletopumpblood

aroundyourbodyaswellasit

oncedid.Howwellit functions

maydependonthesizeand

locationofthescartissue.

Mostheartattacksurvivors

areleftwithsomedegreeof

heartdiseaseandhavea

greaterriskofhavinganother

myocardialinfarction.Butthe

goodnewsis thatmedication

andlifestylechanges– such

asquittingsmoking,eatinga

healthydietandexercising

regularly– mayimprovethe

oddsofgoingthroughit again.

WHO’SATRISKOF

A HEARTATTACK?

You’vegota greaterlikelihood

ofhavinga heartattackif:

• You’rea womanover 55
  ora manover45.


• You’rea smokerorhave
  hadlong-termexposure
  tosecondhandsmoke.


• Youhavea historyofhigh
  bloodpressure,whichover
  timecandamagethearteries
  carryingbloodtoyourheart.


• Youhavehighlevelsofbad
  LDLcholesterol(whichcanlead
  toarteriesnarrowing)orhigh
  trigylcerides,a bloodfatthat
  can block blood flow.

health& FA M I LY

• Heartdiseaseis thesinglebiggestkiller
  in NewZealand.A Kiwidiesfromit every
  90 minutesandin 2016, 2850 womenlost
  theirlivesduetoheartdisease.


• Heartdiseasecanleadtoheartfailure,
  whichhappensgraduallyastheheart
  musclebecomesweakerandhastrouble
  pumpingbloodaroundyourbody.


• It canalsocausea heartattack,which
  comesonsuddenlyasa resultofone
  ofthearteriestotheheartbecoming
  blockedandcuttingoffbloodflow.
  Withoutoxygen, the heart muscles
  start to die.


• Youareobese.Excess
  weightis associatedwith
  highcholesterol,triglycerides
  and bloodpressure.


• Youhavediabetes.Excess
  sugarin yourbloodincreases
  theriskofheartattack.


• Youhavemetabolic
  syndrome.Thisoccurswhen
  you’reobeseandhavehigh
  bloodpressureandblood
  sugar.Peoplewithmetabolic
  syndromearetwiceaslikely
  tohaveheartdisease.


• Youdon’texerciseverymuch.
  A lackofphysicalactivitycan
  contributetohighblood
  cholesterolandobesity.


• You’vegota familyhistory
  ofheartdiseaseorheartattack.
  If yoursiblings,parentsor
  grandparentshavehada
  heartattackbeforetheage
  of 55 formenor 65 forwomen,
  yourriskmaybehigher due
  togeneticfactors.
  
  
  • You’vegota historyofillicit
    druguse.Stimulantdrugs,such
    ascocaineoramphetamines,
    cansparka spasmin the
    coronaryarteriesthatcan
    resultin a heartattack.
  
  
  • Youhadpre-eclampsiawhen
    you were pregnant. This
  
  
  
  

conditioncauseshighblood

pressureduringpregnancyand

meansyouhavea greaterrisk

ofdevelopingheartdisease.

• Yousufferfromanauto-
  immunedisorder.Conditions
  suchasrheumatoidarthritis
  and lupus can raise your risk.

Things to know

Alwayscallanambulance

if yoususpecta heart

attackasmedicscarry

medicationthatcanget

the blood flowing again.