46 THE QUEENS COURIER • HEALTH • AUGUST 1, 2019 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
health
Heart attack and sudden cardiac arrest are diff erent, but often related
Within just eight days, Michael Adams,
a 59-year-old husband and father of two
from Moore, OK, suff ered a heart attack
and a sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) - he
survived them both. Many think a heart
attack and SCA are the same, but they
are very diff erent. Recent heart attack victims
have a higher risk of SCA, but there
are life-saving treatment options available.
To make sense of Michael’s story, you
must fi rst understand the diff erence
between heart attack and SCA.
Th e diff erence between a heart attack
and sudden cardiac arrest
A heart attack is caused by a blockage
that stops blood fl ow to part of the heart,
causing damage to the heart muscle. A
heart attack suff erer will commonly experience
severe chest pain, but will usually
remain awake and able to call for help.
Unlike a heart attack, SCA happens without
warning. SCA occurs when a failure
of the heart’s electrical system triggers a
dangerously fast heartbeat - so fast that it
causes the heart to quiver or shake instead
of pumping blood to the body and brain.
Th is causes the individual to suddenly
lose consciousness. Th e most eff ective
treatment for SCA is an electrical shock
(known as “defi brillation”). Without treatment,
death from SCA can occur within
minutes.
Sudden cardiac arrest risk
after a heart attack
Michael’s story began with feelings of
tightness in his chest and shortness of
breath. While in church with his wife,
Donna, he noticed his vision began to
blur. He asked Donna to drive him to the
hospital, where he learned he had suff ered
a heart attack.
Aft er placing stents in Michael’s arteries
to restore blood fl ow to the heart,
Michael’s cardiologist, Dr. Ryan Norris, of
the INTEGRIS Cardiovascular Physicians
in Oklahoma City, explained that
Michael’s heart function, or ejection fraction,
was weakened to only 30 percent. A
normal ejection fraction is 55-70 percent.
Michael was not out of the woods yet.
According to the American Heart
Association, heart attacks increase the
risk for SCA. Th is is especially true when
the damage sustained by the heart muscle
during a heart attack reduces the ejection
fraction, as it did for Michael.
“For patients who have just experienced
a heart attack and have a reduced
heart function, the risk for sudden cardiac
arrest is highest in the fi rst 90 days of their
recovery,” explained Dr. Norris.
Treating sudden cardiac arrest
during heart attack recovery
Luckily for Michael, there are medical
devices available that can help protect
patients at risk of SCA. As part of his
recovery from the heart attack, Dr. Norris
prescribed a LifeVest® wearable defi -
brillator.
Because SCA can happen at any time,
Michael was instructed to wear LifeVest
under his clothes day and night, only
taking it off for a short shower. Michael
accepted his wearable defi brillator and
wore it faithfully.
Just eight days later, Michael was talking
with a co-worker when his heart suddenly
spiked into a dangerously fast rhythm.
Without warning, he passed out. He was
experiencing SCA.
Within one minute, LifeVest detected
the dangerous heart rhythm and delivered
a treatment shock that restored his heart’s
normal rhythm.
“Survival of cardiac arrest is extremely
low outside of the hospital,” said Dr.
Norris. “Th e wearable defi brillator off ers
protection to patients we know are at risk
of sudden cardiac arrest, and for Michael,
it saved his life.”
Long-term protection
for those at risk
Some patients’ hearts will heal and get
stronger aft er a heart attack. Others may
need to have long-term protection. In
Michael’s case, he went on to have a permanent
implantable defi brillator (commonly
known as an “ICD”) surgically
implanted in his chest. It will deliver a
defi brillation treatment should he ever
experience SCA again.
Aft er surviving a heart attack and SCA,
Michael is focused on living a healthier
lifestyle. “I want to be here for my family,”
said Michael. “I have more life to live and
more memories to make.”
While a heart attack and SCA are diff erent,
a recent heart attack increases an individual’s
risk for SCA. If you or a loved one
has experienced a recent heart attack, talk
to your cardiologist about SCA and the
treatment options available for those at risk.
Courtesy BPT
/WWW.QNS.COM
