[Click! Health] 26% Increase in 5 Years... Acute Myocardial Infarction Golden Hour 'Within 2 Hours'

Heart Recovery Not Possible After 24 Hours
Continuous Care Needed Even After Stent Procedure

Myocardial infarction stock photo. [Image source=Getty Images]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwanju] Myocardial infarction is a condition in which the coronary arteries, the blood vessels supplying blood to the heart, are blocked by blood clots or other causes. When the coronary arteries are blocked, the heart muscle cannot receive blood supply, and the heart muscle gradually dies. Dead heart muscle does not recover even if blood supply is restored. This is why rapid treatment is crucial.

The number of acute myocardial infarction patients is continuously increasing due to westernization and aging. According to statistics from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, the number of acute myocardial infarction patients increased by 26.8% over five years, from 99,647 in 2017 to 126,342 in 2021.

The earlier acute myocardial infarction is treated, the lower the mortality and complication rates. If severe chest pain that feels like squeezing in the center or left side of the chest is accompanied by dizziness, cold sweat, and other symptoms and does not improve after 20 to 30 minutes, you should not hesitate to call 119. It is especially important not to ask family members for transport or drive yourself. This is because you may suddenly go into shock or lose consciousness due to cardiac arrest, a complication of myocardial infarction, while driving.

Professor Park Chang-beom of the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine at Kangdong Kyung Hee University Hospital is explaining acute myocardial infarction.
[Photo by Kangdong Kyung Hee University Hospital]

Treatment for acute myocardial infarction involves reopening the completely blocked blood vessels as they were before. Professor Park Changbeom of the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine at Kangdong Kyung Hee University Hospital said, "According to current knowledge, the best prognosis for myocardial infarction occurs when treatment is received within 2 hours of chest pain onset," emphasizing the importance of treatment within the golden hour. "If treatment is delayed beyond 12 hours, the prognosis worsens, and after 24 hours, even if the blocked vessel is reopened, heart function recovery is minimal."

Treatment for myocardial infarction includes injecting thrombolytics intravenously to dissolve the clot blocking the vessel or physically removing or reopening the clot (reperfusion therapy). Reperfusion therapy is commonly known as percutaneous coronary intervention, which involves inserting a stent to open the vessel. Recently, most hospitals perform reperfusion therapy rather than thrombolytic treatment.

Continuous treatment is necessary even after stent placement. Professor Park explained, "Patients need to take two or more antiplatelet agents that reduce platelet function to prevent the stent from forming clots for about 6 months to 1 year, or longer if necessary," adding, "About 5-10% of patients treated this way experience restenosis, where the stented area narrows again, requiring further treatment."