Long term effects

Depending on the trigger of the heart attack and the age of the patient, the therapy is designed. Thereby it is also oriented towards the long-term consequences. One possible side of the long-term consequences of a heart attack is the psychological stress caused by the life-threatening situation.

Fear of a new myocardial infarction caused by stress and the resulting withdrawal from physical activities not only fuel the patient’s anxiety, but also the risk of a new heart attack due to less exercise. Heart failure caused by a heart attack can also result in restrictions in the patient’s movement. If the weakness of the heart (cardiac insufficiency) is so severe that the pumping capacity of the heart is restricted, then there may be a backlog in the lungs and water retention in the legs (leg edema).

Dehydrating medication (diuretics) can be given to counteract the water in the lungs and legs. Since heart attacks occur mainly in arteriosclerotic vessels, these patients should first have their blood lipid values determined. High blood lipid values massively increase the risk of arteriosclerosis.

In addition, patients should consider reducing their weight, as this reduces the load on the heart and vessels. If patients have less body mass and lower their blood pressure, the heart has to pump against less resistance and can thus be spared. Crash diets are not suitable for weight reduction for health reasons.

It is rather advised to lose weight through sport and a change of diet. A Mediterranean diet with very little to no fried food is recommended. The consumption of red meat such as beef and pork should also be reduced.

Patients after a heart attack often have to take medication for the rest of their lives to prevent a new heart attack. Even if this event occurred several years ago, patients should continue to take the prescribed medication if there have been no significant changes in the risk profile. In general, the drugs should not be discontinued without consulting the treating physician.

Another complication of a heart attack can be cardiac arrhythmia. In order to prevent these from causing life-threatening ventricular fibrillation, patients should be urgently examined before leaving the hospital. In the acute situation of a heart attack, there is usually a strong feeling of pressure and tightness in the chest.

In addition, during a heart attack, people often experience extreme fear of death. This makes the heart attack a very drastic experience, which often cannot be processed so quickly. This anxiety, which can sometimes turn into persistent panic, should also be treated in a rehabilitation program after a heart attack.

In addition, many people who have suffered a serious heart attack face everyday problems that can suddenly become seemingly insurmountable obstacles. The body is less resilient, one has to get used to its new limits. Again, careful testing under medical supervision (for example in a heart sports group or rehabilitation program) is recommended.

In this way you can gradually reassess your own abilities. The fear of consequential damage or a new heart attack also plays a major role. A further psychological consequence can be recurring complaints in the chest area, which for the patient feel like the symptoms of a heart attack, without organic causes for these symptoms being detectable.

These symptoms are therefore a part of psychosomatic medicine.Rehabilitation can also help to develop a better body awareness in order to distinguish between organic and psychosomatic pain. In addition, heart failure can occur in the long term as a result of a heart attack. In this case, the heart is no longer able to pump enough blood through the circulatory system and the blood backs up into the pulmonary vessels. This makes the oxygen exchange between air and blood more difficult. It can also damage the lung tissue.