Heart Attack ( Myocardial Infarction)  & Angina in Diabetes

The Human heart, beating around 80-100,000 times a day is also a living organ. While pumping approx 2000 gallons per day of blood the heart also requires blood for its own consumption and energy needs. Two major blood vessels -the coronary arteries, supply the ceaselessly working muscles of heart with oxygen and nutrients continously. These blood vessels branch like a tree and supply blood to all parts of the heart. These vessels are not jsut solid tubes but sort of elastic- there diameter can increase or decrease depending on the requirements of the heart or emotional conditions. Atherosclerosis or blockage of these arteries may result in decreased blood supply to a particular region of heart. Due to deposition of calcium in the walls of these blood vessels they may loose their ability to expand. 

Whenever we do more physical work the working mucsles require more oxygen and nutrients as a result heart has to pump more blood, which causes both- an increase in the number of times and the volume of blood pumped by the heart. Obviously, due to the increased workload the heart muscles ( myocardium) also require more blood for themselves. If the lumen of the blood vessels supplying blood to heart is itself constricted by blockages or they cannot sufficiently expand to allow more blood to flow through, the heart starts feeling the pinch and cannot pump sufficient blood. These result in symptoms of Angina pain like:

Pain and Heaviness in chest

Pain radiating to the left hand in a line til the tip of the little finger

Pain in the back

Breathlesness

Cold Sweats on the face

These symptoms are relieved with rest in the classic angina.  During unction or stable Angina the symptoms mat be present even without exertion and wax and wane.

If a brach of the coronary artery supplying blood to heart is completely blocked - the part of heart which recieves blood from it does not get any oxygen and nutrients and starts dying- this is called Myocardial Infarction or Heart Attack. Strange it may seem at the first glance- the heart muscles are pumping blood, they are surronded by it, but they die because of lack of it- yes, its like dying in the middle of an Ocean due to thirst. The nerves connecting heart to brain send the signal of immense pain.

Symptoms

Unbearable pain in chest, radiating to left arm back or jaw.

Sweating of face

Cold skin

Extreme weakness

Loss of consciousness

Any person with such symptoms should be immedialtely taken to a Hospital for appropriate treatment.

As  First aid tablets of Nitroglycerine should be put under the toungue and 1/2 tablet of Aspirin should be given to the patient.

If the blockage is not removed withing 3-6 hrs the heart muscles may permanently die and that part of heart would never work.

Unfortunately such overt signs of Heart attack may even be absent in Diabtics of long standing, due to autonomic neuropathy which affects the nerves carrying signal of pian from heart to the brain. 

Just Controlling Blood Sugar levels is not enough to prevent Heart Attack in Diabetes patients, It is also important to control, Blood Cholesterol levels, Keep normal weight and Stop smoking if there is any such habit.