Sudden death from heart rupture at the age of 40! How does sudden death from heart disease occur? And how to prevent it

This patient’s experience is heartbreaking:

The man was in his 50s. Seven days ago, he had repeated heartburn, chest tightness, and sweating. He thought it was a stomach problem, so he took some stomach medicine to bear it. Two days later, the patient suddenly had shortness of breath and could not lie flat. His family members quickly called 120 and came to the hospital. The doctor diagnosed: acute myocardial infarction induced heart failure !

After active treatment, the patient's symptoms improved, and the doctor said that he could undergo cardiac angiography after a few days of stability. The family members just breathed a sigh of relief, but that night, the patient just sat on the bed after going to the toilet, and suddenly his eyes went straight and he fell down. No matter how the family members called out, he did not respond. The doctor immediately performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation and performed a cardiac ultrasound and found: heart rupture ! Despite active rescue, the patient still passed away.

Doctors are often helpless in the face of sudden death caused by heart rupture. How does heart rupture occur and how can it be prevented? Let's find out:

1. Causes of heart rupture

Heart rupture is the most dangerous complication of acute myocardial infarction because of its sudden occurrence and high sudden death rate. It can occur not only at the onset of myocardial infarction, but also 1-2 weeks after the seemingly stable myocardial infarction. According to statistics, heart rupture can account for 30% of the total deaths from acute myocardial infarction!

During a myocardial infarction, the myocardium is ischemic and necrotic, and its elasticity decreases. The myocardium may tear, leading to heart rupture. Even during the recovery period, the repaired scar tissue is still very fragile. Any physical activity that increases the load on the heart will increase mechanical traction, leading to rupture of the necrotic myocardium.

Symptoms of heart rupture

The manifestations vary depending on the location of the rupture.

In the most common case, when the left ventricular free wall ruptures, a large amount of blood overflows, causing pericardial tamponade, and a sudden drop in blood supply to organs including the brain. The patient will lose consciousness and stop breathing and heartbeat in a short period of time. When the ventricular septum is perforated or the papillary muscle is ruptured, the heart's pumping function is severely impaired, inducing heart failure, and the patient will experience severe chest tightness and shortness of breath.

III. Treatment and Prevention

Acute rupture is often too late to be rescued. Some ruptures that are small in area or heal on their own can undergo emergency rupture repair, but the survival rate is also very low.

Therefore, it is of utmost importance to seek medical attention as soon as possible after a sudden myocardial infarction , receive medication or stent treatment to open blocked blood vessels, and reduce the occurrence of complications such as heart rupture. At the same time, patients need to actively reduce the burden on their hearts and do the following:

Stay in bed 3 days before the onset of the disease and avoid activity or exertion; strictly control blood pressure; improve sleep, avoid tension, anxiety and mental stimulation; ensure smooth bowel movements, use laxatives or enema when necessary; eat until you are 60% to 70% full, and avoid overeating.

I am Dr. Zhang from the Department of Cardiology. If you like my popular science articles, please like them! Follow me to learn more about heart disease! You can also share this article with friends in need!