Treatments for Heart Attack

by Michael Jubinville, MPH

En Español (Spanish Version)

The goal of treatment is to return blood flow to the heart muscle, limit damage, and lower the risk of other heart attacks. Treatment starts before and after reaching the hospital. Care includes:

Oxygen therapy—brings more oxygen to the heart muscle to lower the risk of heart damage
Medicine—opens blood vessels to increase blood flow to the heart and treats other problems that increase heart disease risk such as high blood pressure
Lifestyle changes—smoking, diet, and exercise habits can be changed to lower heart disease risk
Surgery—to return or improve blood flow to the heart
Cardiac rehab—a structured program focused on lifestyle changes and regular exercise

Your care team is made up of many types of health professionals. This includes doctors, surgeons, nurses, and pharmacists. Keep in touch with your team and to go recommended appointments. This will help you get the most from the treatments.

Heart attack treatment include:

• Lifestyle changes • Medications • Other treatments • Surgery

REFERENCES:

Acute coronary syndromes. EBSCO DynaMed Plus website. Available at: http://www.dynamed.com/topics/dmp~AN~T116779/Acute-coronary-syndromes. Updated March 15, 2019. Accessed March 26, 2019.

ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). EBSCO DynaMed Plus website. Available at: http://www.dynamed.com/topics/dmp~AN~T115392/ST-elevation-myocardial-infarction-STEMI. Updated July 10, 2018. Accessed March 26, 2019.

Treatment of a heart attack. American Heart Association website. Available at: https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/heart-attack/treatment-of-a-heart-attack. Accessed March 26, 2019.

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Last reviewed March 2019 by EBSCO Medical Review Board Michael J. Fucci, DO, FACC
Last Updated: 3/26/2019

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