Heart Attack Without Medical Intervention

Hello,

My dad recently had a heart attack (he is 56 years old).  His troponin level was a 4 when he went to the hospital, about 2 days after the onset of his symptoms (chest pain, tingly left arm).  Before an Angiogram was performed, he signed himself out of the hospital against medical advice.  What are his chances of long-term survival if he changes his diet, stops smoking, but does not undergo an Angioplasty?

[kenkeith]

With a slight elevations may indicate some degree of damage to the heart. Normally troponin level is very low, and when an individual has significantly elevated troponin concentrations, then it is likely that the individual  has had a heart attack or some other form of damage to the heart. When an individual with chest pain and/or known stable angina (heart related chest pain)  has normal troponin values then it is likely not have had a heart attack.

So it can be assumed there was a heart cell damaging event.  With treatment the odds are very good that one can go on to a normal life span.  The treatment would be to determine the area where there may poor blood flow.  To open the vessel, bypass, or  increase the blood flow with medication would be the appropriate response.

The odds are not very good with changes in diet, stop smoking, etc. because those factors will help prevent further progression after proper treatment.  To determine the underlying cause does not necessarily mean an angioplasty, but at a minium there should be an echo and/or stress test.  The echo would help identify the area of damage and degree of heart wall movement impairment and determine  the ability of the heart to normally pump an adequate blood supply.  A stress test would observe the perfusion of blood flow through the vessels and observe if there are any blockages.

Successful treatment is available...I had a heart attack going on 8 years ago, and with medication my heart is pumping a normal flow of blood. If your father doesn't have a normal flow of blood restored to heart cells, there will be another heart attack at a time of mental or physical stress and that may cause cardiac arrest...no time period can be predicted...but the prediction an event will happen is undisputed.   You can't make anyone to go to a doctor, or your father may have a death wish?...depression, etc. However, you should make every effort to him seek medical attention.  There is a possibility just medication is all that is necessary for a favorable outcome.

thanks for sharing, and if you have any further questions or comments, you are invited to respond.  Take care,

Ken