Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
Avatar universal

coronary spasm

can an acute stress event evoke a M.I. by causing
vasospasm at a focal point in a coronary artery,
causing a cracking or rupture of plaque-thereby forming a thrombis.

thanks
2 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
Avatar universal
Coronary spasm:

Coronary spasm results when the smooth muscle in the wall of the artery contracts and prevents blood flow through the artery. Coronary spasm can cause a heart attack and  ECG changes indicative of a heart attack along with the related symptoms. The spasm tyically occurs in an area of the artery where atherosclerosis is present, though it may not be severe. Typically, with spasm there is no plaque rupture and thrombus formation, just muscular constriction of the artery which occludes blood flow. These episodes may be brought on by physical exertion, hyperventilation and possibly stress. Spasm is usually treated with calcium channel blockers, beta blockers are usually avoided. Hope this helped to answer your question.


Thanks,


CCF-MD-KE
Helpful - 2
Avatar universal
hjm
I have a question.  We recently treated a patient who had a mitral valve prolpse that needed repair.  After this surgery was performed he came back to the CCU and had a right sided MI.  One day prior to the mitral vavle repair he had a heart cath which showed no evidence of atherosclerosis.  A coronary spasm is what the dotors believed caused the MI.  He does have a history of smoking.  My question is do you know what percentage of people have coronary spasms after having some kind of heart surgery?
Thank you.
HJM
Helpful - 0

You are reading content posted in the Heart Disease Forum

Popular Resources
Is a low-fat diet really that heart healthy after all? James D. Nicolantonio, PharmD, urges us to reconsider decades-long dietary guidelines.
Can depression and anxiety cause heart disease? Get the facts in this Missouri Medicine report.
Fish oil, folic acid, vitamin C. Find out if these supplements are heart-healthy or overhyped.
Learn what happens before, during and after a heart attack occurs.
What are the pros and cons of taking fish oil for heart health? Find out in this article from Missouri Medicine.
How to lower your heart attack risk.