Each year, approximately 735,000 people in the United States suffer heart attack: 525,000 are first heart attacks and 210,000 occur in people who have suffered previous heart attack. Because almost a third of those who’ve had a heart attack have another, post-heart attack care is critical. At Eastern Shore Heart Center in Fairhope, Alabama, Dr. Craig Peterson specializes in helping his patients navigate the tricky waters of post-heart attack health. To learn how you can best prevent against another heart attack, call or use our convenient form.
Coronary heart disease (CHD) causes most heart attacks. It’s a buildup of sticky plaque along your arterial walls, causing blockages, a condition known as atherosclerosis. Over time, the accumulation is so significant that an area of plaque may rupture, causing your blood to clot. If this clot is large enough, it can drastically decrease or completely block the flow of blood to your heart.
If left untreated, the muscle in your heart begins to die and scar over, impairing your heart’s ability to function correctly. CHD isn’t the only condition that leads to heart attacks. In less common cases, the following can cause a heart attack:
Using these five important screenings, Dr. Peterson zeroes in on the problem to get you started on treatment as quickly as possible.
Either separately or in combination, these treatments offer the best protection against another heart attack. To learn how you can ward off future heart problems after a heart attack, call Eastern Shore Heart Center or use our convenient form.
