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Why did my heart attack happen?
Your heart is made of muscle. Its most important job is to pump blood to all parts of your body to provide adequate supplies of oxygen. It also supplies blood to its own muscle. It does this through a network of very small pipes called coronary arteries. If one of these becomes partly or completely blocked, the heart muscle is deprived of oxygen and this causes a heart attack.
The usual symptoms of a heart attack are a severe crushing chest pain going into your left arm or jaw, sometimes with breathlessness and sweating.

How common is a heart attack and how can I prevent another one?
Heart attacks are very common. In the UK about 330,000 people have a heart attack each year. Men are more likely than women to have a heart attack.
It is important to look at the reasons (risk factors) that caused you to have a heart attack. The main risk factors are smoking, high blood pressure, lack of exercise, stress, eating too much fat and being overweight. Preventing another heart attack will depend on how you and your doctor can control these risk factors. These were part of your old lifestyle, which must now change.

What treatments are available?
Your doctor will decide on the best treatment to help lower your cholesterol levels and blood pressure, if this is high. You may be prescribed several different medicines, but do not worry, this is not unusual. It is important that you remember to take these medicines exactly as prescribed by your doctor. You will be prescribed a "beta blocker" and Aspirin, provided there are not medical reasons why you cannot take these medicines. This is because research has shown us that patients do better in the long term if they take these medicines. We will want to keep your cholesterol level below 5. You may be prescribed a drug called a "Statin" in order to keep your cholesterol down. We will also want to keep your blood pressure at an acceptable level. There is some recent evidence to show that some patients also benefit from a drug called an "ACE inhibitor" such as "Ramipril" and this may be given to take twice daily during the first month. Your Doctor will probably want to increase the dose of your ACE inhibitor. Whenever we increase the dose, we like to do a blood test (called a "U&E") a few weeks later. This is to check that your kidneys are tolerating the medicine

How often will I need to see my doctor?
You will probably see the specialist at your hospital as an outpatient about three months after you leave hospital. The specialist may arrange for you to have an ultrasound scan or x-ray to see if you will need further treatment. You will probably need blood tests to monitor your cholesterol, liver and kidney function. These are usually measured annually and are necessary to monitor some forms of treatment.
You will need to see your own GP regularly to check your blood pressure, monitor your cholesterol level, discuss the medicines that you need and to discuss lifestyle changes and how long you should stay off work.
After you have returned to work it is likely that you will see your GP once or twice a year to make sure that you have recovered as much as possible.

How can I change my lifestyle?
By changing your lifestyle you will be able to speed up your recovery and protect your future life. If you smoke you should stop; this will reduce your chances of having another heart attack.
You will also need to change your dietary habits. You should try to cut down the amount of fat, red meat, sugar and salt you eat and increase the amount of foods containing fibre such as fresh fruit, vegetables, wholemeal bread, pulses (lentils, split peas) and pasta. For details of our cholesterol lowering diet, please click on the button below

You should drink very little alcohol in the first few months after your heart attack. You do not need to stop drinking completely unless your doctor advises you to. However, your daily intake of alcohol should not be more than one or two glasses of wine, a pint of beer, or a single measure of spirits.
You should also try and avoid stressful situations. Your doctor or nurse will be able to give you advice about relaxation techniques. Moderate exercise such as gentle walking and swimming is generally considered safe. Gradually you will be able to resume a normal sex life and after about four to six weeks you will be able to start driving as long as your doctor is satisfied with your progress

Help yourself

Cardiac Risk Assessment Clinic
Family History of heart disease? Worried about your heart? Aged over 40? There is a special clinic available to all at the Princess of Wales Hospital Bridgend.
Contact Delyth Townsend at the Coronary Heart Disease Risk Clinic at the Princess of Wales Hospital on 01656 752759 for an appointment. You do not need to see your GP to be referred to this clinic.

The information contained on this site is general information which is not in any way intended to replace the specific advice that patients may obtain from their own doctor about individual care.