Heart Attack

[hc4361]

Is there any test that will show if a person has had a heart attack weeks or even months ago?

If so, is it straightforward?

[Sqad]

Yes.........within 48 hours....a blood test will confirm a heart attack.

After 48 hours an ECG will confirm a heart attack.

I assume by "heart attack" you mean a coronary thrombosis.

[hc4361]

Thanks for that, Sqad. Will an ECG show a heart attack occurred however far back it was, or is there a limit?

[Sqad]

No.....once an ECG shows damage to heart muscle (a heart attack) that scar both on the heart and the ECG will remain forever.

Certain blood vessels MAY take over (collaterals) but by and large the stigma described above, remains.

[hc4361]

Thank you very much :)

[society]

Sqad, is there any possibility at all of the scar in the heart muscle healing itself?

[Sqad]

Sorry society I have only just seen your post.

One must assume that the patient has survived the cardiac insult.

Now if a small, less important blood vessel is blocked and the collateral (subsidiary) vessels help out, then the scar will be reduced to a minimum, but if a large vessel is involved, there will always be evidence of this on an ECG.

Of course, at post mortem, the scar would be obvious either on direct vision or microscopy.

So ...yes.....once the heart muscle has sustained a scar it remains....if you look in the right place.

[society]

Thanks Sqad. :)