What is the cause of heart pain? Beware of cardiac ischemia

If you experience heart cramps on a regular basis, you should pay attention to it as it is likely cardiac ischemia. The incidence rate is high among middle-aged and elderly people. A common cause of cardiac ischemia is the stenosis of the coronary arteries. You should do an electrocardiogram in time and receive early treatment to avoid complications.

1. Causes of myocardial ischemia

Clinically, the main and most common cause of myocardial ischemia is coronary artery stenosis. The main cause of coronary artery stenosis is atherosclerosis. The heart disease caused by coronary atherosclerosis is commonly known as coronary heart disease. Therefore, coronary heart disease is the "culprit" of myocardial ischemia.

2. Effects of myocardial ischemia

Myocardial ischemia may have many adverse effects on the heart and the whole body. Oxygen is an essential substance for the activity of myocardial cells, and oxygen is delivered to cells through the blood. The heart has no "oxygen warehouse" and relies entirely on myocardial blood supply, so once it is ischemic, hypoxia will immediately occur. The direct consequence of hypoxia is the weakening of aerobic metabolism of myocardial cells and reduced production capacity, resulting in insufficient supply of energy necessary for cardiac activity, causing angina pectoris, arrhythmias, and decreased cardiac function. At the same time, metabolic waste cannot be removed effectively and promptly, which can easily lead to adverse effects. Ischemia, hypoxia and lack of energy will eventually affect the heart's contractile function. If 20% to 25% of the myocardium stops contracting, left ventricular failure usually occurs; if more than 40% of the myocardium fails to contract, severe cardiac pump failure will occur. If this happens suddenly, very dangerous cardiogenic shock can occur. Acute myocardial infarction is often associated with this condition.