Medicines for myocardial infarction during and after the attack

Vitamins to strengthen the heart and blood vessels during diseases and for prevention

The heart is a complex living mechanism that needs constant care, requiring close attention in modern life, full of stress and problems. Unfavorable environment, fast pace of life, unbalanced diet, bad habits affect our health. Poor functioning of the cardiovascular system leads to the development of many serious life-threatening diseases. To prevent the development of such dangerous diseases as heart attack, stroke, heart failure, it is necessary to carry out timely preventive measures. To maintain health, doctors prescribe vitamins for the heart, which reduce the risk of pathologies and strengthen the body’s cardiovascular system.

Are these vitamins really important for the heart? How do they work and who should take vitamins for blood vessels and the heart? What vitamin complexes are recommended? Let's talk about this in detail.

Dangerous diagnosis

One of the dangerous consequences of ischemia is myocardial infarction, caused by insufficient blood supply to the heart. A heart attack leaves a focus of necrosis (death of an area) in the myocardium. A heart attack can also be caused by blockage of a coronary artery by a thrombus or atherosclerotic plaque.

Unfortunately, cases of heart attack are being diagnosed more and more often. This is one of the most dangerous diagnoses, which is better to warn in advance. As in any prevention, the intake of substances beneficial to the cardiovascular system - vitamins, amino acids, minerals - plays an important role here. And if a heart attack does occur, then taking them will also be needed for the rehabilitation of the body. After a myocardial infarction, vitamins, minerals and other beneficial substances are simply necessary.

What is necessary for normal heart function

People who lead a healthy lifestyle, do not abuse alcohol, smoke, and eat healthy, practically do not know what pain in the heart is. In order for the heart to work correctly, you need to follow simple rules. This will help prevent cardiovascular diseases.

Full sleep. Dutch scientists have proven that sleeping for at least 7 hours reduces the risk of heart disease by 72%. Sleep deficiency provokes arrhythmia. Hypertension and lack of sleep wears out the heart.
Correct menu. The heart must receive the necessary minerals and vitamins. These are magnesium, rutin, potassium, ascorbic acid, vitamin B. A proper diet consists of dairy products, red meat, fish, herbs, tomatoes. It has been proven that protein foods prevent the risk of stroke, heart attack, and hypertensive crisis.
Nuts. Hazelnuts, cashews, almonds, walnuts. All of them help strengthen the heart and lower blood cholesterol levels. Nuts contain amino acids, vitamins, valuable fats, fiber, and vegetable protein.
At least 1.5 liters of water per day is an approximate norm. However, this does not apply to carbonated water, sweet drinks, tea, coffee. Distilled water thins the blood and prevents the development of thrombosis.
Healthy breakfast. Start the day with oatmeal, supplemented with raisins, dried apricots, and prunes. This way you can get a boost of energy and reduce the risk of heart disease by 25%.

For those who already have problems, it would be a good idea to pay attention to vitamins and minerals for the heart in the form of food supplements and vitamin complexes.

List of required vitamins for the heart and blood vessels

B vitamins – improve metabolic lipid processes, the functioning of the central nervous system, and strengthen the heart. Mostly prescribed in combination:

B1 – has a tonic effect. Large amounts are found in grain crops.
B2 – regulates blood pressure, prevents the formation of blood clots, dilates blood vessels. The main sources of the vitamin are legumes, egg yolks, sea fish, chicken meat, and sea fish.
B6 – participates in the formation of hemoglobin, reduces the excitability of the central nervous system. The vitamin is found in dairy products, beef, seafood, and fish.
B9 – prevention of myocardial infarction. Sources: rye baked goods, citrus fruits, white cabbage, greens, meat.
B11 – helps in the breakdown of fats, ensuring normal contraction of the myocardial muscle. Found in milk, red meat, fish.
B12 is a vitamin without which normal biochemical formation of blood composition is impossible. The main sources are dairy products, offal, sturgeon caviar, egg yolk.
Vitamin A – cleanses the body of toxins and radionuclides, strengthening vascular walls.
Ascorbic acid – a vitamin that strengthens the heart, regulates metabolic processes, and removes “bad” cholesterol from the body.
Vitamin E – reliable protection of blood vessels from damage, preventing fat oxidation.
Rutin – strengthens vascular walls, promoting normal blood circulation in the muscle.

These are the main vitamins that have a positive effect on the heart and blood vessels. A deficiency leads to disruptions in the functioning of the organ.

What foods to eat

Proper nutrition and adjusting your food intake are the key to good heart function. It is especially important to review the diet in the cold season, for athletes, people engaged in heavy physical labor, and retirees.

The following have a strengthening effect on the heart:

fruits (pomegranates, grapefruits, apples);
meat, offal;
porridges from various cereals;
sea fish of fatty varieties (chum salmon, trout, salmon, herring, pink salmon, mackerel, salmon);
legumes (peas, soybeans, beans, lentils);
pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds;
eggs;
vegetables (broccoli, white cabbage, carrots, pumpkin, beets, avocado, onions, garlic:
vegetable oils;
dairy and fermented milk products;
natural dark chocolate.

I would like to mention flaxseed oil from the list. This product contains vitamins to strengthen blood vessels and capillaries of the heart. Prevents the formation of blood clots, thins the blood, and normalizes cholesterol levels. For pathological changes in the heart, this unique oil must be used daily.

Why you should take vitamin-mineral complexes

Heart vitamins are carefully formulated by specialists to provide the heart with essential nutrients. Nutrients act as a preventive measure against organ diseases, keep the heart normal, protect against negative factors, and have a general strengthening effect.

Cardiovascular diseases are provoked by many factors: bad habits, stress, sedentary lifestyle, obesity, uncontrolled use of medications, poor sleep, hypertension and others. The result is pain in the chest, a feeling of tightness, tingling, tachycardia, arrhythmia. If a person ignores such signals, the attacks increase. Thrombosis, heart failure, atrial hypertrophy, and varicose veins begin. The most severe are myocardial infarction.

The consequences of a careless attitude towards health, and therefore towards your heart, are irreparable: loss of working capacity, disability. It is necessary to maintain your heart throughout your life by planning your daily routine, eating right, and engaging in feasible physical activity. Vitamin and mineral complexes help support the heart and blood vessels.

Vitamin E will save the heart muscle after a heart attack

Heart attack is still the leading cause of death worldwide, and patients who survive often have lifelong health problems due to permanent damage to the heart muscle.

Therefore, scientists are looking for alternative approaches to heart attack treatment. This time, a preclinical study showed the therapeutic potential of vitamin E.

“One of the most effective antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents is vitamin E and its derivatives,” says Professor Karlheinz Peter, Deputy Director for Basic and Translational Sciences at the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute and lead author of the study..

However, vitamin E has already been tested to prevent heart attacks - and completely unsuccessfully. But now scientists claim that they realized their mistake: the vitamin should have been used directly during treatment.

Using mouse models of heart attack, the researchers simulated taking the vitamin chronologically: in the ambulance, upon arrival at the emergency room, then before dilating and stenting the blocked vessel, and in the following days in the hospital before discharge.

The results showed that vitamin E significantly reduced heart damage and inflammation caused by the attack itself and subsequent surgery. At the same time, no superdoses of the vitamin were required. The doses used in the experiment are recognized as safe by the Scientific Committee of the European Food Commission.

Who should take vitamins to strengthen the cardiovascular system?

Many people think about how to properly support the system in order to remain full of strength until old age. Preventing problems is easier than treating them. This is possible thanks to the correct selection of vitamins for the heart.

Vitamins are prescribed by the attending physician based on the results of clinical studies. Vitamin and mineral products vary in composition; it is not recommended to take them without the advice of a specialist.

The doctor may prescribe medications or vitamin injections:

people over 40 years of age;
for pathologies of the blood vessels of the brain, lower extremities;
athletes over 30 years of age (engaged in intense physical training);
in childhood, if there are appropriate indications;
for those who are involved in hazardous industries, living in hazardous environmental zones;
with heart pathology;
after myocardial infarction.

People at risk should consult a cardiologist. A specialist will select the correct treatment regimen. He will give recommendations on the dosage of vitamins for the heart and determine the duration of the course. Vitamin therapy is often prescribed in the fall and winter as a preventative measure.

The main goals of drug treatment for heart attack

Taking medications for myocardial infarction has the following goals:

treatment of the underlying disease, against the background of which an acute circulatory disorder occurred in the vessels;
normalization of blood clotting ability;
elimination of symptoms characteristic of a heart attack - pain, shortness of breath, panic attacks;
prevention of recurrent attack;
stabilization of blood circulation in the vessels that supply blood to the heart muscle;
resorption of an existing blood clot, which creates difficulties for the passage of blood through the vessels;
reducing the risk of death.

To achieve these goals, the specialist prescribes drugs belonging to different pharmacological groups to the patient.

Vitamin and mineral preparations to improve heart function

Pharmacies offer a varied selection of heart vitamins. Some contain exclusively minerals. Others are supplemented with components of plant origin (hawthorn, mint, lemon balm, ginger root, rose hips, L-cysteine and others). Let's look at the vitamins often prescribed to support the heart.

The product contains rutin and ascorbic acid. Prescribed for non-permeability of capillaries. Strengthens blood vessels, making them durable. It has antioxidant, anti-edematous, radioprotective, anti-inflammatory effects. When taken, metabolic processes are normalized, immunity is increased, and damaged tissues are restored. Such vitamins are needed after 50 years, when the body does not have enough strength for self-healing.

A balanced amount of magnesium, aspartate, and potassium supports the heart. When taken, the disturbed electrolyte balance is restored. Due to these properties, vitamins are prescribed as medicine for the heart: for arrhythmia, heart failure, and heart attack. Additional properties: strengthens muscles, eliminates limb cramps, improves digestive and water-salt metabolism.

Useful foods for myocardial infarction

Proper nutrition during the rehabilitation period can improve heart function and speed up recovery processes in the myocardium.

In the first ten days after a heart attack, you need to follow a strict diet, which includes only low-calorie foods. It is necessary to limit salt and liquid intake. It is recommended to consume liquid porridges, fruit and vegetable purees and pureed soups. For meat dishes, you can have boiled lean beef.

In the second half of the rehabilitation period (after two weeks), everything is taken the same, but it can be boiled, not pureed. Salt intake is limited.

After a month, during the period of scarring, foods enriched with potassium are needed. It increases the outflow of fluid from the body and increases the ability of the muscle to contract. It is useful to eat dried fruits, dates, bananas, cauliflower.

You should eat apples as much as possible; they help cleanse the entire body of toxins and strengthen the walls of blood vessels.

It is recommended to replace sugar with honey, as it is a natural biostimulant. Honey enriches the body with essential microelements and vitamins, dilates heart vessels, improves blood supply to the body and increases its protective reactions.

It is useful to eat nuts, especially walnuts and almonds. Walnuts contain magnesium, which has vasodilating properties, as well as potassium, copper, cobalt, zinc, necessary for the formation of red blood cells.

Birch sap is very useful; you can drink from 0.5 liters to 1 liter per day.

It is useful to eat turnips, persimmons, and drink beet juice.

People who have suffered a myocardial infarction need to introduce seafood into their regular diet, as they contain iodine, cobalt and copper. These trace elements thin the blood and prevent the formation of blood clots.

Folk remedies for the treatment of myocardial infarction

During the rehabilitation period, it is very useful to take such remedies.

1 Mix freshly squeezed onion juice in equal parts with honey. Take two or three spoonfuls a day.
2 A mixture of chokeberry and honey in a ratio of 1:2 is very useful. Take a tablespoon once a day.
3 Lemon zest improves the functioning of the heart muscle. It must be chewed fresh.
4 In the first days of rehabilitation, carrot juice is very useful. You should drink half a glass of freshly squeezed juice, with the addition of a little vegetable oil, twice a day. It is very useful to combine carrot juice with a weak infusion of hawthorn as tea.
5 A tincture of ginseng root with honey is effective. You need to mix 20 grams of ginseng root with ½ kg of honey and leave for a week, stirring regularly. This tincture also helps well with low hemoglobin. Take ¼ teaspoon three times a day.

Dangerous and harmful products for myocardial infarction

Patients who have had a myocardial infarction due to obesity need to completely reconsider their diet and subsequently, by contacting specialists, create a diet aimed at gradually reducing body weight.

People who have suffered a heart attack for some other reason must completely eliminate fatty, fried, and flour products from their diet until complete rehabilitation. It is forbidden to consume foods that lead to bloating: legumes, milk, flour products. The consumption of fatty and fried foods is completely contraindicated throughout the entire post-infarction period.

Excluded from the diet: smoked foods, marinades, mushrooms, salted cheeses. Dishes cooked in meat or fish broth are contraindicated.

When enriching your body with potassium, be careful with gooseberries, radishes, sorrel, and black currants, since in addition to potassium, they also contain oxalic acid, which is prohibited for heart diseases.

It has been established that it is not recommended to prescribe B vitamins after myocardial infarction.

Recent studies have shown that in the treatment of such a dangerous disease as myocardial infarction, as well as after it has been suffered, it is not recommended to prescribe B vitamins.
The result of a heart attack can be heart failure and a number of serious complications. Their appearance can be predicted by examining the concentration of homocysteine in the blood plasma. Scientists have recently received especially close attention to this sulfur-containing amino acid. The fact is that in healthy people the level of homocysteine in the blood is relatively low, but in some pathological processes it increases significantly. In the blood, homocysteine is quickly oxidized, forming a large number of free radicals (reactive oxygen species) that damage the inner surface of the vascular wall. It is believed that high homocysteine levels are a risk factor for systemic atherosclerosis, vascular thrombosis, angina pectoris and even myocardial infarction. Moreover, if a patient continues to have a high level of homocysteine in the blood plasma after a heart attack, then a recurrent heart attack should almost always be expected. This fact is well known to clinicians.

Can this indicator be used for more accurate diagnosis and prognosis of cardiovascular pathology? Undoubtedly. This is evidenced by numerous literature data. However, it is even more important to find out all the subtleties of how to influence blood homocysteine using therapeutic methods, which include introducing into the patient’s body some B vitamins: folic acid (vitamin B-10), pyridoxine (vitamin B-6) and cobalamin (vitamin B-12 ). It is known that these substances can reduce the concentration of homocysteine in the blood, stimulating its destruction.

However, a number of scientists have noted that this issue requires more careful consideration. In some scientific works, in particular, it was noted that there is a certain discrepancy between the decrease in the concentration of homocysteine in the blood and the condition of patients, that is, one cannot always expect tangible positive results from the use of B vitamins. It was this discrepancy that was decided to be checked by a team of scientists from Norway under the direction of Kaare Harald Bonaa. For this purpose, they examined more than 3.5 thousand patients who had suffered a myocardial infarction.

In order to establish in detail all aspects of the effect of vitamin therapy on the normalization of homocysteine levels after myocardial infarction, a special study design was developed and optimal drug concentrations were selected. During the examination, patients (men and women aged 30 to 85 years) were divided into three groups. In addition to the standard complex treatment of myocardial infarction, all patients received vitamins according to a specific regimen.

One group of patients received folic acid, vitamin B-6 and vitamin B-12, the second received folic acid and vitamin B-12, the third received only vitamin B6; The fourth group received a placebo (“empty” tablets containing no drugs or vitamins). All patients received the drugs once daily for an extended period, after which they were followed for 40 months.

After completing this course of treatment, the patients were re-examined to determine the concentration of homocysteine in the blood plasma, as well as to analyze the condition of the myocardium and blood vessels. Since a fairly large number of patients took part in the study, the data obtained can be considered reliable. What did Norwegian scientists manage to establish?

The results of the study showed that in the group of patients receiving vitamins B-10 and B-12, the concentration of homocysteine in the blood decreased slightly in only 27% of the subjects, which can be considered extremely unsatisfactory. In the group receiving only vitamin B-6, no positive changes were observed at all. In patients receiving vitamins B-6, B-10 and B-12 at the same time, an increased risk of complications of cardiovascular pathology and recurrent heart attack was observed.

Thus, for the first time, such a thorough study was conducted, which showed that reducing the total level of homocysteine by introducing B vitamins is not able to protect a sick person from a recurrent attack of angina, myocardial infarction, or the death of the patient from cardiovascular pathology. In addition, such vitamin therapy is contraindicated for many patients.

Proper nutrition during myocardial infarction

Basic nutritional requirements
Diet for the first week of illness
Diet for the second or third week
Recovery diet

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Myocardial infarction is accompanied by sudden sharp changes in the functioning of the heart muscle and coronary vessels. Urgent adaptation to the loss of a portion of ventricular tissue is required. It not only ceases its functions, but turns into a necrotic mass that releases decay products into the blood.

The patient faces a period of restorative replacement of necrosis with scar tissue, development of collateral vessels, and elimination of the ischemic zone. The diet for myocardial infarction is designed to help medications solve these problems.

Basic nutritional requirements for a heart attack patient

The only way to ease your heart rate is through bed rest. But a person must get energy from food. How can we ensure that nutrition during myocardial infarction does not burden the affected muscle tissue, but contributes to its restoration? There are a number of requirements for this:

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you should not eat large amounts of meat and fried food, it will require a lot of energy to digest;
food should be light, but high in calories;
the number of meals has to be increased to 6 - 7, and portions reduced;
products that lead to bloating are contraindicated, since the rise of the diaphragm complicates heart contractions;
the diet should have enough protein (building material);
Potassium and magnesium salts are needed, they improve the electrical activity of myocardial cells;
table salt is limited to 3 - 5 g, the total content in food is agreed with the doctor, since it depends on possible complications;
total calorie content can be reduced to 1500 kcal by limiting fatty foods, sugar, flour and confectionery products;
the volume of liquid is reduced to 0.5 l;
the patient does not need excess caffeine contained in strong coffee, tea, and carbonated drinks;
stool retention plays a positive role in the first days (tension of the peritoneal muscles during straining causes an increase in the load on the fragile myocardium), but in the future it is necessary to ensure that the diet after myocardial infarction includes foods with a laxative effect.

Diet for the first week of illness

The acute period determines the compensatory capabilities of the body and is dangerous for the development of complications. Therefore, special attention should be paid to nutrition.

low-fat meat broths with white crackers;
boiled fish;
pureed boiled meat (soufflé, casserole);
porridge with water (preferably buckwheat);
cottage cheese, low-fat kefir;
salad of boiled beets, seaweed;
decoction of rose hips, prunes;
compote of raisins, dried apricots;
Boiled potatoes;
citrus fruits.

Food is prepared under-salted. Sugar and sweets are limited.

animal fats (lard, butter, fatty meat), sausages and smoked products;
brown bread and fresh pastries;
grapes and juice from them;
carbonated drinks.

What to drink after a heart attack?

Medicines after myocardial infarction used as long-term or permanent therapy:

Antiplatelet and/or anticoagulant therapy. Antiplatelet agents: Aspirin (ASA) should be taken daily at a dose of 75-100 mg/day; "Clopidogrel" - 75 mg/day for 12 months.
If these drugs are contraindicated, anticoagulants are recommended: Warfarin (subject to constant monitoring of the INR analysis), Rivaroxaban, Dabigatran. They are prescribed without fail for atrial fibrillation, a blood clot in the left ventricle, and the presence of artificial valves.
Sometimes combinations of anticoagulants and low doses of ASA and Clopidogrel are used.
β-blockers and ACE inhibitors (Perindopril, Ramipril) are prescribed regardless of the level of blood pressure and the condition of the left ventricle.
Mandatory lipid-lowering therapy (lowering cholesterol fractions): Atorvastatin, Rosuvastatin. Treatment with statins begins immediately upon diagnosis, starting with the maximum permissible doses, gradually reducing them over time.
Diuretics are used for heart failure: “Torasemide” in a daily dose of 10 mg.

Vitamins after a stroke

As a result of a stroke, atrophic and necrotic processes in brain tissue occur. Therefore, after an attack, it is necessary to prevent the development of serious complications, significantly reduce the likelihood of relapse and increase the body’s protective functions. Vitamins after a stroke perfectly improve the functioning of the cells and systems of the body and restore metabolic processes in the brain center.

It is known that the presence of essential fatty acids in the body is the main condition for maintaining the required level of blood pressure. In such a situation, it is advisable to take vitamin complexes, fish oil and other medications until complete recovery.

What vitamins should I take?

Along with taking blood-thinning and nootropic drugs (improving cerebral circulation), the patient is usually recommended to take a vitamin course and carefully monitor proper nutrition. Vitamins are needed to maintain the functioning of the brain after a stroke and the whole body. It has been proven that all of the vitamins listed below restore blood circulation to the affected organ. But they must be taken in certain doses, which are determined by the attending physician, based on the clinical picture and complications:

What drugs are most popular for heart attacks?

To prevent a recurrent heart attack, with the help of doctors, a special technique is being created, which involves improving blood quality and preventing the formation of new blood clots. Despite the individual approach to each patient, there are a number of medications that help almost everyone and are widely used to treat the majority of people affected by acute forms of coronary artery disease.

To thin the blood and prevent blood clots, the following are used:

Acetylsalicylic acid (“Aspirin”). Actively used in the treatment of stroke and cerebral infarction. In addition to its antipyretic effect, this drug prevents hypercoagulation. The medicine improves blood circulation in the large and small circles, helps to cope with intoxication syndrome. Regular use of this remedy improves the patency of the coronary vessels and blood flow to the myocardium.
The drug thins the blood and facilitates its movement through the body's blood system
Clopidogrel tablets. Antiplatelet drugs actively prevent thrombus formation even at the stage of blood clotting. The drug irreversibly blocks the binding of adenosine triphosphate to platelet receptors. It has far fewer side effects than other drugs in this group.
Fibrinolytics. Drugs that belong to the group of thrombolytics gently dissolve blood clots formed in the lumen of blood vessels. They are sometimes used for acute myocardial infarction as an emergency treatment. The following are widely used in thrombolytic therapy: Urokinase, Streptokinase, Alteplase.

Unfortunately, in addition to direct damage to the coronary vessels, a number of other unfavorable changes occur with an extensive infarction. People who have even a slight focus of necrosis in the area of the heart muscle periodically complain of pressing sensations in the chest, numbness of the limbs and surges in blood pressure.

What medications are best to take for symptomatic treatment:

Sedatives. Stress plays a very important role in the development of a heart attack; it can cause great harm during myocardial necrosis. Mild herbal preparations, such as extracts of valerian and motherwort, as well as the amino acid glycine, help improve the patient’s mental state and improve the functioning of his nervous and cardiovascular systems.

Such drugs are used in the presence of tachycardia and the parallel absence of heart failure

Beta blockers. Effective for tachycardia and in the treatment of arterial hypertension in the absence of diseases of the respiratory system. These include popular drugs: Anaprilin, Atenolol, Bisoprolol and others. They help relieve unpleasant symptoms that cause a heart attack: hypertension, increased heart rate, agitation, which can provoke a second attack. They also reduce the load on the myocardium and the need for oxygen.
Statins (“Lovastatin”, “Simvastatin”). These drugs are often used in the treatment of stroke and heart attack. Studies have proven the significant role of cholesterol in the development of atherosclerosis and hypertension. Statins, which prevent plaque formation, improve coronary blood flow. High blood pressure in combination with the formation of atherosclerotic plaques creates excessive stress on the myocardium and coronary vessels.

Pain during a heart attack during the formation of a necrosis focus can only be relieved with narcotic analgesics. The use of nitroglycerin, which relieves spasm of the coronary vessels, will help improve the patient’s condition. Migraines, as frequent companions of patients with vascular diseases, can be alleviated with the help of conventional painkillers.

Attention! You should be careful with their use after anticoagulants or drugs that perform thrombolysis. The effect may be enhanced.