• Condition
• Heart disease >> Heart attack >> Heart attack

Publication date: August 2004          Last updated: December 2010

Review date: under review

 

Heart attack (myocardial infarction) occurs when an artery carrying blood to the heart muscle is blocked. We interviewed 37 people about their experiences of this condition. Select from the key topics below, choose from the full list of topics, or explore all the interviews.

• Topic
• Heart disease >> Heart attack >> Initial treatments >> Initial treatments

Initial Treatments 

• Clip
• Heart disease >> Heart attack >> Age 61-70 >> Interview HA10 >> He felt much better after the initial treatments he was given in hospital.

Heart attack April 2003. Angioplasty and stent, September 2003. Current medication: aspirin, atenonol, ramipril, clopidogrel, simvastatin

• Heart disease >> Heart attack >> Age 61-70 >> Interview HA20 >> He was transferred within 24 hours to a regional cardiac centre because his condition was not stable.

Heart attack 2000, transferred the following day to a regional cardiac centre for angioplasty. Balloon pump used during procedure. Current medication: aspirin, frusemide, simvastatin, lisinopril, GTN, isosorbide mononitrate

• Heart disease >> Heart attack >> Age 61-70 >> Interview HA04 >> Had angioplasty when use of clot-busting drugs had failed. Describes signing the consent forms before his angioplasty.

Heart attack 2002. Thrombolytic (clotbuster) drug. Angioplasty and stent, in hospital eight days. Current medication: simvastatin, aspirin, ramipril, atenolol

• Heart disease >> Heart attack >> Aged under 40 >> Interview HA33 >> Describes having angioplasty and says it was less painful than she had expected.

Heart attack 2003. Thrombolytic (clotbuster) drug. Severe chest pain several months later, angioplasty and stent 2003. Current medication: clopidogrel, aspirin, bisoprolol, simvastatin, ramipril, lansoprazole

• Heart disease >> Heart attack >> Age 61-70 >> Interview HA22 >> Describes what having angioplasty was like.

Heart attack February 2003. Stent fitted February 2003.Current medication: aspirin, atorvastatin, atenolol, bisoprolol fumarate (Cardicor), omeprazole

• Heart disease >> Heart attack >> Age 71-80 >> Interview HA28 >> He felt devastated when he was told that he needed bypass surgery one week after his heart attack.

Heart attack 1998. Thrombolytic (clotbuster) drug. Coronary artery bypass surgery one week after heart attack. Current medication: aspirin, atenolol, pravastatin (lipostat)

• Heart disease >> Heart attack >> Aged 81 plus >> Interview HA15 >> Her doctors disagreed about whether she should have bypass surgery at her age.

Heart attack January 2000. Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery, May 2000. Current Medication: clopidogrel, frusemide, GTN.

• Heart disease >> Heart attack >> Age 61-70 >> Interview HA21 >> Describes his recovery from bypass surgery.

Heart attack June 2002, six days in hospital. Unstable angina on returning home. Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery, July 2002. Current medication: aspirin, atenolol, simvastatin

• Heart disease >> Heart attack >> Age 71-80 >> Interview HA17 >> He was terrified before bypass surgery but other patients on the ward helped to calm his fears.

Heart attack 1980. Coronary artery bypass surgery 1981. Heart attack 1998, Coronary artery bypass surgery 1988. Current medication: atenolol, lisinoprol. simvastatin, frusemide, GTN, tamazepan to help sleep

• Heart disease >> Heart attack >> Age 61-70 >> Interview HA21 >> He felt a bit apprehensive but relatively relaxed before his bypass surgery, one month after his heart attack.

Heart attack June 2002, six days in hospital. Unstable angina on returning home. Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery, July 2002. Current medication: aspirin, atenolol, simvastatin

• Heart disease >> Heart attack >> Age 61-70 >> Interview HA12 >> His bypass operation was delayed for a week because he was still taking clopidogrel.

Heart attack, March 2003. Coronary artery bypass surgery July 2001. Current medication: aspirin, cozaar, pravastatin (lipostat)

• Heart disease >> Heart attack >> Age 71-80 >> Interview HA17 >> The first three days after bypass surgery were difficult but then he began to feel the benefits.

Heart attack 1980. Coronary artery bypass surgery 1981. Heart attack 1998, Coronary artery bypass surgery 1988. Current medication: atenolol, lisinoprol. simvastatin, frusemide, GTN, tamazepan to help sleep

• Heart disease >> Heart attack >> Age 61-70 >> Interview HA31 >> Two days after his bypass surgery he was out of bed and walking a short way around the hospital.

Heart attack May 2003, in hospital for six days. Angina attacks May-November. Coronary artery bypass surgery November 2003. Current medication: aspirin, ramipril, simvastatin

• Heart disease >> Heart attack >> Age 71-80 >> Interview HA09 >> He felt positive after seeing ex-bypass patients exercising in the gym before he left hospital.

Heart attack 1995. Coronary artery bypass surgery September 1995 (Private). Current medication: aspirin, simvastatin, amlodipine, doxazosin, bendrofluazide, bisoprolol, enalapril

• Heart disease >> Heart attack >> Age 61-70 >> Interview HA12 >> Describes his 'black' day in hospital after his bypass operation.

Heart attack, March 2003. Coronary artery bypass surgery July 2001. Current medication: aspirin, cozaar, pravastatin (lipostat)

• Heart disease >> Heart attack >> Aged under 40 >> Interview HA33 >> Was worrying about her stent clogging up, but that's getting less, and positive thinking is gaining ground.

Heart attack 2003. Thrombolytic (clotbuster) drug. Severe chest pain several months later, angioplasty and stent 2003. Current medication: clopidogrel, aspirin, bisoprolol, simvastatin, ramipril, lansoprazole

• Heart disease >> Heart attack >> Age 51-60 >> Interview HA14 >> Get the information you need to understand what is happening to you.

Heart attack February 2003. At time of interview, waiting for an angiogram. Current medication: aspirin, ramipril, atenolol, GTN