How To Detect Fake Heart Attacks

False heart attacks are characterized by chest pain and this situation is already stressful. After all, we all believe that chest pain is associated with a heart problem that triggers alarm and anxiety.

However, chest pain does not always come from the heart. In fact, this type of pain mostly does not mean anything serious, but is associated with inflammatory or anxiety-related problems. In any case, due to the possibility of being a problem with the heart, it needs to be examined carefully.

As the name suggests, a false heart attack is a clinical picture in which the symptoms suggest the presence of a heart attack, but a different process actually takes place in the body.

Several syndromes hide behind the false heart attack, and although medicine recognizes its manifestation as such, there is no concrete agreement on which diseases are false heart attacks and which are not. Perhaps the only consensus is the one that recognizes hyperkalaemia as the main cause.

Hyperkalaemia is the increase in potassium levels in the blood. When it occurs, the patient feels chest pain, which is accompanied by nausea or vomiting. The pain is so intense that it raises the suspicion of a heart attack. In addition, it is very common in diabetics and patients with high blood pressure, which increases suspicion.

Let’s take a closer look at it.

Laboratories for false heart attack

A key issue in medical care for patients with chest pain is the availability of nearby laboratories to perform some basic tests. These include troponin and ionogram.

The troponin test detects the presence of that protein in the blood, which is a sign of acute myocardial infarction when it is above certain values. The test is not completely sensitive, but doctors estimate that it can rule out up to 60% of chest pain that is not a heart attack.

This simple test would improve hospitalizations and reduce false diagnoses. The fact is that it is not available at all health centers, nor is it in demand by all doctors.

Electrocardiograms are not as effective as troponin in ruling out false heart attacks. Sometimes some traces of the study look like an ongoing heart attack, even if it is not. This is in addition to the fact that specialists need to read the electrocardiogram correctly, as opposed to troponin, which provides a rounded value.

Broken heart syndrome can be false heart attacks

Behind some false heart attacks, the cause is a clinical picture known as broken heart syndrome. The symptom is, of course, acute and intense chest pain.

The diagnostic problem it poses is that it changes the electrocardiogram and may even change laboratory values, simulating a heart attack that does not occur. These patients end up undergoing an operation on the heart where the arteries are found to be in perfect condition.

The reason it stems from is a very severe and sudden state of stress, generally due to a disturbing situation or bad news. It has been described in people who receive bad news, such as the death of a relative.

The name of the syndrome was previously different, despite the fact that it was a recently recognized health problem. It was formerly called Takotsubo cardiomyopathy because the images of these hearts resembled a Takotsubo, which is a vessel used by fishermen in Japan.

Broken heart syndrome always develops positively, almost without complications. In a few weeks, patients restore their normal electrocardiogram and laboratory values.

Tietzes syndrome

A common cause of false heart attack symptoms is Tietze syndrome. This is an inflammation of the cartilage that connects the ribs to the sternum.

It is common in young women and in people who have occasionally strained with both upper limbs. It usually develops in a benign way and disappears after days or weeks without intervention. In any case, almost all patients receive anti-inflammatory drugs.

The chest pain is what triggers our alarm. To distinguish it from a real heart attack, the doctor usually presses on the ribs and sternum and looks for pain on palpation, which does not happen when the origin is cardiac.

Even if it is a case of false heart attack, you should go to your doctor

As we said above, chest pain requires an examination to rule out serious cardiological causes, including acute myocardial infarction. For this reason, consult a professional when experiencing this pain.

It is very likely that it is a harmless problem, but the doctor will decide it and give us the necessary guidelines.