What is the difference between a heart attack and a stroke?

The article is professionally consulted by Cardiologists and Interventional Cardiologists - Vinmec Central Park International General Hospital.

Heart attack and stroke are both life-threatening diseases that need to be detected and treated promptly. These are all diseases of the body's circulatory system, related to narrowing and occlusion of the arteries, specifically here in the brain and heart. When the blood supply is reduced, it will lead to cell death, loss of function of the ischemic organ.

Myocardial infarction is a partial or complete blockage of the right coronary artery, the left coronary artery, or its branches. The area of ​​the myocardium due to the blocked vascular branch is deprived of oxygen and nutrients, leading to necrosis, the heart's pumping function is no longer as complete as before, causing consequences such as heart failure, cardiogenic shock, sudden death due to heart failure. heart.....
The most common cause is atherosclerosis because atherosclerotic plaques accumulate over time and stick to the walls of blood vessels. Subjects at high risk of atherosclerosis such as patients with hypertension, smoking, dyslipidemia, diabetes....
Patients with myocardial infarction often have symptoms of palpitations, palpitations, especially in the presence of angina pectoris. The severity of angina can range from as little as a crushing pain, to a sharp, stabbing, stabbing pain.
The pain may radiate to the neck, lower jaw, left shoulder, back, abdomen or left arm. Pain usually lasts 20-30 minutes or more. In addition, patients may experience shortness of breath, sweating, dizziness, dizziness, even fainting or sudden death.
Patients diagnosed with myocardial infarction need to receive oxygen support, use chest pain relievers, control heart rate, increase myocardial contractility... some patients need coronary intervention.

A stroke occurs when the blood supply to a part of the brain is interrupted or reduced due to a blood clot or hemorrhage, leading to a lack of oxygen, nutrition, and reduced nourishment of the brain parenchyma. If not improved, after a few minutes brain cells begin to die.
There are 2 common causes of stroke: ischemic stroke due to blockage of blood vessels in the brain, or cerebral hemorrhage due to rupture of blood vessels.
Common symptoms when a patient has a stroke are lethargy, consciousness, in some cases, the patient may faint, hemiplegia, paralysis of the limbs......
The patient has symptoms Cerebral stroke needs to be taken to the hospital for examination, CT scan, brain MRI for timely diagnosis and treatment.

To protect cardiovascular health in general and detect early signs of myocardial infarction and stroke, patients need to have regular health check-ups at least every 6 months to actively prevent the risk of disease. From the results of the examination, the doctor will give advice as well as scientific treatment and prevention measures.

Currently, Magnetic Resonance Imaging - MRI/MRA is considered a "golden" tool to screen for brain stroke. MRI is used to check the condition of most organs in the body, especially valuable in detailed imaging of the brain or spinal nerves. Due to the good resolution and contrast, MRI images allow to detect abnormalities hidden behind bone layers that are difficult to detect with other imaging methods. MRI can give more accurate results than X-ray techniques (except DSA angiography) in diagnosing brain diseases, cardiovascular diseases, strokes,... Moreover, the process MRI scans do not cause side effects like in X-rays or computed tomography (CT).\
Vinmec International General Hospital currently owns a 3.0 Tesla MRI System, which is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment by GE. Healthcare (USA) with high image quality, allows comprehensive assessment, does not miss the injury but reduces the time taken to take pictures. Silent technology helps to reduce noise, create comfort and reduce stress for the client during the shooting process, resulting in better image quality and shorter imaging time. With the state-of-the-art MRI system With the application of modern methods of cerebral vascular intervention, a team of experienced and well-trained neurologists and imaging specialists, Vinmec is a prestigious address for stroke risk screening and screening. reliable goods.
In the past time; Vinmec has successfully treated many cases of stroke in a timely manner, leaving no sequelae: saving the life of a patient suffering from 2 consecutive strokes; Responding to foreign female tourists to escape the "death door" of stroke;...
Besides, Vinmec is also applying Troponin high sensitive test in early diagnosis of myocardial infarction and provide treatment to the patient as soon as possible.