Which Disease is Worse? Angina, Stroke, or Heart Attack?

A stroke is very different from angina and a heart attack.  They all affect the circulatory system, though.  They are also all caused by some sort of blockage of oxygen rich blood.  In the case of angina and heart attack the blockage is to the heart. In a heart attack, part of the heart tissue dies.  In the case of a stroke the blockage is to the brain. In a stroke, part of the brain tissue dies.  It is also called a brain attack.

The symptoms of a stroke are also quite different than those of angina and heart attack. -Vomiting -Vertigo -Weakness -Tremor -Clumsiness -Loss of control of fine movements -Blurry vision -Loss of vision in 1 eye -Sudden confusion -Numbness of leg, arm, or face -Difficulty finding words and understanding others -Pallor -Sweating -Shortness of breath -Severe, heavy crushing pain in centre of chest -Pain can spread into neck and arms -Nausea -Sometimes vomiting -Anxiety -Fear of dying -Restlessness -Constricting, heavy pain in the centre of chest -Pain can spread to other places such as the arms, throat, jaw, shoulders & back -Nausea -Sweating -Weakness -Lightheadedness -Anxiety -Palpitations -Shortness of breath Stroke Heart Attack Angina

As you can see, angina and heart attacks have some different symptoms, but most are very similar.  You could say an angina attack is a way less extreme version of a heart attack.  Angina is triggered by physical exertion.  They can both be caused by coronary artery disease, which is when plaque builds up inside coronary arteries, and coronary artery spasms.  Heart attacks can also be caused by a clot that can completely blocks blood flow.  Clots form when the plaque lining the artery ruptures.

A stroke is caused by different things.  Cerebral thrombosis, which is when a blood vessel in the brain is clotted, can cause a stroke.  This cause is similar to the cause of a heart attack, except the clots are in different places.  A cerebral hemorrhage, which is when an artery in the brain ruptures and blood seeps into surrounding tissues, is the cause of one in every 5 strokes.

The transmission of angina, heart attack, and stroke are all the same!  All of these diseases are non-contagious.  Genetics may play a part.  If a close family member has had any one of these diseases, you may be at risk.

Doctors use some different diagnosis techniques for each disease.  CT scan or MRI is used to scan the brain  Doctor will look for bleeding or vessel blockage  Cerebral angiography or Cartiod doppler may be done  Search for narrowed arteries  Further tests are run to look for source of embolus  Echocardiographs are done to assess heart valves, and heart monitoring  First, patient is asked how he/she is feeling  Signals from the heart are monitored  Blood tests reveal presence of heart attack by looking for protein that is released when heart cells die  Blood tests also possibilities of of other diseases being confused with a heart attack  Doctor will usually make diagnosis from symptoms  Doctor will give complete physical exam  May run various tests if diagnosis is difficult  Blood pressure testing to check for hypertension  Blood tests to check for anemia and elevated cholesterol levels  ECG which monitors the heart  A coronary angiography is done if there is a problem with blood flow to heart StrokeHeart AttackAngina

Angina, heart attack, and stroke all use drug treatments.  For a stroke you are given a drug to dissolve a clot, if there is one.  Aspirin is given to prevent more clots.  Antihypertensive drugs are given to lower your blood pressure.  Corticosteroids will be prescribed for inflamed arteries.  For angina, drugs are given to reduce the number and severity of attacks, and also to relieve acute episodes of pain.  Different kinds of drugs given are nitrate, beta blockers, & calcium channel blockers.  Just like stroke, aspirin may be given.  For a heart attack, drugs are given to dissolve a clot, just like stroke.  Other drugs given are beta blockers (just like angina), ACE inhibitors, & anticoagulants.

All of the same lifestyle changes can be made to treat these diseases.  Quitting smoking  Losing excess weight  Eating foods low in saturated fat  Drinking less or no alcohol Since a stroke affects the brain, more treatment will be needed.  After emergency care, patient will require physiotherapy  Good nursing will improve a patients chance of recovering  Speech therapy and occupational therapy may be required as well

The outcome of angina, heart attack, and stroke vary.  Outcome is difficult to predict  Depends on cause of stroke and speed of treatment  1 third of patients make a full or almost full recovery  1 third end up with some sort of disability, or need long-term care  1 in 5 die within a month  Could have a symptom permanently  Prognosis is good if there are no complications  After 2 weeks, the risk of another heart attack is reduced  You could die!  Of the people who die, half die within the first hour of the first symptoms before they reach the hospital  Final outcome depends on extent of coronary artery disease  As long as you follow treatment recommended by doctor you should be able to live a normal life  There will be restrictions on exercise Stroke Heart Attack Angina

The people at risk for these diseases are fairly similar.  The risk of getting these diseases gets higher with increasing age, stroke especially in people over 60, and heart attack especially people over 65.  African Americans have a higher chance of having a heart attack than Caucasians do, and Black, Asian, or Hispanic people are more likely to have a stroke. Whereas race doesn’t play a part in angina.  Strokes, heart attacks, and angina are more common in males, but angina is only more common in males until age 60  People who smoke, eat high- fat foods, don’t exercise often, and are overweight are more likely to get any of these three diseases.

Which disease is worse?  We feel that the worst disease is stroke.  The symptoms for all 3 diseases are pretty bad, but we feel the worst symptoms are for stroke.  Some stroke symptoms might not even go away!  More treatment is needed in order to recover.  We feel like you have the best chance of dying with this disease since 1 in 5 die within a month.  Since a stroke affects your brain, the control centre of your whole body, we think that it is the worst to have.  Also, the outcome is probably the worst because you could end up with some sort of disability!