I share about how a myocardial infarction has changed my daily life and treatment.

Myocardial infarction chest painIn my case, the disease that causes breathing difficulties presents only with chest pain, so I went to the hospital.

Suddenly, I experienced severe chest pain and received treatment at Baek Hospital in Haeundae.

It was a painful Saturday. I waited until Monday with only the thrombosis removed using heparin.

On Monday, I underwent a stent procedure and was subsequently admitted to the intensive care unit. I stayed there for about two weeks and suffered due to poor progress. I received exercise prescriptions and dietary education. From a life with no regular exercise, I now spend my days with regular exercise and controlled eating as prescribed. Now, I feel guilty if I don't exercise. I deeply realize the importance of exercise. There is no revolutionary way to revive dead heart muscle during myocardial infarction treatment. However, research teams in Europe and the United States, including Seoul National University Hospital, are continuously producing results using stem cells to regenerate heart muscle, and they are currently enrolling patients in clinical trials with improved protocols, which is attracting significant attention. Especially, the Magic Cell program conducted at Seoul National University Hospital's Cardiovascular Center is advantageous because it does not involve directly harvesting bone marrow from other countries but uses cytokines to mobilize bone marrow stem cells into the blood, making it easier to collect from peripheral blood, thereby reducing patient burden and showing clear improvements in kidney function. Complications of myocardial infarction include various issues such as functional failure and rupture at the site of occurrence, which can lead to acute mitral regurgitation, severe ventricular septal defect, and others. If such complications occur, surgery is essential. When the affected area is very extensive, cardiogenic shock caused by low blood pressure can occur, which is very dangerous. Fatal arrhythmias such as ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation, along with embolic strokes, are also among the dangerous complications. Prevention involves healthy lifestyle habits such as exercising for 40 minutes daily and quitting smoking. For diet, low-fat foods combined with fresh vegetables and fruits are highly recommended. If risk factors like hypertension, diabetes, or hyperlipidemia are identified, it is necessary to consult with a doctor to determine medication treatment. Dietary therapy emphasizes the importance of a vegetarian diet with three key elements: eating vegetables, eating vegetarian, and eating whole grains. Exercise therapy includes warm-up exercises before exercise, exercising for at least 30 minutes at a time, at least three days a week. Lifestyle measures such as quitting smoking, maintaining an ideal weight, and relieving psychological stress are also crucial.

If you have diabetes, hypertension, or other related conditions, you must manage them thoroughly and strictly adhere to lifestyle guidelines. This includes maintaining an appropriate weight through regular exercise and dietary control. Additionally, if hyperlipidemia or high cholesterol levels are detected, you should visit a doctor to determine whether treatment is necessary. For patients who have already experienced a myocardial infarction and are receiving treatment, managing lifestyle habits is even more important. The likelihood of experiencing heart problems again in the future is higher, and kidney function may decline due to the myocardial infarction. Special attention should be paid to dietary therapy. Furthermore, once the acute phase has passed and stabilization is achieved, maintaining consistent cardiovascular health through daily aerobic exercise that causes sweating for at least 30 minutes is most important. High-risk individuals include the elderly, smokers, those with hypertension, diabetes, a family history of heart disease, obesity, or lack of exercise. By avoiding these risk factors and reducing the incidence of myocardial infarction, one can live healthily.