Have you had a brain or heart attack? – 2024-03-11 13:41:18

High risk of another heart attack

If you have already had a heart or cerebral infarction, you are at a very high risk of having another infarction.

You think this doesn’t apply to you? However, it could be you who gets another seizure. More than 40% of people who have had a cardiovascular event such as a stroke or heart attack will have another attack within 5 years. 60% of those who have a new seizure die from it.³

An LDL cholesterol value of less than 1.4 mmol/l reduces the risk of another attack ¹

If you have already had one seizure, you are a particularly high-risk patient. Therefore, your LDL cholesterol level should be below 1.4 mmol/l. This is significantly stricter than the population-level health-promoting target of less than 3.0 mmol/l.²

Heart disease requires lifelong treatment

If you have had one heart attack or stroke and have received treatment for it, it is important to remember that you still have a disease that narrows the blood vessels. Even if your infarction has been treated, the treatment of the disease itself will continue for the rest of your life. This requires a commitment to taking care of your own health: take care of your lifestyle such as exercise, a healthy diet and weight control, follow the instructions given by the doctor and take the medicines prescribed by him, and have regular check-ups. Regular monitoring of your LDL cholesterol level and other risk factors, such as possible diabetes treatment, is particularly important for you.²

The control time must be booked yourself

After a heart attack, you yourself must remember to schedule regular LDL cholesterol measurements and control or follow-up visits with the doctor. With regular monitoring, it can be determined whether LDL cholesterol has reached the treatment goal, i.e. below 1.4 mmol/l. The first check-up visit is recommended within 1–3 months after discharge.²

Find out your LDL cholesterol value now!

Book a check-up appointment for yourself or a loved one as soon as possible. See the contact information on the website of your own welfare area. Book an appointment today!

Without my wife, I wouldn’t be here now

Reijo Muhola had a heart attack three years ago, like tens of thousands of other Finns every year. Muhola’s scene was massive.

He had a blocked left coronary artery, which supplies blood to a large part of the heart. Its blockage often leads to a life-threatening heart attack, which can easily lead to sudden death.

– Without my wife and her swift action, I wouldn’t be here now. I had a lifeguard next to me, 62-year-old Muhola says. – I had sat down in the rocking chair and started snoring and convulsing along with my wife, Muhola continues.

The wife, who works as a nurse, called the emergency number: From there they were advised to start CPR, which she continued until the emergency department arrived. The emergency unit’s car took Muhola hospital.

Muhola’s cholesterol values ​​and blood pressure had been on the high side before the attack, but now he has brought them in line with the target values ​​for a high-risk patient with the help of medication and lifestyle changes. Muhola also knows that he is prone to cardiovascular diseases because of his inheritance.

– Here in our country, those who have had a heart attack get on the digital treatment path, where we are guided towards important goals. From there, for example, I got attention about my cholesterol value, which was above the recommended 1.4. Hoitopolu also has Sydänliito’s Tulppa coaching, which has helped me strengthen my confidence that we are on the right track in treatment and lifestyle, sums up Muhola.

– Fortunately, my wife is there, she saved my life, Muhola says, looking warmly at his wife. The couple has been together for 40 years.

References:

¹ Mach F, Baigent C, Catapano AL, ym.; ESC Scientific Document Group. 2019 ESC/EAS Guidelines for the management of dyslipidaemias: lipid modification to reduce cardiovascular risk. Eur Heart J. 2020;41:111-188.

² Dyslipidemias Käpä hoito recommendation. Finnish Medical Association Duodecim, 2022, cited 5 January 2024

³ Toppila I et al. Clin Cardiol. 2022; 45(4):342-351

FIN-145-0224-80016-02/24