heart and blood vessel disorders
Complications of an Acute Coronary Syndrome
Pumping problems
In a heart attack, part of the heart muscle dies. Unlike muscle, dead tissue, and the scar tissue that eventually replaces it, does not contract. The scar tissue sometimes even expands or bulges when the rest of the heart contracts. Consequently, there is less muscle to pump blood. If enough muscle dies, the heart’s pumping ability may be so reduced that the heart cannot meet the body’s need for blood and oxygen. Heart Failure (HF) , Drugs such as beta-blockers and especially angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors can reduce the extent of the abnormal areas by reducing the workload of and the stress on the heart (see table Drugs Used to Treat Coronary Artery Disease* ). Thus, these drugs help the heart maintain its shape and function more normally. The damaged heart may enlarge, partly to compensate for the decrease in pumping ability (up to a point, a larger heart beats more forcefully). Enlargement of the heart makes abnormal heart rhythms more likely. 