UNS — Heart health currently receives a highlight after the collapse of the Denmark National Football Club Player, Christian Eriksen, due to cardiac arrest during a match between Denmark and Finland in Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark, Saturday (12/6/2021). Shortly after that, Indonesia’s citizens are shocked by the sad news of the death of former national badminton player Markis Kido due to a heart attack on Monday (14/6/2021).
After these shocking events, the UNS Hospital cardiologist Surakarta, Habibie Arifianto, dr.,SpJP (K)., M.Kes., reminds us that the threats to heart condition are diverse and can happen to people with a record of heart disease. He explains that the Christian Eriksen case is caused by an abnormal thickening of the heart muscle or what, in medical terms, is referred to as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
“This is not a heart attack. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is caused by a presence of connective tissue in the heart muscle, this resulted in a very thick heart muscle and at risk of experiencing rhythm disturbances during excessive activity, in this case, is sport activity, thus triggering a sudden cardiac arrest,” Habibie explains on Tuesday (15/6/2021).
The cardiac arrest faced by Eriksen, according to Habibie, is common for teenagers and the elderly. He reminded that congenital disorders such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy that can lead to a cardiac arrest could occur from childhood. “Once a person got older, the thickening will increase than can leads to a sudden cardiac arrest during adolescence,” he reveals. Further, he added that in other cases, a cardiac arrest could be caused by arrhythmias or heart rhythm disturbances.
Meanwhile, in Markis Kido’s case, Habibie states that the heart attack was caused by coronary heart disease. This is because the blood flow suddenly stopped in the coronary arteries; thus, the heart muscle does not get an oxygen supply. “The risk of heart attack or cardiac arrest in athletes is the same with risk faced by the general population. Especially for those who have the risk factors for coronary heart disease or family history with sudden cardiac arrest,” he explained.
The Differences Between Cardiac Arrest and Heart Disease
Habibie states that the risk of heart health covers a wide spectrum. Under the heart disease cases, we can find certain cases such as coronary heart disease, valvular heart disease, heart failure, and rhythm disturbances. Meanwhile, cardiac arrest refers to an episodic condition where oxygen supply to the heart muscle is reduced due to sudden blockage of coronary arteries. In this case, the patient will feel severe chest pain, shortness of breath, and sudden heat.
“The terminology for such condition is cardiac arrest, a condition where our heart suddenly stops pumping so the blood cannot be circulated. This arrest often causes sudden death,” he explains.
Prevention and First Aid
Habibie details the methods to prevent cardiac arrest and first aid for cardiac arrest cases. For this case, the first step is to track whether there was any family member who passed at a young age. Thus, under such circumstances, the best prevention is to do a routine check-up with a cardiologist. This aims to assess if the related person has a high risk of facing cardiac arrest in the future.
As for the first aid in the event of a cardiac arrest is to get help. The rescuers must, first, check the consciousness of the person having a heart attack by palpating the pulse on the wrist or neck. In the event when the rescuer cannot find the pulse, they can start cardiopulmonary resuscitation or external cardiac massage and breathing assistance, while other rescuers can call an ambulance to be able to immediately take the victim to the hospital. The correct position for the victim who was experiencing a heart attack is to lie on their back on a hard surface. This position allows for external cardiac massage
If the victim is in a sitting position, Habibie is concerned that it will be harder to pump blood to the brain. This can make people who have had a heart attack become more unconscious and make it difficult for external heart massage to be applied. Habibie reminds people who love sports to be aware of their health condition. If a person has a risk of heart attack or cardiac arrest, he suggests avoiding competitive sports.
“Patients must know when to stop if they feel discomfort in the chest area. A safe sport duration for a person with heart attack risk must be determined based on a heart exercise test conducted by a cardiologist and blood vessel specialist,” he concluded. Humas UNS
Reporter: Yefta Christopherus AS
Editor: Dwi Hastuti