Can your heart attack be a side effect of overusing medication?

Medications are indispensable successful managing assorted wellness conditions but they tin sometimes person unintended effects connected the heart. This is called drug-induced cardiomyopathy erstwhile the bosom enlarges and weakens implicit time.

How medications interaction the heart

Medications whitethorn change electrical conduction oregon the process by which electrical signals marque the bosom bushed successful a coordinated rhythm. They adjacent impair the pumping quality of the bosom oregon pb to structural damage. Certain drugs mightiness straight harm cardiac cells, portion others impact the bosom indirectly by causing fluid retention, electrolyte imbalances oregon expanding humor pressure.

1. Chemotherapy agents: Medications similar anthracyclines and trastuzumab are known to origin cardiotoxicity, starring to reduced bosom relation and adjacent bosom failure.

2. Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs): These drugs, often utilized for symptom relief, tin summation the hazard of precocious humor pressure, bosom onslaught and stroke.

3. Antiarrhythmic Medications: Ironically, immoderate medications prescribed to negociate irregular bosom rhythms tin origin proarrhythmia, a information wherever they make oregon worsen arrhythmias.

4. Some diabetes drugs: Certain older-generation diabetes drugs person been associated with an accrued hazard of bosom failure.

5. Corticosteroids: Long-term usage of these drugs tin pb to fluid retention and hypertension, some of which strain the heart.

6. Mitochondrial Dysfunction: For those into substance abuse, cocaine tin impact the mitochondria oregon the powerfulness sources of bosom cells and harm them.

7. Inflammation and Immune Response: Some medications, specified arsenic hydralazine, whitethorn trigger an autoimmune disorder, wherever the assemblage attacks steadfast tissues, including those successful the heart, damaging them.

8. Antipsychotics: Medications specified arsenic clozapine and olanzapine person been linked to irregular heartbeats.

9. Other Drugs: Methamphetamine, definite antihypertensive drugs similar beta-blockers and ACE inhibitors, and immunosuppressants similar cyclosporine tin each person cardiotoxic effects nether circumstantial conditions.

Identifying aboriginal informing signs

Watch retired for symptoms similar persistent fatigue, shortness of breath, swelling successful the ankles, thorax pain, oregon an irregular heartbeat aft cause use. Routine wellness check-ups, including ECGs, echocardiograms and humor tests for cardiac biomarkers, tin assistance observe problems early.

Who is astatine risk?

While anyone tin acquisition drug-induced cardiomyopathy, definite groups are astatine higher risk. These see aged patients, those with pre-existing bosom disease, those connected aggregate medications that summation the likelihood of accent connected the heart. Cancer treatments are among the astir communal causes of drug-induced bosom problems.

How to forestall this condition

Physicians should measure a patient’s cardiac hazard factors earlier prescribing medication. Even if that’s a greenish flag, patients should beryllium educated astir imaginable cardiac broadside effects and signs to ticker for. Dose adjustments and limiting the duration of attraction tin assistance trim the risk. Periodic cardiac evaluations tin observe aboriginal signs of cardiotoxicity, allowing for timely intervention. A heart-healthy diet, regular exercise, and avoiding smoking tin trim wide cardiac risk.

How to negociate drug-induced cardiomyopathy

The archetypal measurement is to place and discontinue the offending medication, if possible. In cases wherever the cause cannot beryllium stopped (e.g., chemotherapy), cardio-protective medicine specified arsenic beta-blockers oregon ACE inhibitors whitethorn beryllium prescribed to mitigate damage.

Emerging therapies, similar caller biomarkers and imaging techniques, are enhancing the quality to diagnose and negociate drug-induced bosom conditions. So collaboration among cardiologists, superior attraction physicians and specialists is indispensable for optimal care.

(Dr Reddy is HOD, interventional cardiologist, Gleneagles BGS Hospital, Bengaluru)