Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is a term that describes symptoms related to poor blood flow to the heart muscle that lead to a heart attack. This results in chest pain or
pectoris. This is a very serious condition. ACS is a life-threatening condition. If you think you have ACS seek immediate medical treatment.
ACS is caused by a sudden blockage of the coronary arteries. These blood vessels carry blood to the heart muscle. The blood flow to the heart muscle is either greatly reduced or completely blocked. This leads to heart muscle damage or death from a heart attack.
Blood clots are often the cause of the narrowing arteries. The narrowing most often happens from years of plaque build-up in an artery. This is called
Copyright © Nucleus Medical Media, Inc.
Risk factors that increase your chances of developing acute coronary syndrome include:
ACS is very serious. It requires immediate medical treatment. Contact your doctor if you experience any of these symptoms:
Your doctor will ask about your symptoms and medical history. A physical exam will be done. If you suspect ACS, call an ambulance. At the hospital, tests may include the following:
If you are having a heart attack, doctors will:
Treating ACS with
and revascularization (restoring blood flow to the heart) may reduce the rate of being hospitalized again. But, the surgery may not reduce the rate of death or heart attack.
To help reduce your chances of getting ACS, take the same heart-healthy lifestyle steps used to prevent other forms of coronary artery disease such as:
American College of Cardiologyhttp://www.acc.org/
American Heart Associationhttp://www.heart.org/
Canadian Cardiovascular Societyhttp://www.ccs.ca/
Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canadahttp://www.heartandstroke.com/
Acute coronary syndrome. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at:
. Updated October 2, 2012. Accessed October 30, 2012.
Achar SA, Kundu S, Norcross WA. Diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome.
Am Fam Physician
. 2005; 72:119-26.
Alexander KP, Newby LK, Cannon CP et al: Acute Coronary Care in the Elderly, Part I.
Anderson JL, Adams CD, et. al. ACC/AHA 2007 Guidelines for the Management of Patients With Unstable Angina/Non-ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction.
J Am Coll Cardiol
Cohen M, Diez JE< Levine GN et al: Pharmacoiinvasive management of acute coronary syndrome: incorporating the 2007 ACC/AHA guidelines: the cATH(cardiac catherization and antithrombotic therapy in the hospital) Clinical Consensus Panel Report-III.
J Invasive Cardiol
Heart attack: Tips for recovering and staying well. Familydoctor.org website. Available at:
. Updated January 2011. Accessed October 30, 2012.
Large GA. Contemporary management of acute coronary syndrome.
Postgrad Med J
. 2005; 81:217-222.
Swap CJ, Nagurney JT. Value and limitations of chest pain history in the evaluation of patients with suspected acute coronary syndromes.
Walker CW, Dewley CA, Fletcher SF:Aspirin combined with clopidogrel (Plavix) decreases cardiovascular events in patients with acute coronary syndrome.
Am Fam Physician
What is angina? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute website. Available at:
. Updated July 1, 2011. Accessed October 30, 2012.
7/7/2007 DynaMed's Systematic Literature Surveillance
DynaMed's Systematic Literature Surveillance
: O'Donoghue M, Boden WE, Braunwald E, et al. Early invasive vs conservative treatment strategies in women and men with unstable angina and non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction: a meta-analysis.
The #1 daily resource for health and lifestyle news!
Your daily resource for losing weight and staying fit.
We could all use some encouragement now and then - we're human!
Explore your destiny as you discover what's written in your stars.
The latest news, tips and recipes for people with diabetes.
Healthy food that tastes delicious too? No kidding.
Yoga for Back Pain
Pets HelpYour Heart
Are YouMoney Smart?