You are in the hospital's room and the doctor listens to you listen to you (STEMI. What exactly do you mean? Coronary artery disease and its consequences do not have to be foreign languages.)
First of all, coronary artery disease is a fantasy term of heart disease. Basically, when cholesterol is high, plaque is formed and gathers in the cardiac artery (or coronary artery). When this plaque is growing, clots may form by attracting platelets that heal or fix the plaque. This platelet rich clot grows to the point of completely or imperfectly squeezing the heart.
Currently, there are three types of CAD (coronary artery disease) type. The least invasive is UA or unstable angina. Basically, angina pectoris means heart pain. The second is called NSTEMI or non-ST wave elevation myocardial infarction. The third is called STEMI or ST wave elevation myocardial infarction.
UA and NSTEMI present the same thing. Both are accompanied by chest pain. The difference between them is that NSTEMI involves a coronary artery marker or troponin. UA does not. NSTEMI is an incomplete clot. On the other hand, STEMI is a completely coagulated mass because there is cell death in myocardium, and there are many emergency situations. There is no blood flow in the coronary artery, myocardium is dying. If myocardial cells begin to die due to lack of oxygen and blood, the heart will not function properly and it will fall into an irregular rhythm. In most cases, this is the cause of death.
The difference between NSTEMI and STEMI is the ST rise of the cardiac wave. ST elevation marking cardiac cell death and a more serious event.
The reason why your doctor always gives you aspirin is due to the antiplatelet effect of aspirin. Aspirin is a wonderful medicine that targets the platelet rich blood clots formed in your coronary arteries and helps prevent heart attacks. It is the first thing you should take if you feel the symptoms of a heart attack ... aspirin 81 mg. You have a nitroglycerine sublingual tablet and you arrive quickly in the emergency room.
The goal is to ensure that these events do not occur first. Statins are a type of drug to reduce cholesterol, especially LDL in the bloodstream, so that these clots are not formed (Lipitor, Pravachol, Zocor, etc.). Diet and exercise are top priority.
I hoped this would help clarify some of the more complex terms of coronary artery disease.
