Acute Myocardial Infarction after the Use of Sildenafil

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
A 70-year-old man came to his physician with acute myocardial infarction after self-administration of sildenafil (Viagra) and nitrates, a case highlighting a new trigger for acute myocardial infarction. He had a history of hypertension and hypercholesterolemia, and atypical chest pain had developed a few weeks previously. A thallium exercise test revealed neither angina nor evidence of ischemia at a heart rate of 146 beats per minute, and exercise capacity was normal for his age. Two weeks after the exercise test, another episode of chest pain occurred, one and a half hours after he took sildenafil that had been provided by a friend. Fifteen minutes after the onset of chest pain, the patient took two sublingual nitroglycerin tablets given to him by his mother. His chest pain continued for eight hours despite the use of aspirin and acetaminophen. He then presented to his physician's office, where an electrocardiogram revealed new right bundle-branch block, Q waves in leads V1 through V4, and 1-to-2-mm elevation of the ST segment with upward sloping in leads V2 through V6, indicating recent anteroseptal myocardial infarction. Elevated serum troponin I and creatine kinase levels were found, confirming the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction.

This publication has 2 references indexed in Scilit: