Cardiology Q&A by Dr. Kulick

Can asthma and the resulting inability to steadily breathe in oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide cause a heart attack in someone who has heart disease?

Medical Author Daniel Kulick, MD, FACC, FSCAI
Medical Editor Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD

Answer:

Heart Disease (Coronary Artery Disease) Slideshow

In anyone with blockages in their coronary arteries, any condition where the oxygen in the blood is low (severe asthma, emphysema, sleep apnea, pneumonia) could increase the risk of either a heart attack or abnormal heart rhythm.

Thank you for your question.

Last Editorial Review: 12/19/2006

Heart Health

Get the latest treatment options.

Your Guide to Symptoms & Signs: Pinpoint Your Pain

From WebMD

Heart Disease Resources

Featured Centers

Health Solutions From Our Sponsors

Heart Attack Risk and Asthma Related Articles

Heart Topics

Latest Heart News

Health categories:	Slideshows \| Diseases & Conditions \| Symptoms & Signs \| Procedures & Tests \| Medications \| Health & Living \| News & Views \| Medical Dictionary
Popular health centers:	Allergies \| Arthritis \| Cancer \| Diabetes \| Digestion \| Healthy Kids \| Heart \| Men's Health \| Mental Health \| Women's Health \| More...
Publications:	ePublications (PDFs) \| XML News via RSS \| Audio Podcasts \| Email Newsletters
MedicineNet.com:	About Us \| Privacy Policy \| Site Map \| WebMD® \| Medscape® \| eMedicine® \| eMedicineHealth® \| RxList®

This site complies to the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information:
verify here.