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Tiejun Tang

Silent myocardial ischemia (SMI), also called asymptomatic myocardial ischemia, is the most common manifestation of coronary heart disease. SMI patients do not seek medical attention as often as angina pectoris patients because SMI does not necessarily cause severe chest pains. Hence the necessary diagnostic procedures such as blood tests, ECG and heart scan are left undone. This places SMI patients under a higher risk of experiencing a sudden and possibly fatal cardiac event. Some cases have been diagnosed as myocardial infarction after been sent to hospital, some cause sudden death. If the myocardial ischemic is emerged in the heart, no matter patient felt pain or not, the potential risk is the same. I would like to remind people, SMI is a silent killer!

Asymptomatic mean no symptom literally. But it does not mean patients didn’t have any symptoms at all. Actually it only means no chest pain. Some SMI patients might experience chest tightness, palpitation and short of breath sometimes, especially after exercise. A person experiencing any of the above symptoms should contact their GP.