Myocardial Bridge

Myocardial bridge causes

Myocardial bridging is a congenital condition, which means you are born with it. Myocardial bridging occurs as babies develop in the womb and their heart and coronary arteries form. Doctors don’t know why some people develop myocardial bridges, and there are no known causes or risk factors.

Complications

Myocardial bridges rarely cause complications, but complications can develop when a myocardial bridge puts excessive pressure on a coronary artery. The bridge of muscle can limit blood flow to the heart, causing the development of serious and even life-threatening heart problems.

Complications of a coronary myocardial bridge may include:

• Acute coronary syndrome: This is an umbrella term for conditions that occur when blood flow to the heart muscle is suddenly diminished or stopped.
• Atherosclerosis: Plaque containing fat, cholesterol and other substances builds up in the coronary artery near the myocardial bridge.
• Broken heart syndrome: This condition, caused by extreme emotional stress, weakens the heart’s pumping ability.
• Heart attack: Myocardial bridging can suddenly disrupt blood flow to the heart. Heart attacks can also occur as a result of atherosclerosis.
• Myocardial ischemia: A result of restricted blood flow, myocardial ischemia is a condition in which the heart doesn’t get the oxygen it needs to function well.
• Sudden cardiac death: Unexpected death can occur with the rapid onset of a heart problem.
• Vasospasm: This is the sudden narrowing of a coronary artery caused by a contraction of the blood vessel.
• Ventricular arrhythmias: These abnormal heart rhythms develop in the heart’s lower chambers and can be life-threatening.

Diagnosing a myocardial bridge

In many cases, myocardial bridging is detected during testing for another medical condition. If you have symptoms, your doctor will use several tools to determine a diagnosis and care plan. Once they diagnose the condition, they’ll determine which type you have to help decide which treatments you may need.

Myocardial bridge treatment

Not all myocardial bridges need to be treated, especially if they don’t cause symptoms. If your doctor thinks you need treatment, they’ll create a plan based on whether you have symptoms and, if so, how severe they are.

In general, adopting healthy lifestyle changes can protect your overall health and may help prevent complications of a myocardial bridge, but if you have symptoms, your doctor may suggest medications and, possibly, surgery.

Frequently asked questions