Bill Clinton was hospitalized this afternoon after experiencing chest pains. Spokespersons for Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York City, where the 63-year-old former President Clinton was admitted, said he has received two stents in one of his coronary arteries. Mr. Clinton is known to have had coronary artery disease at least since 2004, when he had bypass surgery performed to four of his coronary arteries. At that time, it was noted that he did not have heart muscle damage. Whether he has sustained any permanent heart muscle damage with this latest episode has not been reported.
So what does this latest episode indicate? It is impossible to know for sure considering the sparse details released so far, but based on the symptom of chest pain, and his doctors' very rapid insertion of stents as a result, it appears very likely that President Clinton has experienced a form of Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS).
Generally, ACS occurs when a blood clot suddenly forms within a coronary artery, usually due to the acute rupture of a plaque. ACS can lead to myocardial infarction (which causes permanent heart muscle damage), or to unstable angina. ACS always ought to be considered a medical emergency, and ought to initiate medical care aimed at accomplishing two things: 1) to limit the heart muscle damage being done acutely by the blood clot within the coronary artery, and 2) to limit the possibility that the plaque - which has now shown itself to be unstable and prone to rupture - will rupture again.
Accomplishing the first goal - limiting the damage being done by the blocked or partially-blocked artery - often involves rapid angioplasty and stenting.
So, if Mr. Clinton had ACS, as appears likely, the treatment he has received so far has been appropriately aggressive.
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