What Is a TIMI Risk Score? - WebMD

What Do TIMI Scores Mean? · Being over age 65 · Having at least three risk factors for coronary artery disease, such as diabetes, hypertension, ... MenuNewsReferenceSlideshowsQuizzesVideosQuestions&AnswersFindaCardiologistMedicationsOverview&FactsSymptoms&TypesDiagnosis&TestsTreatmentandCareforHeartDiseaseLiving&ManagingSupport&ResourcesAbnormalHeartRhythmsAnginaAtrialFibrillationCholesterolManagementDiabetesHeartFailureHighBloodPressureMetabolicSyndromeMyMedicineStrokeMoreRelatedTopicsHeartDiseaseReferenceMenuMedicallyReviewedbyJabeenBegumonOctober18,2021InthisArticleWhoShouldBeGivenaTIMIRiskScore?WhatDoTIMIScoresMean?RiskManagementforaHighTIMIScoreATIMIriskscoreisbasedonanumberoffactorsandisusedtoestimatehowlikelyitisthatsomeonemighthaveseriousorlife-threateningheartconsequences.Thescoremeasuresrisksforpeoplewhohavecertaintypesofchestpainorheartattacks.TIMIriskscoresareusedtoguidetreatmentandfindthebestoptionsforyourheartcondition.‌WhoShouldBeGivenaTIMIRiskScore?OnlypeoplewhoareconsideredathighormediumriskaregivenaTIMIclassification.ThemainriskfactorsthatpromptcalculatingaTIMIscoreare:Unstableangina(UA).Alsocalledacutecoronarysyndrome,themostcommonsymptomofthisconditionischestpainthatoccursunexpectedlywhileyouareatrest.Itisusuallycausedbyfattybuildupinthearteriesprovidingbloodflowtoyourheart(yourcoronaryarteries).Thefattybuildupcanburstandcausebloodclottingthatblocksbloodflowtotheheart.Unstableanginashouldbetreatedwithcaution.Itcaneasilyleadtoheartattacks,arrhythmia(irregularheartbeat),orcardiacarrest(whentheheartstopsbeatingandneedstoberestarted). ‌Non-ST-Elevationmyocardialinfarction(NSTEMI).Thisisatypeofheartattackinwhichoneofthecoronaryarteriesisblocked,andthebloodflowofoxygen-richbloodisreduced.SymptomsofNSTEMIarechestpain,dizziness,nausea,shortnessofbreath,andsweating.Itcanbecausedbydiabetes,coronaryarterydisease,highcholesterol,hypertension,andsmoking.BloodtestingandanelectrocardiogramcandetermineifyouhavehadanNSTEMIevent.WhatDoTIMIScoresMean?SomeofthecriteriausedtoscoretheTIMIare:Beingoverage65Havingatleastthreeriskfactorsforcoronaryarterydisease,suchasdiabetes,hypertension,smoking,orafamilyhistoryofheartdiseaseTakingaspirininthepastweekSevereunstableanginainthepasttwenty-fourhoursDramaticchangesonyourelectrocardiogramscans SpecificmarkersinyourcardiachealthEachoneofthesecategoriesrepresentsonepointontheTIMIscale.ThehighertheTIMIscore,themorelikelyyouaretobeatriskforheartproblemsanddeath.TheTIMIscorecanrangebetweenoneandseven.Scoresfromzerototwoarelowrisk,threetofiveareintermediaterisk,andscoressixtosevenarehighrisk.Eachofthepointsonthescalecanbeunderstoodasfollows:Ifyougetonepoint,youareat5%riskforheart-relatedmortality.Twopointsonthescalemeansyouareat8%riskformortality.ThreepointsontheTIMIscalemeansthatyouareat13%atriskformortality.Ifyougetfourpointsonthescale,youareat20%risk. FivepointsontheTIMIscalemeansthatyouareata26%risklevel.Scoringsixpointsonthescalemeansthatyouareat41%risk. Sevenpointsalsomeansthatyouareat41%risk. TIMIriskscoreshavebeenfoundtoeffectivelymeasurethefunctioningofthecoronarybloodvesselsthatprovidebloodflowtotheheart.However,oneflawintheTIMIscaleisthatsomecategoriesincludedinthescorehavebeenfoundtocarrymoremedicalweightthanothers.TIMIscoringdoesnotreflectthisweighting.RiskManagementforaHighTIMIScoreThemostcommonsymptomofUA/NSTEMIischestpain. Chestpainisalsooneofthemostcommonreasonsyoumayvisitthehospital.AhighTIMIscoreshouldnotbeunderstated,butitispossibletolowerthescore.ThefourmainwaysthatpeopletreattheirhearthealthiftheyhaveaTIMIscoreare:Anti-ischemictherapy.Thisissimplytakingvariousmedicationssuchasbeta-blockers,calciumblockers,nitrates,andothermedicinesthathelpyourarteriespumpyourblood.Oftenyoumayneedtotakethesemedicationsintravenously. Antiplatelet/anticoagulanttherapy.Thistherapyisaimedathelpingthestickybloodcellsinyourblood(platelets)notsticktogetherandformbloodclots.Aspirinisthemostcommonmedicinetotakeasantiplatelettherapy.However,thereareseveralothermedicationsthatyourdoctorcanprescribe.Invasivetherapy.Youmayneedtohaveaproceduredonetoincreaseyourbody’sabilitytomovebloodthroughyourheart,suchascardiaccatheterizationorrevascularization.Bothoftheseproceduresaredonethroughsurgeryandaimateitheraidingyourarteriesorpumpingbloodatanincreasedrate. Lifestylemanagementandprevention.AgreatwaytolookatTIMIscoreinterpretationisthatyouhavereceivedapieceofnewsthatcansaveyourlife.Forexample,ifyouhaveunmanageddiabetes,areoverweight,donotexercise,usetobaccoproducts,andhaveadietthatisnotoptimalforhearthealth,gettingaTIMIscoreisyoursigntomakesomesignificantlifestylechanges.Takingthesesimpleyetoftendifficultstepscancompletelychangeyourlife. HeartDisease:WhatAretheMedicalCosts?Quiz:TestYourCholesterolSmarts10TipsforLivingWithAtrialFibrillationNumber1KillerofWomenHowtoWreckYourHeartUnexpectedHeartAttackTriggersYouShouldKnowUnderstandingHeartDiseaseAvisualguide.WhatIsAFib?Symptomsandcauses.Heart-HealthyEating20foodstoaddtoyourdietrightnow.UsingBloodThinners?Toptipsfortakingthemsafely.ArticleShockingHeartDeaths:WhyDoTheyHappen?VideoAlcoholandYourHeartArticleAfteraHeartAttackSlideshow15SimpleStepstoLowerCholesterolSlideshowInsideaHeartAttackSlideshowTheTruthAboutOmega-3SlideshowSaltShockers:AvoidTheseHigh-SodiumSurprisesSlideshowSeeSimpleWaystoLowerBloodPressureAfteraHeartAttackHeartAttackSymptomsRe-routingBloodtotheHeartTestYourCholesterolSmartsExercisingforaHealthyHeartTipsforHeart-HealthyEatingHealthSolutionsPenisCurvedWhenErect?CouldIhaveCAD?TreatBentFingersTreatHR+,HER2-MBCTiredofDandruff?BenefitsofCBDRethinkMSTreatmentAFib-RelatedStrokesRiskofaFutureDVT/PEIsMyPenisNormal?RelapsingMSOptionsLiverTransplantsSaveLivesFinancePlasticSurgeryBentFingerCausesLivingWithPsoriasis?MissingTeeth?MorefromWebMD5TipstoHelpWithRelapsingMSHowtoThriveWithNarcolepsyReliefforBlockedHairFolliclesPsoriaticArthritisandYourSleepWhatPsoriasisFeelsLikeFirstPsoriaticArthritisFlareTalkingtoYourDoctorAboutRACrohn's:A'Full-Body'DiseaseAvoidingCrohn’sFlaresHealthBenefitsofHempSeedOilLiveBetterWithPsoriaticDiseaseTypesofB-CellTherapyforMS5HealthBenefitsofHempWhyProstateCancerSpreadsLivingwithAdvancedBreastCancerWhereBreastCancerSpreads