Is being heavily sedated the same as being in a coma?

In order to really know what is going on, I'll need to see a list of every medication being given to your friend, and the latest progress notes written by his physicians. Without that information, anything written here is wild conjecture. If it's any of your business to know what is going on, ask one of his family members. They are probably given regular updates by your friend's doctors. Unless your other friend is in the medical field, or is privy to medical information that you're not, his use of the word "coma" could be incorrect. Being unconscious following a heart attack is NOT normal. Even those with very poor cardiac function are usually conscious. One more time: a drug-induced coma is used to prevent or decrease brain swelling, usually after head injury or brain surgery. It is not necessary to induce a coma to reduce the work of the heart; that is done with drugs that act directly on the heart and vasculature. If his heart is in such bad shape that he needs to be mechanically ventilated, he may be heavily sedated to help him tolerate the ventilator. The difference between a drug-induced coma and sedation lies in the medications used, and the intent. Drug induced comas are intended to reduce electrical activity of the brain, thereby reducing metabolic demand and blood flow, leading to decreased swelling. Sedation is used to keep patients still and comfortable. If his heart attack left his brain underperfused for more than a few minutes, he could have suffered either a stroke or a global cerebral hypoxemic event. Either of those could put him into a (not drug induced) coma. The chances of meaningful recovery following such an event are not good. Again, without a LOT more information, it is impossible to know what is going on with your friend. I'd suggest talking to his relatives to get information, if you know them. I'm sure they would appreciate your concern and well wishes during this difficult time.

They are different, and if your friend doesn't really understand what's going on, then there's really no way you can know for sure, either. They both involve unconsciousness. In the hospital, people are sometimes kept sedated if they're in bad shape to control pain and anxiety. This is a controlled situation. A coma caused by the disease is not, and it's not a good sign. If the coma was caused by heart attack, it's not a drug-induced coma, it's a heart-attack induced coma (probably the heart attack caused the brain to not get enough oxygen, leading to coma). A "drug-induced coma" would be from something like an overdose of heroin, where the drug causes slow breathing, directly resulting in the brain not getting enough oxygen, causing coma. I wish you the best.

one is voluntary (induced) and a coma is not