{"id":4235,"date":"2023-04-12T19:14:20","date_gmt":"2023-04-12T18:14:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/heart-explained.org\/?page_id=4235"},"modified":"2023-10-20T15:36:45","modified_gmt":"2023-10-20T14:36:45","slug":"heart-attack","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/heart-explained.org\/index.php\/heart-attack\/","title":{"rendered":"Heart attack"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Arteries & circulation<\/h5>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Heart attack<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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What is a heart attack?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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If you\u2019ve had a heart attack<\/strong> and you\u2019re reading this, you\u2019re lucky.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

In the US, approximately 800,000 people each year will have a heart attack<\/strong> and 96,000 (12%) will die as a result. Death rates have fallen by more than 50% in the past 20 years, largely because of improved treatment options, but having a heart attack<\/strong> is still a very risky business.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Globally, cardiovascular diseases were the leading cause of death in 2019, and a total of 15 million people died as a result of heart attacks and strokes alone.<\/span><\/p>

We all know the term \u201cheart attack<\/strong>\u201d, but it\u2019s easy to <\/span>confuse it with things like cardiac arrest<\/strong> and heart failure<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

In cardiac arrest<\/strong>, the heart stops beating<\/span>, often suddenly and usually because of an electrical malfunction. A heart attack certainly may cause your heart to arrest, but there are many other <\/span>more likely<\/span> causes.<\/span><\/p>

Heart failure<\/strong> is a condition where your heart is unable to pump as efficiently as it should. Your body is starved of oxygen and fluid often builds up in your lungs, feet, and legs. If left untreated, heart failure can eventually be fatal. Take a look at our <\/span>Heart failure<\/a> section if you would like to learn more.<\/span><\/p>

A heart attack<\/strong> –\u00a0 or a myocardial infarction, as it is formally known – happens when one of your coronary arteries is blocked by a blood clot or a piece of atherosclerotic plaque.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Your coronary arteries supply blood to your heart muscle and, when oxygenated blood can\u2019t get through, the part of your heart muscle normally supplied by the blocked coronary artery begins to die.<\/span><\/p>

So what does a heart attack feel like?<\/strong><\/p>

The symptoms of a heart attack<\/strong> typically include chest pain that spreads to your shoulder, arm, neck, or jaw, and also difficulty breathing, a cold sweat, and extreme tiredness. However, some people, especially some women, have symptoms that are not considered typical.<\/span><\/p>

Atypical symptoms include indigestion, nausea, and back pain. Occasionally heart attack sufferers report feeling no chest pain at all.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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It is critically important that you <\/span>immediately seek emergency medical care\u00a0<\/strong>if you think you\u2019re having a heart attack. The faster the blockage in your coronary artery can be cleared, the less likely it is that your heart will be permanently damaged.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Heart attack: Atherosclerosis, blood clot, and damaged heart muscle<\/b><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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