A heart attack, also known as a myocardial infarction or coronary thrombosis, is the term given when the heart muscle suddenly loses its blood supply. During a heart attack, the affected part of the heart is starved of oxygen, through lack of blood supply, which can lead to that part of the heart muscle becoming permanently damaged.1
A heart attack is usually brought on by a blood clot that blocks one of the coronary arteries leading to the heart. As well as a blood clot, blood flow to the heart can also be blocked by a sudden spasm or narrowing of the coronary artery. Heart attack symptoms usually involve severe pain in the middle of the chest which can also travel to other parts of the body, including the neck, jaw, ears, and arms. Other symptoms include cold and clammy skin, which may become pale and grey in colour.2 While the most common cause of a heart attack is a pre-existing heart condition, such as coronary artery disease, it can also happen when there is no existing medical condition present.1
A heart attack can happen at any time, whether you’re active or resting.3 In the UK, heart attacks are common, with about 126,000 men and 101,000 women suffering from them each year.3 British men are almost three times more likely to suffer from heart attacks than women: approximately six out of every thousand men in the UK between thirty and sixty-nine years old suffer from a heart attack each year, as opposed to only two out of every thousand women of the same age.3 Heart attacks are also a leading killer in other developed countries. In the United States, around 1.1 million people suffer from heart attacks each year, of which roughly half die of the condition.4 Most heart attacks occur in people who are over fifty years of age, becoming more common as people get older.1
A heart attack can be fatal if not treated quickly - half of those who die from heart attacks die from a cardiac arrest (when the heart stops completely) within three to four hours from the start of the attack, and often before they have even reached the hospital.2, 3, 4 Despite this, effective treatments are available that can prevent death or permanent damage. However, in order for treatment to be effective it needs to be started as soon as possible after the heart attack occurs. Treatment is most effective if started within 1 hour of symptoms. For this reason, you should seek emergency medical help immediately if you or someone you know is having a heart attack.4
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Last Updated 12/06/2009 11:21:45
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