Heart Attack Facts: What Is a Heart Attack?
Here are few key heart attack facts:
- A heart attack occurs when the supply of blood and oxygen to an area of heart muscle is blocked, usually by a blood clot. This may cause the heart to stop beating and pumping blood effectively (arrhythmia) and lead to death or permanent damage to the heart.
- Each year, over a million people in the United States have a heart attack, and about half of them die. About one half of those who die do so within one hour of the start of symptoms and before reaching the hospital. Most of these sudden deaths (within one hour) are due to arrhythmias that cause a severe decrease in the pumping function of the heart.
- Both men and women have heart attacks.
- Remember, a heart attack is an emergency. Call 911 if you think you (or someone else) may be having a heart attack. Don't delay!
Heart Attack Facts: Risk Factors
Consider the following risk factors for this life-threatening event:
- Risk factors for heart disease and heart attack include things that you cannot change, such as your age and a family history of early heart disease.
- There are also many things you can do to lower your risk for a heart attack, such as not smoking, eating a diet low in fat and cholesterol, and exercising regularly.
- Keeping your weight, cholesterol levels, and blood pressure under control will reduce your chances of having a heart attack.
